“How You Treat Fame is How Fame Will Treat You,” says Madhuri Dixit to Mojo Story
Madhuri Dixit, a cultural icon who transcends generations, has worked in dozens of films playing a wide spectrum of characters in the Hindi film industry throughout the course of her 34-year career. This ranges from Mohini in Tezaab to Anamika in the upcoming Netflix thriller series The Fame Game.
Madhuri talks to Mojo Story about her new series, what fame means to her and how she sees the film industry today. “I never thought I’d be an actress when I initially started working. I’ve always been spontaneous. It was basically moving from one narrative to the next,” Madhuri explained.
Her family has been the biggest support in her life. She talked about finding the love of her life and moving to the US. She wanted to return to India to not just work, but also to give her children a taste of what it’s like to live in India. “Having a family was an important element of my dream,” she explained.
She plays Bollywood star Anamika Anand in her OTT debut, The Fame Game, whose disappearance kicks off the unraveling of dark mysteries surrounding her life. Madhuri shares what drew her to the project and why she agreed to debut in the OTT space, “I found the idea of a well-known character simply disappearing one day quite fascinating, and everything just came into place because of my previous experiences working with the director and Netflix.”
Talking about layers to her character, she talked about her own layers in real life, “Everything I’ve done in my life has been because I wanted to do it. I don’t consider myself to be a Star. I simply believe I am in a job where I am a good actor, and as a result, I have fans.” She further stated that being an actor does not define her as she has other interests as well, “My art has several layers. Lately, tennis is something I’m learning to do.”
She said that fame to her is just a byproduct of what she does, “I’ve always believed in myself and never imagined that my fame would fade once I married. When fame comes, it is a big responsibility, you have to carry it well.” Madhuri connects it back to her character in the series and said that when fame becomes too important to you, that becomes a problem, “It is how you treat fame, it is how fame will treat you,” she asserted.
Madhuri discussed how the industry has evolved over time, saying, “When I first started working, it was a very male-centric profession.” She said previously, the only women on the set were her, her costars, and the hairdresser, “When I walk onto the set now, I see women in every department. Also, there are women characters who are treated as actual personalities who contribute to society, such as women in sports and mathematicians.”
Madhuri believes that it is the ideal time for women to work in film. When there are no commercial constraints, it’s remarkable how much artistic license you can take.