Madhuri Dixit’s Wonderful LifeBy Lavina Melwani • May 9th, 2011 • Category: People
* * [image: Madhuri Dixit, the Bollywood superstar, with her husband Dr. Sriram Nene]<http://www.lassiwithlavina.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/Madhuri-Dixit-Dr.-Ram-Nene.jpg> Madhuri Dixit and Dr. Sriram Nene (Photo: Lavina Melwani) * * Madhuri Dixit, Bollywood Super-Star… She’s out of sight but not out of our minds – we’re talking of none other than the bubbly, ever vibrant superstar Madhuri Dixit. Well, here are some nuggets from a brief but fun interview she gave to me during her New York visit. What comes through is her warmth and easiness as she adapts avidly to a very un-Bollywood lifestyle. Ask her what’s the one memory of her film career which stays with her, which she relishes and think about, and she says, “I guess it’s hard to pinpoint one moment because there are so many moments which shape your whole life and make you who you are. I would say that probably after ‘Tezaab’ when I was recognized for the first time and was asked for my autograph for the first time. I think that’s an unforgettable kind of a moment.” She adds, “You’re working for something when you’re an actor and you want to be recognized and you want people to say ‘Hey, I saw you in that movie and you were good!’ And when that actually happens, it’s a different thrill. You say ‘Oh, my God! Someone recognized me!’ And of course, once everyone starts recognizing you, you want to wear dark glasses and hide – that’s the irony of it!” Does she ever miss the glitter and glamour of being a superstar? “Well, I miss my craft – I miss acting, dancing – I don’t miss the paraphernalia at all,” she says. “It’s a dichotomy. Even when I was working in movies, I was a star on the sets but once I was home, I was just the homebody.” Recently she ventured back to Bollywood for the film ‘Aaja Nachle.’ How was the experience? “It was great – at first I was a little apprehensive, a little nervous, but the way the industry operates, it’s changed. Now it’s very well organized. It’s much better technically – scripts are ready on time.” Madhuri loves her new life with her husband, the easy-going Dr. Shriram Nene, and her two kids in Denver. She says, “I enjoy being normal because I am a normal person and I like a normal life. I think it’s good for my kids too that they are in a very normal environment where they can be themselves, and be their own person, and there is not a particular expectation from them.” Ask her who does the cooking, she or her husband the surgeon, and she exclaims, “Oh, he’s the cook! He was interested in cooking but for me I was working since I was 16, so I never had the opportunity or the urge to cook. He cooks so well – I’ve learned so much from him! We cook anything from dosa to bhajji to chicken tikka masala or just barbequing I love the way he makes steak.” So who does the cooking and who does the chopping? “We share the chores. My kids are also into it, asking, can we cut this, can we cut that. Of course, I don’t let them cut anything!” While Madhuri is not anxious to rush back to Bollywood unless there is a script which really moves her, she would like to pass the magic of dance to young people in the US: “I would love to start a dance school out here where you teach all different kinds of dancing, not just film dancing – like the basic classic Kathak because I believe that if you learn Kathak, you can do any style of dancing in the world, except ballet, of course. Our folk dances are so rich so one school would teach all that. I will definitely do it one day!” Well, what could be better than learning to shake a leg from the Dance Queen herself? So stay tuned for Madhuri Dixit – coming soon to a dance school near you! BTW She is part owner of TV Channel *Food Food* -- With best wishes S Chander
