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I Am Very Happy For Sanjay
MADHURI BREAKS FREE OF HER PAST!
DON'T LOOK, SHE'S CHANGING!
While poison pens rest, Madhuri gets set to play the box-office deity again. And why not? She's received a new lease in the industry. Professionally, Madhuri is on solid ground. But personally? Now's the time to ask her if a life time commitment is going to lose out the lure of silver screen again? Does Madhuri realise that time is running out for her? We asked Madhuri a few straight questions. She gave us a few straight answers. She certainly didn't disappoint!
Is Madhuri really so different fromt he rest of her ild? It's difficult to tell, when the subject of your scrutinyis such a prastised hand at playing character hide 'n' seek with you.
Today, as she walks into Rikkoo's office, she flashes that (in)famous smile of hers. She looks like she has walked straight out of the Dil To Pagal Hai sets. Which in turns brings to mind, the couple of statuettes she was clutching in her hands, not so long ago. Obviously, it has done wonderful things to her credibility (and her ego). "It's always wonderful to receive awards. It shows that the kind of work you are doing, is recognised and appreciated."
It was also the most effective way of shutting up all those who were crowing about the imminent end. "Well, that was said at the awards function and it was understood, so I don't need to say anymore," she laughs.
So we get down to serious business between sips of tea, gossip and all that. The first salvo is fired and we get going in right earnest. Madhuri has been a witness to anera that has spanned the colour TV phase, the video phase and now the laser disc phase. While ehr colleagues like Sridevi, Padmini, and Amrita are long since hung up their gloves (or in this case their grease paint), she is still very much around and flourishing. Some say it's her good looks, some say it's ehr talent that has tided her over a decade. What does she attribute her longevity to? "First, my hard work, second, my beief in myself and thridly, my talent. I know, that in this industry, good looks are very important but ot me personally they are not. You can be very beautiful but if you don't have talent, it doesn't make things easy for you. Talent, to me definetly scores much higher than good looks."
When has she felt more pleased, when people have complimented her on her talent or on her looks?
"That's an easy one. I think I can safely say that I have felt ecstatic when people have told me that I have given a great performance. Not that I don't feel equally good when I am told that I am beatiful, that's an added bonus of course!" She replies, smartly.
When so much is being made of one's good looks all the time, isn't it easy to take them for granted?
"To an extent. But as an actress, I have always put them second to everything else. My effort has always been to look like the character, behave like the character...I always give more importance to who I am playing rather than how I should look on screen. I try and get under the skin of the character. If I am able to do that, then I like it, I lke it very much. Recently, we went to Delhi for an awards function and people there kept calling me Maya, the name of the character I play in Dil To Pagal Hai. Mohini in Tezaab and Nisha in Hum Aapke Hain Koun, were as popular as Maya."
She must have felt pretty lousy when people ripped her to shreds for her role in Dil To Pagal Hai. "The character of Maya was that of a confused woman. She didn't know her mind...I play the role according to her character was and what the director told me do to..."
If getting into the skin of the character is what she is talking about, then it must have been quiet tough for her to do that with Ketaki, the character she played in Mrityudand. A strong, opinionated woman, who takes on her entire male bastion in the film. Was it easy for mild Madhuri to play Ketaki?
"I could definitely relate to the role. I don't think my character in Mrityudand is of a hard core feminist. I think the word feminist is used ad nauseum, these days. Being a feminist does not mean you don't tolerate things and walk out on situations. I don't think Ketaki was that kind of woman. She wasn't an escapist. She considered it her right to tell her husband, who was going astray, what was right and what was wrong. Ketaki definitely knew her mind. And she tried to influence her husband rather than walk out on him. That was the choice she made and she stuck by it. That according to me, is what a liberated woman is all about."
Madhuri certainly doesn't seem to be the bra-burning kind of feminist, far from it. Everyone knows that behind the silk and satin demeanor, there is the barely visible iron will. So that does make her a strond woman as well.
"Well, there is the conservative side to me and there is the independent, strong woman side to me. If you ask me, I think the emancipated woman in me is fare more dominant!"
Is that true? Then how come, everyone says that she always wants others to make decisions for her? Apparently, even as far as her marriage is concerned people say she wants her parents to decide on the kind of man she wants. And then there's Rikkooo, who takes all the decisions for her on the professional front?
"Not true at all. People have this notion that I am helpless and can't make decisions, that's a misconseption!"
So she is capable of making her own decisions?
In that department at least, she scores full marks. She knows that she doesn't want marriage right now. Maybe, just maybe, she is waiting for that prfect match. But sometimes, it so happens that your prince turns ot to be a toad. Ask all those unlucky ladies like Mumtaz, Reena Roy, and a host of others.
"The two things that will make me walk out of my marriage iwll be physical abuse and infidelity. I cannot tolerate any of this. If my husband even so much as raises his hand, I'll raise the broom on him first and then walk out...My tolerance level is very high but it doesn't mean that I will take nonsense like this from him. I do realise that there are difficulties and compromises to be made in every marriage. I am prepared to do that but I am not prepared to be abused, pysically or mentally!"
Problems in a marriage could come from Madhuri herself. The kind of adulation she receives from her fans, could well have spoilt her for life.
"No way! I know there is a life for me outside those studios. There are so many opportunities out there. I know I am intelligent enough and will be successful and whatever I apply my mind to. Not being in the limelight does not scare me at all."
Would she do something as impulsive as Sanjay did, get amrried overnight?"
"Well, like you said, it was an impulsive decision. I won't know if I cold do something like that, until I have done it," she says, tongue-in-cheek.
What does she say about how his life has shaped up?
"Oh, I am very happy for Sanjay. Everything is behind him now!"
Sanjay was one of the very few people Madhuri could claim to be close to. Is there anyone now that she can relate on any level?
"Well, there is Anil, who I can communicate with. Both of us are very passionate where our work is concerned, so whenever we meet, we talk about films, scripts, directors...Anil is a very strong man. He went through such a lot but he survived. He had the strength to believe hin himself and just go on...I like that about him alot. Then there's Aamir. I get along with him too. We had a blast doing Dil. And as everybody knows, Aamir even dared to spit on my hand. That shocked me, I couldn't believe that he had spit on me but that one episode made everyone open up on the sets of Dil."
How is it that she is not close to any of the girls in the industry? One can forgive her if she is not particularly close to Karisma who has been going around telling all and sundry that Madhuri is a senior actress. How does madhuri react to statements like that? She laughs, "Exactly like I am doing now. With amusement!"
What about Juhi? Teh two of them do appear similar. "Yes, Juhi and I do share some of our qualities. We are both very diplomatic, even when pushed into a corner," she replies diplomatically, laughing.
Isn't it tiring to be diplomatic all the time?
"On the contrary, I think that is is tiring to lambast people all the time."
How does she vent her anger then, there must be some outlet for her? "While acting...I think."
It is because there is so much competition that she finds it difficult to make friends in the industry?
"First of all, there should be time to develop relationships. And secondly, there should be the inclination. We are in such a profession that we don't really get a chance to work on relationships. You are somewhere else, the other person is somewhere else. It is not physically possible to keep in touch. Also, alot of people feel that competition ahi, that's why it is better not to make friends because who knows, tomorrow there might be a problem with roles...Actually that is not the case. It's the people between who create misunderstandings. With me what happens is that I am veryloyal to my friends. Once I make friends, it's for life. I'll go to the extent of defending the person even in print. That's why I try not to get too close to people. If that person says anything about me, I'll be very hurst because all along, I've considered him or her my friend. It's better to keep away from all that."
When industry marriages are crashing all around like the sensex, is there any marriage that gives her hope? A marriage that could be an inspiration to her later on in life?
"The Dilip-Saira one. They have founded their marriage so beautifully, on so many admirable values. And they have done it in such a dignified manner. They've been together for so many years and that means so much in today's day and age. A lot of effort goes into building a marriage. It's so easy to walk away from a bad marriage but to stay and make it work needs courage and determination."
Would she be brave enough to fall in love with a married man? "Forget it. F-O-R-G-E-T I-T! It's not worth the pain. No matter how much you try and make this relationship work, it's just not worth it."
Well, to that, we can only say dil to pagal hai..."No, I would never fall for a man who was married. He would have no chance with me. The very fact that he is married would mean a full stop for me. I would never let any feelings develop for such a man. There will bbe too many people affected by this relationship. You see such situations all around you and life means you to learn from them!"
Give the choice, would she rather be Dimple, married, mother and now girlfriend or would she prefer to be like Sridevi? "I would be like Madhuri Dixit. I would create my own reules!" she says firmly.
Has she every had a heart-to-heart chat with Sridevi?
"Well, now she is my producer's wife, so yes, certainly I have had conversations but never a heart-to-heart chat because I don't know her well. In fact, not at all."
Even in this day and age, there are actresses who claim that they have never had a relationship. Why is it so important for a top actress to prove that she hasn't had a relationship in her life? Doesn't she feel that the idea of being a virgin till one married, is an outdated concept in today's day and age?
"That's rediculous! Aisa kuch nahin hai. This is a very subjective issue. There are so many actresses who do talk about their relationships. And then there are some who don't because they prefer to keep somethings private. It's not because they are careful of a virginal image. People don't go to see your movies according to whether you have a boyfriend or not. People go to see your movies according to how you are as an actress! I am a private person and I would probably never discuss my relationship openly. In any case, I don't think it's anyone's business but my own!"
But there are star mothers who have been known to say things like, 'I will never accept an actress bahu!' What does she have to say about that?
"This angers me. It's a stupid thing to say. An actress is just like another ordinary girl, so why this accusation?"
One can't imagine Madhuri with mussed up hair, leave alone a disgusting habit. but she does admit to having several.
"What infuriates my mom most, is when I switch off completely when people are talking to me. People think that's disgusting habit, I don't," she says laughing heartily.
And what is the one disgusting habit in a man that she abhors?
"When they are inconsiderate. Like I may want to sleep and he may want to read with all the lights on. Now that, I think is very disgusting! Also, when he wants a drink of water, he had better not make to omuch noise because I am a very light sleeper!" Point noted, we hope by all those hopefuls.
And talking of hopefuls, which was the craziest ever proposal she received (and we know she must have received some in her day)? "Oh God, have I ever! People land up on my doorstep bag and baggage, saying, 'Main aa gaya, mujhse shaadi karo.' It's hilarious. Once, when we were still in our old house, a man came to our flat. He rang the bell and when mom opened the door, he told her that he had an appointment with me. She asked him when I had spoken to him because I had not informed her about the appointment. You know what he told her? That I sit and talk with him every day. Mom was zapped, she didn't know what he was talking about. Then he told her, 'Woh mere samne baithti hai, main unke samne baithta hoon and we chat. Woh video tape pe, main unka picture dekhta hoon and she talks to me'. Those are the crazy proposals I get!" She reveals, amused.
Well, there was one crazy admirer, who probably could never have told her openly about his admiration for ehr. He did overdo it with his paintings, though. "Why overdid it? M.F. Hussain didn't overdo anything. What did you expect him to do, paint just one picture of me? He has is own way of operating. People who are good at their jobs do get obsessed with what they are doing. His obesession isnot for me, Madhuri, it's for the persona, The MADHURI DIXIT. He loved the character of Nisha in Hum Aapke Hain Koun. He thought, she was an ideal indian woman and he went ahead and did a series of paintings. I don't think it means that he was obsessed with me."
Does she recognise herself in his paintings?
"I am not looking to recognise myself in his paintings. He is an impressionist, he does not paint portraits."
Who, by the way is her favorite painter?
"Sangeeta Kathiwara. She paints these lovely Rajasthani women. Also, Ravi Verma. He paints these typical voluptuous Indian women but they are beautiful too!"
Today, what is the one scenario that would constitute complete happiness for her? "To marry a man who lives in Mumbai. Then, I won't have to be separate from my parents at all!"
Email: madsfan@hotmail.com