The ever charming Madhuri Dixit

Queen of hearts. The eternal Dhak Dhak girl. Madhuri Dixit continues to rule. She may have been away from the strobe lights of glamour, but her tantalizing appeal fails to diminish in the wake of fresh young talent. In fact, today she is looking fitter and even more radiant than even before. And of course she is dancing away to glory yet again in her comeback vehicle Aaja Nachle.

In a rare public appearance yesterday when she inaugurated a painting exhibition of young Painter Purnendy Mandal, Dixit spoke to us about an illustrious career that most certainly signifies a very important era in Hindi films. There was a time when MF Hussain made paintings out of your Didi Tera Devar Deewana pose, today you are promoting a new artiste. Has life come full circle? "I think he was more obsessed with the film than me," the muse laughed.



She was last seen in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film Devdas. But it would be fair to say that her last big hit was Yash Chopra's Dil To Pagal Hai. Be it Ek Do Teen from Tezaab, or the college going snooty babe opposite Aamir Khan in Dil, the heart-stopping Dhak Dhak moments in Beta or the charm personified family girl asking a lovestruck Salman Khan...Hum Aapke Hain Kaun. And of course her Pooja act in the poignant triangle tale in Saajan is as fresh as morning dew. How have things changed from Then to Now? "I don't believe in comparisons. Technology will always advance. Jo aaj hai voh kal nahin hoga. I don't look back. The kind of technology, sets, effects, camera work we had at that time, we still made good films. Today with the advancement in technology, we can make better movies, so I think it's wonderful," Madhuri said.


Your dance moves made millions skip a heart beat. You also happened to have worked with a cross section of generations of choreographers. "It's like comparing one actress with another. Everybody approaches in his or her own way. Whether it is Farah Khan or Saroj Khan, they are all talented people. They all interpret dance in their own way. They all have the strengths. I look at the strengths and appreciate it. I worked with Saroj ji more so we have a connection there. We have given so many hits together. But that doesn't mean someone else is less good. They are all good.

Her tryst with Yash Chopra was in Dil To Pagal Hai and she is working with the Yashraj banner in Aaja Nachle after a decade. Things have changed. Today they are the biggest factory in Bollywood churning out the biggest hits with an amazing consistency. "I don't think I'll call them factory. They make the films from their heart. They work very hard on every film they make. They try to do the best for the artistes, the technicians and that is wonderful. It's a wonderful company to work with. I am really really glad I am working with them. I am having fun working on this film (Aaja Nachle)." Could you reveal something about the role? "That you are not going to know. You'll have to come and watch the film," Madhuri chuckles.

There was a time when Madhuri Dixit had put on weight. In fact Akshay Kumar jokingly called her 'moti' (fat) in Dil To Pagal Hai. But today when you look at her, it's a much trimmer and glowing Madhuri that gently sashays along making you go...Main shayar...tu meri shayari....oops....jumbling up the lyrics....Are we! But then that's the kind of effect she still manages to have. It was obvious to pop up the question about her fitness regimen and she laughs aloud that famous laughter-of-life in slow motion. "First of all I keep running after my kids. That in itself can get you in half your size. And of course there's a regimen that you have to keep because I am working in a movie. And me and my husband have decided that we have to be fit so that our kids are also the same."

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