By Jagmohan Singh Barhok
On The Eve of Her Birth Anniversary
मुझे कोई दे दे ज़हर, हँस के मैं पी लूंगी
मुझे कोई दे दे ज़हर, हँस के मैं पी लूंगी
हर दर्द सह लूंगी, हर हाल में जी लूंगी
हर दर्द सह लूंगी, हर हाल में जी लूंगी
दर-ए-जुदाई सह ना सकूंगी
तेरे बिना मैं रह न सकुंगी
जीयें तो जीयें कैसे बिन आपके
जीयें तो जीयें कैसे बिन आपके
There is a popular saying “If you must live by the sea, you must learn to be friendly with the crocodiles”. Had Madhuri Dixit heard of this saying or been forewarned by her friends, well-wishers or sympathizers, she would not have had to go through her initial agonizing periods. As readers know Madhuri comes from a conservative middle-class family. Of the four brother & sisters, she was the youngest and naturally a pampered child in the family.
When Madhuri Dixit was lured into the tinsel world by its glim-glam and razzle-dazzle atmosphere, she was a mere sweet sixteen-in her mid teens, to be very exact. It is said that she got a role in ” Abodh” because of her fantastic figure & frame than for her acting talent of which there was little or no proof. Whatever talent she was supposed to have, was hidden or latent. Indeed, her obvious talents were in her sensual looks, in her slender streamline chassis ,or in her too obvious voluptuous personality, which she exuded in her own charming nay mysterious ways. One wonder how the starlet rose to popularity in no time to become a potential threat to the then reigning queen Sridevi, also called ‘thundering thighs’. Madhuri’s rise to fame has been phenomenal. Never before barring Dimple Kapadia ( who made her debut in “Bobby’ and dazzled the viewers with her nubile feminity clad only on a skimpy two-piece bikini) has a starlet risen to starry heights in so short a period and with such a spectacular speed .Both Rekha & Sridevi who hit the Hindi screen at a time when the competition was not so acute ,took a long time to reach the pinnacle of popularity. Until 1989,Sridevi was supposed to have many challengers to her supremacy (including Dimple, Jaya Prada & Meenakshi Sheshadhri to mention some) but with the emergence of Madhuri the real fight remained between Sridevi & Madhuri. Interestingly, Meenakshi Sheshadhri, who was until then considered a poor third in the race did amazingly well & was seen running abreast with Madhuri Dixit-thanks to her two successive hits, “Ghar Ho To Aisa” & ” Ghayal”. Madhuri being the younger of the two and equally( if not more) gifted with talents and sex-appeal, got an obvious edge over her. Moreover, by then she had shed all her previous inhibitions and hang-ups,too. Those who have seen her passionate love scenes with Aamir Khan in “Deewana Mujh Sa Nahin” & “Dil” will not need to be convinced that the actress had given her best and most uninhibited performances in these films. “Dil”, it is worth mentioning, made many a producer sit up and take notice. It is interesting to mention that the actress later began preferring being paired with younger heroes like Aamir Salman Khan, Govinda & Sanjay Dutt for with younger actors (or heroes) an actress, even if she is older than the hero, tends not only to look much younger, but also more charming and glamorous. It is obvious, her changed strategy started paying off well. Her love scenes with Aamir Khan were so sizzling that only two persons in ‘real’ love with each other could have enacted them so realistically and so voluptuously.
Madhuri Dixit was initially an introvert ( shy and bashful). One of my friends, Sudarshan Rattan who died last year following Covid19 complications, had told me that she was a non entity, too slender to exude any sex appeal needed for an actress to be acceptable. Rattan, reportedly cast her in his film when she was sans work. However, many opined that she wore shyness or bashfulness as a mask. “Had it been so, she wouldn’t have allowed herself to be kissed by her hero-Anil Kapoor, in her first film with him-“Hifaazat” ,they argue. They also cite the case of “Dayawaan”, that Feroz Khan film, in which the actress played Khanna’s wife, and in that role had to enact some of the extremely revealing and passionately amorous scenes in bed. When the film was released Madhuri was amazed, if not shocked. She later admitted tht she had gone too far and too deep and that she shouldn’t have done those messy scenes. “I was then inexperienced and unaware of the tricks these filmi people can or could play”, she clarified. “It was the beginning of my career .I could not afford to be the subject of an unsavoury controverys”,she reasoned. So, you may say, it was under duress that I had to do that particular scene”, she explained.
Contrary to the impression that Subhash Ghai discovered her, the fact is that she was discovered by Rajshree Pictures who gave her a break in “Abodh”. The film failed, but the actress later clicked. Ghai spotted the actress during the shooting of “Awara Baap” and was instantly struck by her singular beauty. He gave her a minor role in “Karma”, promising a major shortly thereafter. He fulfilled his promise & cast her in “Tezaab” opposite Anil Kapoor. The film made history and Madhuri a ‘star’ overnight.
I met the actress thrice. Firstly during the initial shooting of “Sahibaan”, followed by her dancing number” Tu Shayar Hai Main Teri Shayari ” on stage at Seth Studios, Andheri where shooting of “Saajan” was under way and lastly at Chandivali Studio where the last leg shooting of late D.K.Chawla’s “Sahibaan” was taking place. Her song -and -dance number “Ek Do Teen….”( Tezaab), “one two ka four” ( Ram Lakhan) & “Oye oye..” ( Tridev ) will be remembered for long ti mes to come.
It would be injustice if we did not mention her other prominent films like- Tridev & Parinda (1989), Thanedaar (1990), Kishen Kanhaiya (1990), Saajan & 100 Days (1991), Khalnayak (1993), Raja (1995), Mrityudand, Dil To Pagal Hai ( 1997 ) & Devdas (2002). Her accolades include six Filmfare Awards & Padma Shri.
Madhuri’s path to the summit of stardom has been strewn with roses-all the way. Interestingly, the actress. She has retained her charm and voluptuousness over the years. If she sings “Mujhe Neend Na Aaye” ( ‘Dil’) , it is but natural. Too much joy takes the sleep out of one’s eyes.
Born15 May 1967.
