Kruti Mahesh: Madhuri Dixit-Nene is the empress of expressions

The first look of Maja Maa

Any choreographer worth their salt will tell you that collaborating with Madhuri Dixit-Nene is a dream come true. So, it's not surprising when Kruti Mahesh, who has recently worked with the actor on the upcoming Maja Maa, terms it "the highlight" of her year. With the Amazon Prime Video family drama revolving around a Gujarati mother gearing up for her son's wedding, director Anand Tiwari roped in the National Award-winning choreographer to design the song, Rangeela mara naach. "It is an honour to work with India's dancing queen. When you have such a stunning dancer, there is so much you can explore," says Mahesh, fresh off the success of Dholida and Jhume re gori from Gangubai Kathiawadi.

Kruti Mahesh

With Rangeela mara naach, Mahesh went back to the roots of garba. She wove in signature moves, with an emphasis on expressions. That Dixit, in her glorious three-decade-plus career, has not attempted the dance form on screen was another incentive. "Garba of this high-energy form is tough to pull off. Madhuri ma'am makes everything look so effortless and beautiful. Even today, she is hard-working. Her focus on getting it right is commendable. She is also the empress of expressions, and it was such a pleasure to integrate that in Maja Maa," says Mahesh. The actor rehearsed for four days before filming the song in a Mumbai studio. Maja Maa also stars Rajit Kapur, Simone Singh, Gajraj Rao and Ritwik Bhowmik.