A dream come true

by MOHNISH SINGH

MADHURI DIXIT STARS IN A FILM IN HER MARATHI MOTHER TONGUE

OFTEN compared to Hindi film icon Madhubala, Madhuri Dixit was the un­disputed queen of Bollywood before she decided to relinquish her crown and get married in 1999.

Since then the acting great has delivered winning turns on the big screen, but always put her family first. Being busy throughout her life meant Madhuri was unable to star in a film in her own mother tongue of Marathi.

That unfulfilled dream has now come true with her Marathi debut movie Bucket List, which revolves around a middle-aged wom­an who decides to complete the bucket list of a deceased person who had saved her life.

Eastern Eye’s Mumbai correspondent Mohnish Singh caught up with the acclaimed 50-year-old actress to talk about her new film, why Shah Rukh Khan will always remain her most favourite co-star, family, movie-making, dance and more...

After ruling Bollywood for decades, you are now foraying into Marathi cinema with Bucket List. Tell us about your character in the movie...

I play a housewife who is lost in her own world. She is happy. She is more for her kids and hus­band. She is busy doing stuff for everyone else, but never thinks about herself.

Then something happens in her life where this bucket list comes into play. It’s about what she goes through when she is trying to complete this, what changes her and how she discovers herself in the end. That is her journey of self-realisation. You must have your identity as well.

What was the most challenging or adventurous task that you ticked off while shooting for Bucket List?

The most challenging thing for me was riding the motorbike. (Laughs) But what I enjoyed most was when she (her character) goes to the pub and gets drunk.

Did you have to work on your diction to get in­to the skin of the role?

Well, the thing is I am a Maharashtrian and speak Marathi, but I speak colloquial Marathi at home. So yeah, I had to work on my language a little bit.

In the trailer, your character tries to strike a balance between being a housewife and a moth­er on a mission to complete challenging tasks. How do you strive for that balance in real life?

I think it is easier for me because I have a husband who supports me. My kids also understand the fact I have to work and they are also very support­ive. Unless you have that support, it is very hard for someone to do something just because she is on her own. Thus, it makes it possible and that helps for me to have a balance between the two.

What has been on your bucket list of late?

The first thing was to do a Marathi film and now that is tick-marked. My second wish was to pro­duce a Marathi film, which I am achieving. The film is called 15th August; it’s not a historical movie though. It is a family entertainer, so that is also ticked. My bucket list is never done. I com­plete some and then I add some.

Are you excited or nervous about the film con­sidering the fact it is your first Marathi film?

I am very excited because it’s in Marathi and the subject will appeal to the Marathi audience. We are happy with what we have made. We have kept the sensibility strong and have not made it overly dramatic or anything because life is not like that. She (her character) comes from a mid­dle-class family and we have kept that atmos­phere of a middle-class family all through.

Before Bucket List, were you ever offered any other Marathi movie?

Yes a few, but they didn’t appeal to me much. I didn’t want to do them. I wanted to do something different, something new and thought this (Bucket List) was it.

What kind of changes have you seen in the marketing of films as compared to the time when you were at the peak of your career?

It’s like doing another movie, though the promo­tions of a film changes with time. Nowadays, so­cial media plays an important role in promotion.

There are various avenues. There is Twitter, Instagram, Facebook etc. along with print, TV and digital. So there are so many mediums now you have to promote your film through and there is so much noise. How do you make yourself dif­ferent from the other noises? That is the struggle.

Before you became a part of the industry, what was on your bucket list? Was acting there?

I used to act in school plays, but never thought I would be a full-time actress professionally. I al­ways thought I would do it as a hobby or some­thing, as studies was my main focus because everyone in my family is a double graduate.

So I thought I would follow the same path. But I guess destiny had something else in mind.

You believe in destiny?

Yes, I do. Strongly!

How do you think the process of filmmaking has changed over the years?

With time, you get your idols. With each era, filmmaking changes, the roles change.

Do you think the kind of stardom you and your contemporaries enjoyed then is almost impos­sible for the younger crop of actors to achieve?

I think a lot of it is also because there is so much else. When we were doing movies, it was the main source of entertainment. Today, there is Netflix, Am­azon, digital web series and more. It’s much hard­er now because there are so many distractions.

Before, celebrities used to do multiple films in a year, now it is just one. What are your thoughts on that?

That’s how films are shot now, and I think that’s wonderful. Previously, when you signed four films, three would get made and one would get dropped, or two would be made and two would be dropped. You signed multiple films so at least four would be made, but today it’s so organised you can do one film at a time.

They (actors) can take holidays or vacations, which we never could because we were doing so many films. We were doing double shifts. It’s easier on the actors today, though in another sense it’s much harder for them.

Your Hum Aapke Hain Kaun co-star Renuka Shahane is also a part of Bucket List. How does it feel to collaborate with her after a huge gap of 24 years?

It was so wonderful, so nice and so poignant. And her role is a very touching one; our relationship is very bittersweet (in the movie). Working with her was fantastic; she is such a good person as well as a very good actress.

What is your take on various dance forms attempted in movies nowadays? Ones that perhaps don’t bring the same emotion as classical dance form or Bollywood-style would do in the past...

I think every dance form is different, and you can’t say which is better than the other. Like a classical danc­er can’t do the head spin you see in hip-hop dances, but we have a lot of adaas and abhinaya. So every dance form will have its strong point. You have to take the form as it is.

Which film genre did you most enjoy performing?

I don’t know. I can’t say which is my favourite. I like films like Hum Aapke Hai Kaun and Bucket List, which are family-oriented films. But I also loved doing comedies like Total Dhamaal. I also love playing very mysterious and mischievous characters like Chandramukhi (from Devdas).

You have starred with all the three leading Khans of Bollywood, Aamir, Salman and Shah Rukh Khan. Who did you like working with most?

I have done only two films with Aamir and he was a lovely co-star, so was Salman. But I think I vibed very well with Shah Rukh Khan because he has a very lovely sense of humour.

He is very gentlemanly. He always makes sure that the heroine is taken care of first. He always makes sure you are in your car and you leave be­fore he does. He is chivalrous and has a bit of old world charm. I like that about him.

After Marathi, are you planning to venture into Hindi films also, as a producer?

I first want to experience this properly. I want to learn the ropes on how to be a producer. It’s my first film (15th August) and I am learning right now. So let’s see what happens with this film and how far we are able to take it and what happens next. Then I will decide.

How would you describe your journey up till now in the industry?

I think it has been full of adventures; it’s been beautiful. I have no regrets when I look back and I just feel happiness when I think about it.

Do you have any pre-release jitters?

Everybody has a little bit because you want peo­ple to like and really appreciate it. So that’s what gives you a little bit of jitters. But you know in your mind and heart that you have put in your best and you feel a bit of a relief with that.