Madhuri Dixit may be all of 48 but she is still the dhak-dhak girl with a million dollar smile, especially when it comes to dance reality shows. Her second coming of small screen stardom, after motherhood, wifehood and long years abroad, has happened smoothly. She tells SANGEETA YADAV in Mumbai that she is fortunate to be in a happy space doing what she loves to do
After marriage, you settled down in California but returned....
I wanted to return to my roots and do so many things which I would have never been able to do there. All the adjustments were done by my husband and children, Arin and Rayaan, for which I feel gratitude. They have blended in so easily with people here and really like the energy Mumbai has. When I came here, I started my online dance academy Dance With Madhuri.
You made a comeback with a woman-oriented film. What’s in the bag nowIJ
It’s very interesting the way roles are written for women now. They are no longer just the victims or avengers. They are people and different characters and people playing an integral role in society. They are not just eye candy. They are not perceived in a particular way.
How has Bollywood evolved over the yearsIJ
When I started, the only women you would see on the sets were the heroine and other artists participating in that scene or a hair dresser and a costume designer. Today when I walk in, the set is bustling with women. There are assistant directors, camera women, script writers, directors. It’s wonderful to see women playing so many roles in the entertainment world. When I started there were only two women directors. Now there is Aparna Sen, Gouri Shinde, Zoya Akthar and Reema Kagti, who I wish to work with one day.
Has it become more organisedIJ
Yes it has become much more streamlined and disciplined. Earlier, we used to shoot haphazardly. The producer would break the news that shooting would start in three days. Dialogues used to be written on the set while we would wait. All this isn’t there anymore.
How about a biopic on you somedayIJ
I never thought about that. I have to do a lot of things in life before that.
How do you manage family and workIJ
It’s a balancing act but my priority has always been my family. Whenever I do anything in life, I plan well and around my family. My husband and I are a great team. If I’m going to be absent for a few days from home, he takes charge of everything. When he is busy, I do the same. We make sure one of us is always there for children.
Any recent Bollywood movie that you really likedIJ
Shah Rukh Khan’s Fan is a lovely film. He gave a balanced performance despite the challenges of playing a dual character of superstar Aryan and fan Gaurav. The characters had their own fragilities, egos and grey areas which SRK bought out very diligently.
What do you have to say about your fansIJ
We always have fans around us who look up to us and aspire to be like us personally and professionally. They go to the theatre to watch you on big screens and develop a liking for your work. But there are some obsessive fans who stalk you and want to get married to you. That’s scary and awkward. Having said that, it’s their love, adoration and affection that makes you a celebrity and I feel happy to interact with them on and off over social media.
What is the secret to your fitness and beautyIJ
I work out regularly, dance to a regime and eat healthy. I am a happy person. People, especially housewives, need to devote at least 15 minutes to themselves and their fitness every day.
Have you done ever anything to step out of your comfort zoneIJ
I’m not a very good swimmer and I’m really scared of drowning. So I learnt scuba diving in Florida, which was my biggest challenge. later, I realised that it was not a big deal as I just had to sink into the water and not swim. I did that and it was a beautiful experience.
And on the dancing frontIJ
I remember, in one of my performances on Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, I did a lift where I had to spin and fall. That was completely out of my comfort zone but I managed to do it. And in films, it was a really big challenge to do the chair act in the Tamma tamma song in the filmThanedaar. Moreso, as we had to do it in one shot. Another difficult dance act was with Prabhu Deva in the Ke sera sera song of Pukar. It was an entirely different style from what I was used to.
Any incident or experience from your dancing days that made you stronger…
When I was in the first year of my dancing, I went for an inter-school competition and won the second position for my performance. I was profusely crying in the auditorium because I did not come first. Maa just looked at me and said ‘why are you cryingIJ You have won the second position. Now when you come next year, you will have something to aim for, rightIJ You compete for the first position then’. I will never forget those words because sometimes when you are feeling blue, you have to tell yourself that tomorrow is there to strive for something better. After that, I won the first prize for three consecutive years in that competition.
Did you ever face stage fright in lifeIJ
No, it was completely opposite for me as the stage was the place where I felt more comfortable than in my regular life. I was a very shy kid. But once I was on stage, people used to say that something would happen to me and I transformed into a different person. That was the kind of impact the stage had in my life.
Who is the person behind making you a better person todayIJ
My mom and family have been my biggest inspiration. My husband and in-laws are extremely supportive. Everyone comes from some or the other professional background. I feel fortunate to have such a supportive and inspiring family and wish that everyone gets a family like this.
What do you miss the most on the stage of lifeIJ
I don’t miss anything in life. Everybody has dreams in life. For me, having a good family and children was a big part of my dream. We’re four siblings and I just wanted that. I’m living my dreams now.
You worked on the first reality show of India titled Kahin Naa Kahin Koi Hai in 2002 which was not received well by viewers. Now there are so many...
When we did this show, it was the first of its kind and on the very good idea of making arranged marriages happen to real people. But at that time people were not that interested in reality shows. But today there are so many reality and talent hunt shows that delve into the lives of common people and celebrities. One thing which is good about such shows is that people get to see great talent from all walks of life and inspire others to come of out their shell and live their passion.
What should we look forward to in So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD)IJ
It will be interesting to see stage dancers trying street dancing and street dancers doing vice versa. That will be their real challenge. And those who will be versatile will come out winners. I have been following this show for 11 years and I know what kind of values it brings to the dancing platform and how it has changed the life of many dancers.
SYTYCD begins where Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa ends in bringing to you dancers who are fabulous and born to dance. Jhalak was all about celebrities dancing, some of them were first-time dancers who worked really hard to be Miss and Mr Happy Feet by the end of the show. Here, you will see how the professional dancers will sizzle.
Are you a better stage or street dancerIJ
I’m a good stage as well as street dancer. All dance forms are covered in Bollywood dancing and we’ve done street as well, not knowing it was one of the street dance forms and didn’t even know that it’s called hip hop or locking popping.
What is most difficult as a judgeIJ
To say no to the dancers for whom dancing means life. To say, ‘sorry you are good but you are not as good as the others’ is really tough, especially after knowing the struggles they go through to come this far. Some of them have been disowned by their families saying that ‘arrey yeh to nachne wala ya nachne wali hai’. Still, their passion is alive and they strive each day to make their dream come true.
Are you going to be a strict judgeIJ
I will be myself. I get attached to people and when I hear their stories, a sense of belonging comes to me. The interaction that we had with the contestants is very interesting and it gives me a chance to connect to the real dancers.
Who has been your best judge or mentor in dancingIJ
I’ve had a lot of gurus who taught me different genres of dancing. I started learning classical dance forms from Vasantrao Ghatge at age four and then moved to Hazari lal Jaipurwale and Pandit Birju Maharajji for Kathak. In Bollywood dancing, Saroj Khan has always been my guru. Every choreographer I have worked with, I learn something new from them.
How is Dance With Madhuri doingIJ
It’s going great. I thought that if you open a school, then you can teach 300 to 700 aspirants. But through online, you are reaching out to 206 countries. Fifty per cent of my audiences are from outside and 50 per cent from India. We are reaching the lowest common denominator and the smallest of cities. That’s why we expanded the dance studio to Tata Sky broadcasters so that we could reach the last mile connection which is difficult to get through Internet.
Do you wish to choreograph songsIJ
I was busy doing so many films that I really did not get a chance. It is a novel idea and, who knows, I might do that in future.
If you’ll get a chance to come back to Jhalak, would you go for itIJ
It’s a tricky query. Once you are doing a show, you have to be loyal to it. There are so many dance reality shows that you need to keep expanding and also staying true to projects at hand.
Any dance form that needs to be promotedIJ
Through all these reality shows and through my dance academy, we are promoting all forms of dance. But classical dance needs to be taught in a bigger way. When you learn classical dance, you tend to learn a lot of discipline, body language, basic grace and how you play with the rhythm. After that, sky is the limit and you can do any dance form.
Is your husband a good dancerIJ
Yes he is. We go clubbing and dance on the floor like any other dance partners.