Madhuri Dixit life and biography

Madhuri Dixit - ‘Madhubala of the nineties’ and ‘ Maryln Monroe of Bollywood’, is one of the most famous and successful Bollywood actresses till date. She is one of those actors who have struggled in their life to reach the no 1 slot in the Indian film industry. She dominated Bollywood, in the 1990s, as a leading Madhuri Dixitactress and an accomplished dancer. In recognition of her great talent, she was awarded 5 Filmfare Awards, 4 Star Screen Awards, 2 Zee Cine Awards and 1 IIFA Award. In 2008, she was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian award, by the Government of India. She also topped Rediff's list of the ‘Best Bollywood Actresses Ever’, on Women's International Day, in 2007.

Personal Life

Madhuri Dixit Nene was born as Madhuri Shankar Dixit on 15th May 1967, in Mumbai, Maharashtra. She is one of the four children of Shankar Dixit and Snehlata Dixit, of a Marathi Chitpavan Brahmin family. After completing her graduation, Madhuri attended Parle College and completed her Bachelors Degree in Microbiology. While studying, Madhuri Dikshitshe also trained as a Kathak dancer. Though she wanted to be a micro-biologist, life took a different turn and she ended up as one of the most successful actresses in Bollywood.

Madhuri Dixit married Dr Sriram Madhav Nene, an Indian doctor who resides in USA, in the year 1999. Sriram is an UCLA-trained cardiovascular surgeon who practices in Denver and belongs to a Marathi Konkanastha Brahmin family. The couple has two sons Arin (born March 2003) and Ryan (born March 2005). Presently, Madhuri resides in Denver (Colorado, USA), along with her husband and kids.

Film Career

Madhuri Dixit started her career in 1984, with the film ’Abodh’, offered to her by Rajshri Productions. The Maduri Dixitfilm failed to create any ripples at the box office and was forgotten soon. Thereafter, she was seen in a number of unnoticeable films, like Awara Baap and Swati. It was only in 1986 that she was discovered by Subhash Ghai, who gave her a small dance sequence in ‘Karma'. Though the dance sequence was edited out in the final cut, Ghai promised to give Madhuri better roles in the future.

He also kept a condition, that Madhuri will stop doing tiny roles in insignificant films. She agreed and Ghai ended up giving Madhuri, first, ‘Uttar Dakshin', and then, a proper launch in ‘Ram Lakhan' (1988). However, before Ram Lakhan could make it to the box office, Madhuri’s ‘Tezaab’ hit the theaters. Her dance sequence in the film, ‘Ek, do, teen’ took the nation by storm and established Madhuri in the top league of actresses. ‘Tezaab’ went on to complete a golden jubilee and was one of the biggest hits of the year.

Madhuri’s superb performance in ‘Tezaab’ and ‘Ram Lakhan’ was followed by her excellent act in ‘Dil’ (1990). The film not only got her the first Filmfare Award of her career, for Best Actress’, but also established a rapport with Indra Kumar. In the coming years, she starred in two hit films by Kumar, ‘Beta’ (1991) and ‘Raja’ (1995). The first half of 1990s saw Madhuri delivering a hit almost every year. This included films like Saajan (1991), Beta (1992), Khalnayak (1993), Hum Aapke Hain Koun (1994) and Raja (1995).

In 1996, she was seen in ‘Prem Granth’, a film that bombed at the box office, but managed to win her critical acclaim. She starred in a number of films the same year, but none of them were successful. Just when critics were planning to write her off, ‘Dil To Pagal Hai’ (1997) happened. The film was not only a blockbuster, but also got her Filmfare Award for ‘Best Actress’. The same year, she was also seen in Prakash Jha's 'Mrityudand', a film that established her as a serious actor and won her Best Actress awards at the Star Screen Awards & Sansui Awards.

The next major film for Madhuri Dixit came in 2000, Pukar, which also bagged her IIFA Best Actress Award. The same year, she was seen in Gaja Gamini (2000), made by M.F. Hussain, who considers Madhuri as his muse and the embodiment of womanhood. The film saw her representing the various forms and manifestations of womanhood. Though it was not a commercial success, the film did get her critical acclaim. The year 2002 saw Madhuri starring in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's ‘Devdas’.

The film was also featured at the Cannes Film Festival and won Madhuri Filmfare Award as well as Star Screen Best Award, for Supporting Actress. Thereafter, she took a brief sabbatical from movies, to concentrate on her family. She was seen on-screen in 2006, after a gap of four years, performing on the songs of Devdas, for Filmfare Awards. The sabbatical came to an end in 2007, when her film ‘Aaja Nachle’ was released. Though it did not turn a box office hit, the film definitely got Madhuri rave reviews.

Honors and Recognitions

1997: Kalabhinetri Award by the Government of Andhra Pradesh
2001: National Citizen's Award
2007: Bollywood's Best Actress Ever
2008: Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award, by Government of India
2008: Honored at IFFLA (Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles)

Awards

1990: Filmfare Best Actress Award for Dil
1992: Filmfare Best Actress Award for Beta
1994: Filmfare, Star Screen Best Actress Award for Hum Aapke Hain Kaun
1995: Star Screen Award Best Actress for Raja
1997: Filmfare Best Actress Award for Dil To Pagal Hai, Star Screen Award Best Actress for Mrityudand
1998: Zee Cine Award for Best Actor - Female for Dil To Pagal Hai
2000: IIFA Best Actress Award for Pukar
2002: Filmfare, Star Screen Best Supporting Actress Award for Devdas, Zee Cine Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role - Female for Lajja

Filmography

1984 - Abodh
1985 - Awara Baap
1986 - Swati
1987 - Mohre, Hifazat, Uttar
1988 - Khatron Ke Khiladi, Dayavan, Tezaab
1989 - Vardi, Ram Lakhan, Prem Pratigyaa, Ilaaka, Mujrim, Tridev, Kanoon Apna Apna, Parinda, Paap Ka Anth
1990 - Maha Sangram, Kishen Kanhaiya, Izzatdaar, Dil, Deewana Mujh Sa Nahin, Jeevan Ek Sangharsh, Sailaab, Jamai Raja, Thanedaar
1991 - Pyaar Ka Devata, Khilaaf, 100 Days, Pratikaar, Saajan, Prahaar
1992 - Beta, Zindagi Ek Jua, Prem Deewane, Khel, Sangeet
1993 - Dharavi, Sahibaan Sahibaan, Khalnayak, Phool, Dil Tera Aashiq, Aansoo Bane Angaray
1994 - Anjaam, Hum Aapke Hain Koun...!
1995 - Raja, Yaraana
1996 - Prem Granth, Paapi Devta, Raj Kumar
1997 - Koyla, Mahaanta, Mrityudand, Mohabbat, Dil To Pagal Hai
1998 - Bade Miyan Chhote Miyan (Special appearance), Wajood
1999 - Aarzoo
2000 - Pukar, Gaja Gamini
2001 - Yeh Raaste Hain Pyaar Ke Neha, Lajja
2002 - Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam, Devdas
2007 - Aaja Nachle

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