RED HOT AND COOL


So, you wanna be an actress? Sounds great- making movies, giving interviews, hanging out at award ceremonies, spending that hefty salary on designer clothes and a plush pad on the shores of Juhu Beach. But it takes time-oh, and p atience and luck and a talent like Madhuri Dixit's. People always think of Madhuri as being beautiful or sexy or talented, but what they miss out is how extremely bright she is. Her career is all about getting better everyday in every way. She's always st riving to improve. If you want to see the spine in Madhuri, tell her she can't do something as an actress and she'll deliver the goods right to your doorstep. The Hum Aapke Hain Kaun star combines box-office pull, glamour and dazzling versatiIity.

She can be sitting around joking with her hairdresser, checking her dress designer's latest creation. You say 'Shot ready!', and within minutes she's in front of the camera, enacting a scene that will break your heart. Her vast experience is what enable s her to move in and out of character in such quick-silver manner. The real Madhuri Dixit tends to dissolve into a role, as though she's dived inside someone else's skin. There's no doubt that some of the parts she's played thus far required her to stret ch her acting abilities to their utmost. There is no small amount of emotional and intellectual investment in her characterizations. Hence they are elevated in stature. And interestingly enough all her characters feel differently about themselves. Think h ow different the coy girl in Hum Aapke Hain Kaun was from the angry, vengeful woman in Anjaam. For that to happen time and agaln takes not only a subjugation of one's ego, but a fair amount.of courage. It can be painful to live persuasively with someone e lse's problems. But this very skill at masking herself is precisely what pricks one's curiosity.

Right now, she's interested in doing things she hasn't done before. She's keen on exploring the unknown areas of work. And that's the driving force. Otherwise, after having reached her pinnacle, what next? She has been truly reinventing herself in the pa st couple of years, working on her comedic technique which was first displayed in all its glory in Khel and then in Raja. These films, especially Raja, proved that she can combine comedy, vulnerability and romance in a perfect manner.

Okay, Rajkumar sank, but then she didn't have what anyone would call a first-rate role; indeed, she was supposed to act dumb enough to make Anil Kapoor look smart. But in Rajeev Kapoor's Prem Granth, where the director captures the true essence of tradit ional values it is Madhuri who is the movie's emotional centerpiece. Movie stars don't get much hotter than Madhuri. But the question, at this juncture in her career, is how long can she do it all, add to her laurels?

Forty-five minutes after we enter Madhuri's plush van we come out gratified having wrapped up a good interview. Fifteen minutes of chatter about Prem Granth, fifteen minutes on how she has handled her career, ten minutes on her recent flops (Yaarana and Rajkumar), five minutes on the noteworthy films she has signed, the ABCL venture and Yash Chopra's Maine To Mohabbat Kar Li.

She warms to the task of talking about herself and her work, running her hands through her hair as she thinks, laughing naturally and pursing her lips as she listens carefully to a question. Also she reveals quite a lot about her fascination with acting, its mysteriousness, its impenetrability as an art-and her devotion to it. However, she speaks with such un-actress-like delight while shaping her thoughts into words. It's unbelievable that someone so physically beautiful could also have this 'every pers on' quality about her. But guess that's exactly why she's a movie star. It's the same quality that Jackie Shroff has.

When you mention Madhuri Dixit to anyone who's never met her, the question is always the same. Is she really so lovely? And so is the answer. Yes, the actress is really that beautiful, as drop-dead gorgeous as she appears on screen. But wasn't this very beauty a hindrance of sorts as it had blinded people who failed to realise how genuinely gifted she was, especially as a comic actress. Modesty personified, she quips, "First of all, I don't think I'm really beautiful. I'm simply photogenic and look good on screen. And secondly, looking good is not a hindrance. Instead it's an asset. Especially when you are simply one of the props in a film. At least you get noticed because of that. But yes, it's true that it takes people some time to realise your potenti al. Like makers sensed my comic talent only after Khel. Sadly, it wasn't a success. But the success of Raja has confirmed their belief in me now."
What is it about her dancing that makes it so elevated in stature on screen? Shrugging her shoulders, she replies, "Just the fact that I simply enjoy dancing. If you don't enjoy it and feel even a bit awkward, it will show on screen. If you've watched Sr idevi and Vyjayanthimala dancing, you must have noticed their zeal and ardour. That's what clicks. I'd also learnt Kathak Not that we can make use of it in our dances in films. But it certainly makes your body supple. But I guess dancing is as much an art as acting is, if you're not gifted, you can't learn how to dance."

Come what may, she'd never compromise on quality. She's fully tuned-in, extremely committed. Her courage of conviction reflects in her work. And to top it all, she loves doing what she does, enjoys the thrill and challenge of her job. Rather enthusiastic ally, she says, "Who can transmute into so many different characters in one lifetime? The situations we are placed in may probably never arise in real life. And the variety of emotions one goes through helps enriching you every day. Watching yourself go t hrough all this on screen makes it so fascinating."

Incidentally, a well-known actor once admitted that an actor faces the peril of losing track of himself. For, the mutability factor is an important professional tool for an actor, who must have the abilility to develop many identities. She nods in agreem ent. "Yes, it's true. You see, your whole life revolves around your make-up, your hair and your dialogues. So somewhere along the line, you do lose touch with your real self. That is why I make it a point to take a whole month off every year. I go abroad, spend time with my family, and get back to reality. Oh! It's so important to retain your sanity in world of make-believe."

Also her career connotes fame, power, money, the works. Has there been any aspect of her profession that has disconcented or disillusioned her? Rather thoughtfully, she speaks, ''What's most disturbing about this profession is that it is more success-orie nted than any other job. It's cut-throat business. Everything depends on hits and flops. You put in your best, pitch in your best performance, but the moment you have a couple of flops, you're passe. It does rankle for it seems as if talent has no meaning at all."

Looks like she's undergoing another phase of discontentment with her career. She's had two consecutive flops, Yaarana and Rajkumar and the buzz around town is rather grim. What went wrong with Yaarana? Was it the lack of publicity that did it in? She reveals, "At one point, the film got good publicity but suddenly, for some strange reason, they went low-key till its release. Maybe that affected the film's fortunes."

As for Rajkumar, her rather uncharacteristically passive role was a slight letdown for her fans although they loved her performance. Why did the much awaited film turn out to be a damp squib? Wasn't a costume drama in present times a rather dicey proposi ton? She begs to differ and gives a logical explanation. "I don't think it was a risky venture. Instead, it aroused a lot of curiosity, especially amongst kids. Unfortunately, it was released during exams. Besides, what I gathered from the response was th at the drama lacked intensity and failed to keep the audience interest alive for long despite the breathtaking visuals."

However, the setbacks haven't dampened her spirit, so to speak. She appears confident, even ebullient, and mind you, it's not an act. After all, she still has quite a few aces up her sleeve. One of them being Prem Granth, from the prestigious RK banner w herein she essays a radically different and powerful role as the main protagonist. People feel it's going to be a milestone in her career and would probably add yet another dimension to her already versatile image. "I hope so," saying so, she laughs gleef ully presumably appeased. "Prem Granth is not really different from regular comrnercial films. What makes it special is the traditional RK treatment. It's a love story but it carries a message too. And it's a woman-oriented subject dwelling on a fallen wo man who wants respectability and fights for it. The film was indeed a novel experience for me because it helped bring out intense emotions. It's not the routine sob story. It's got a broader . range of emotions than required for the usual love story."

Is Mrityudand yet another project that marks a departure from the routine films? She probably accepted it on the premise that director Prakash Jha's aesthetic touch in a commercial film would be a novel experience. "Yes", she admits. "Mrityudand is diffe rent, its not like a regular commercial potboiler. But people won't get bored watching it. The story moves at a steady pace." Unfortunately, Prakash Jha's first such experiment, Bandish laid an egg at the turnstiles. Have doubts about his abilities crept in since then? Rather dismissively, she says, "Not really. Such things keep happening. It hasn't affected my thinking nor has it shaken my confidence in him."

On the other hand, her supreme confidence in her favourite director, Indra Kumar, is remarkable. She's doing an Amitabh Bachchan film, with him, not at all worried about what her role would be like in this film. But what exactly is she expecting from this venture? Her enthusiasm is palpable as she explains, "I'm expecting some tremendous performances from everybody. Besides, working with Mr. Amitabh Bachchan is a lesson in acting itself. I'm eager to see him at work. Also, I'm looking forward to working w ith Aamir Khan once again, after a very long time."

"And mind you, Indu (Indra Kumar) is one director who pushes me beyond my capabilities. Like there were a lot of silly things I did in Raja which I couldn't have done without Indu's immense faith in me. He's always managed to extract a good performance from me. At times, I've ended up surprising myself too." However, the biggest surprise she's sprung in recent times is signing a Yash Chopra film, something that was missing in her resume till now. She's doing Maine To Mohabbat Kar Li with ShahRukh Khan and Urmila Matondkar. What are her expectations from the man and his film? Noticeably thrilled to bits, she expresses her joy. "I have done each and every kind of film. But Yashji's films are sheer poetry. He has a special way of presenting his heroines. And you can't help falling in love with the soft, romantic films he makes. This film will certainly enrich my repertoire as the subject and the characterization are quite different."

Although many critics have expressed their dismay over the spate of major films that glamourize the premise of women being sold as sex objects, she is too shrewd to criticize the male-dominated movie industry. Thus, she puts an implacably optimistic spin on an analysis of women's status in films today. "Hasn't the trend changed in recent years ? Now it's largely evident that women have an equally important part to play in most of the films as the men. For that matter, even in Hollywood, you don't have as many women-oriented films as we have here.

All said and done she feels gratified to have made her point. She stops talking and smiles. She has never looked lovelier.

BY: RAVI SOMAIYA