Madhuri Dixit was every teenager’s dream in the 90s; her smile has lit up many hearts over the years. She achieved legendary status not just with her mesmerising dance and enchanting beauty but also with her grace and acting prowess. Fondly known as the “Dhak Dhak Girl,” Madhuri captivated audiences with iconic performances in films like Tezaab, Ram Lakahan, Dil, Beta, Saajan, Hum Aapke Hain Koun!, Dil To Pagal Hai, and countless more. Her expressive eyes and infectious smile made her an icon and a timeless symbol of beauty and talent.
Madhuri Dixit was born on May 15, 1967, in Mumbai, India, into the middle-class Marathi family of Shankar and Snehlata Dixit in Bombay. She was educated at Divine Child High School in Andheri before getting into Sathaye College in Vile Parle for her graduation in microbiology and dropping out to become an actress.
Madhuri shows signs of her love for dancing from the tender age of three; at nine years old, she got a scholarship for Kathak. She learned Kathak for the next eight years, which later became a defining element of her film performances.
The Humble Beginning
Madhuri made her acting debut in 1984 with Rajshri Production’s Hiren Nag-directed film “Abodh,” opposite Tapas Paul. She followed it with films like Awara Baap (1985), Swati (1986), Manav Hatya (1986), Hifazat (1987), Uttar Dakshin (1987), and Khatron Ke Khiladi (1988), but none of her films worked for her. She was noticed in a small role in “Dayavan,” opposite Vinod Khanna.
In 1988, N. Chandra cast her as “Mohini Dhanyekar,” a girl who was abused by her father and forced to work as a dancer in the blockbuster “Tezaab.” The film turned her into an overnight sensation. Her portrayal of Mohini not only showcased her acting prowess but also her exceptional dancing skills, especially in the song “Ek Do Teen,” which became a nationwide hit. It also earned her her first nomination for Filmfare Best Actress. The film started with her collaboration with celebrated dance director Saroj Khan and also Anil Kapoor.
Next year, she was cast by Subhash Ghai in “Ram Lakhan” opposite Anil Kapoor, which also gave her the song “O Ramjee,” which became a rage at the time. The same year, she got her second Filmfare Best Actress nomination for “Prem Pratigyaa,” opposite Mithun Chakraborty. She was praised by critics for her grounded and natural acting as Laxmi Rao, a positive woman facing the harsh realities of life.
Her next was Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s intense criminal drama “Parinda,” with Anil Kapoor, Jacky Shroff, and Nana Patekar. Madhuri impressed everyone with her girl next door, acting in a small role. Her song “Tumse Milke” has been a go-to romantic song for three decades now.
Madhuri won her first Filmfare Award for Best Actress for Indra Kumar’s “Dil,” opposite Aamir Khan. Her next big success was “Saajan (1991),” a love triangle with Sanjay Dutt and Salman Khan. The film was a musical blockbuster with songs like “Bahut Pyar Karte Hain,” “Tu Shaayar Hain,” “Jiye To Jiye Kaise,” and “Mera Dil Bhi Kitna Paagal Hai.”
She received immense critical acclaim for her films like T. Rama Rao’s Pratikar (1991), which also gave her a fourth Best Actress nomination at Filmfare, Nana Patekar’s “Prahaar (1991),” and Sudhir Mishra’s “Dharavi (1992).” Next was Inder Kumar’s musical “Beta,” which gave her the name “Dhak Dhak Girl” after her immensely popular song “Dhak Dhak Karne Laga.” Beta also earned her second Filmfare Award for Best Actress.
Madhuri reunited with Subhash Ghai for the crime drama “Khalnayak” with Sanjay Dutt and Jackie Shroff, which cemented her place as the numero uno. His performances and dances, like “Choli Ke Peeche,” were equally praised. In 1994, Rahul Rawail’s disturbingly violent “Anjaam” pitted her against Shahrukh Khan. Her portrayal of a revenge-seeking wife and mother, Shivani, earned her a seventh Filmfare Best Actress nomination.
Her next film will reunite her with Rajshri Productions in the remake of “Nadiya ke Par.” The resulted film “Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (1994)” became a cultural phenomenon, changed the course, and started the trend that lasted almost a decade. Hum Aapke Hain Koun! went on to become the biggest blockbuster of all time and also fetched her a third Filmfare Award for Best Actress. It was also the first instance when an actress was paid a fee of one crore and was also paid more than an A-list hero.
Next year came Inder Kumar’s “Raja,” where she was paired with Sanjay Kapoor. Such was the stardom of Madhuri that critics said that the film should be named “Rani,” as she was the real hero of the film. Her next was David Dhawan’s “Yaraana,” which earned her another nomination—the Filmfare Award for Best Actress.
1996 was a bad year for her, as both of her films, “Premgranth” and “Rajkumar,” didn’t do well. But the critics agreed on one thing: that she was the only good thing in otherwise bad films. In 1997, she starred in Rakesh Roshan’s “Koyla,” Reema Rakeshnath’s “Mohabbat,” and Prakash Jha’s hard-hitting “Mrityudand.” Mrityudand saw her playing the fierce and independent “Ketki,” who mobilised the village woman against the nexus of politicians and criminals.
Her last film of 1997 was Yash Chopra’s “Dil To Pagal Hai,” which also had Shahrukh Khan, Karishma Kapoor, and Akshay Kumar. The film was the biggest hit of the year and earned her the fourth Filmfare Award for Best Actress. Her next Filmfare Best Actress nomination came in 2000 for “Pukar,” where she played a character with grey shades. The same year, she was also seen playing “Gajagamini” in the film of the same name, directed by M.F. Hussain.
In 2002 came Lajja, which saw her play the role of Janki, a fierce theatre artist who was abused on the pretext of insulting the holy scriptures. She was cast as “Chandramukhi” in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s “Devdas” and gave scintillating performances, which earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Some of her other notable films are Vardi, Ilaaka, Mujrim, Tridev, Kanoon Apna Apna, Kishen Kanhaiya, Izzatdaar, Deewana Mujh Sa Nahin, Sailaab, Jamai Raja, Thanedaar, 100 Days, Khel, Sangeet, Sahibaan, Dil Tera Aashiq, Phool, Aasoo Bane Angaarey, Wajood, Aarzoo, Yeh Raaste Hain Pyaar Ke, Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam, and Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani.
After a hiatus of five years, Madhuri returned to the silver screen with “Aaja Nachle.” Her role as Dia, a dancer who returns to India to save her dance theatre, was praised by critics and the masses and earned her a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress.
On October 17, 1999, Madhuri married Dr. Shriram Madhav Nene, a cardiovascular surgeon from Los Angeles, California. Madhuri moved to Denver, Colorado, to be with him and had two sons, Arin in 2003 and Ryan in 2005. She moved back to Mumbai in 2011 with her family.
After coming back, she starred in critically acclaimed films like Dedh Ishqiya (2014), Gulaab Gang (2014), Bucket List (2018), and Maja Ma (2022). She also appeared in films like Total Dhamaal and Kalank in 2019, reuniting with her co-stars Anil Kapoor and Sanjay Dutt. She also turned producer with Marathi films 15 August (2019) and Panchak (2022). In 2022, she was seen in the Netflix series “The Fame Game.”
Madhuri has been a prominent figure on television, serving as a judge on dance reality shows like “Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa” and “Dance Deewane.” Her passion for dance also led her to establish an online dance academy, sharing her expertise with aspiring dancers worldwide.
