Dancing queen Madhuri Dixit to judge ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa’

NEW DEHLI: The iconic Bollywood actor Madhuri Dixit’s last film, Aaja Nachle, may have failed and she may be based in the US, but that’s not stopping her from being part of the evolving entertainment industry in India. Dixit, who still retains her flawless skin, says she has no regrets over any film.

The 43-year-old is back in business with what she is best at: dance. She will be judging Sony TV’s reality show “Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa”, and says the failure of Aaja Nachle in 2007 didn’t discourage her at all.

“I don’t regret doing anything. When you work in a film, you do it thinking it will turn out well and will do well. But when it doesn’t do well, there’s nothing much you can do about it. So why should I regret anything?” said Dixit.

A resident of Denver, Colorado, where she lives with her husband Sriram Nene and two sons - Arin and Raayan - she is out of touch with Bollywood but wants to be part of the changing face of Indian cinema by trying her hand at new genres.

“My choice of scripts will always be based on what appeals to me in a role. Of course, I will be looking for different kinds of roles. It’s tough to say which role I have liked in recent times, but very different kinds of films are being made these days and it would be great to know what’s out there for me,” Dixit told IANS in an interview.

Dixit is in India for a few months to shoot the reality show “Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa” which goes on air on December 12, and plans to flip through scripts during her three-month stay.

“This (Bollywood) is not the only life. I have another life (in the US) and I really love it. However, I do miss India and my friends here. So it’s like having two homes. When I am here, I miss my husband and children. When I am there, I miss people here.

Madhuri Dixit became a formidable name in the film industry with hits like Tezaab, Ram Lakhan, Tridev, Dil, Saajan, Khalnayak, Hum Aapke Hain Koun, Dil To Pagal Hai and Devdas.

Her dancing prowess, thanks to eight years of training in kathak, has wowed fans in songs like “Ek Do Teen”,  “Dhak Dhak”, “Choli Ke Peechhe”, “Channe Ke Khait Mein”, “Didi Tera Devar Deewana”, “Que Sera Sera” and “Maar Daala”.

Even her sons appreciate her songs. “My elder son likes ‘Ek Do Teen’ ... he keeps singing it. They like songs from Devdas and Aaja Nachle. When I was coming here for ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa’, they were very excited and said - ‘Are we going to watch you on TV?’”

The actor is as graceful as ever and young and old Bollywood actors alike are still full of praise for her.

“Well, compliments always make you feel good. It’s not that I have come to this stage without doing anything. I have worked really hard to earn this recognition and when one works hard, it is nice to receive such compliments,” said Dixit.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 28^th, 2010.