It was a mad, mad, Madhuri world!

Itrsquos a piece of desi popculture history yet seldom told from the horsersquos mouth I figure mdash as actor Madhuri Dixit upon being prodded reveals to me how she became Indiarsquos sensation on the big screenWhile still in college Dixit would do nonlead roles in films that allowed her to pursue both studies and an onscreen hobbyOne such was Sohanlal Kanwarrsquos Awara Baap 1985 starring Meenakshi Sheshadri Director Kanwar and lsquoshowmanrsquo Subhash Ghai were friendsThe former spoke highly of Dixit Upon which Ghai got young Dixit to dance for a scene in Karma 1986 which segues into a dream sequence with the filmrsquos actual heroheroine imagining themselves in the same songWhen Ghai saw that final footage fully flabbergasted he first pulled Dixit out of the walkon part He sent that same ldquoshowreelrdquo originally shot in Kashmir off to every producer he knewTelling each of them that if they wished to sign on Dixit mdash they could send him over a cheque for Rs 5000Soon there were eight such cheques on Ghairsquos desk mdash who in turn released a multipage ad in Screen popular filmtrade magazine announcing the new talent in townldquoFunny thing is I didnrsquot know how enormous this wasrdquo Dixit tells me A film that she got onboard as a result was with Anil Kapoor directed by Bapu that she canrsquot recall the name of because it never releasedScan the code to watch the full chat with Madhuri DixitThe editor of this film was one N Chandra mdash whorsquod lately debuted as director with Ankush 1986 He was watching rushes of the ongoing Bapu movie and instantly knew hersquod found the lead for Tezaab that he was gonna direct nextDixit had already signed up for Ghairsquos Ram Lakhan 1989 being shot simultaneously But Tezaab 1988 released firstDixit was in the US for her sisterrsquos wedding then Her secretary called to say ldquoThe filmrsquos a hitrdquo She couldnrsquot quite fathom what that realistically meantItrsquos when she landed in Mumbai heading to her modest ldquoMaharashtrian middleclassrdquo Andheri East home that a couple of street kids gathered to wipe her carrsquos windshield at the traffic signalThey saw her face slightly curious began singing ldquoEk do teenhelliprdquo They asked for her autograph She was signing Madhuri but they noticed the lsquoMrsquo and cheered ldquoSee I told you shersquos Mohini Mohinihelliprdquo A star was bornSince age three Dixit had been diligently rehearsing learning kathak ldquoBut dancing for the camera that can capture microexpressions is very differentrdquo she says Choreographer Saroj Khan taught her the art of Bollywood dancing as it were with Tezaab foremostShortly thereafter Dixit and Khan developed what in filmy language is termed such ldquotuningrdquo that they actually shot an entire song lsquoDil dhak dhak karne lagarsquo for the film Beta 1992 over three nights straightThe track was introduced by the director Indra Kumar in the last minute Dixit was to head to Ooty for another shoot Khan agreed to choreograph on the condition that hers will be the final takeAnd ldquoactionrdquo and ldquocutrdquo it went between 7 pm to 2 am thrice over lsquoDhak Dhakrsquo gave Dixit a new sobriquetDixit had of course been on stage through school college A family friend Govind Moonis had regularly watched her perform Moonis worked with Rajshri Productions mdash a film studio that specialised in mediumbudget family dramasHe knew his bosses were looking to cast a newbie for the lead in their forthcoming rural film Abodh 1984 He convinced the Dixits to allow their daughter in her late teens to test for the partShe bagged it And thus her onscreen debut with relatively minor roles or unmemorable movies that followed the likes of Swati Maanav Hatya Hifazat Uttar DakshinDixitrsquos mom would accompany her to the sets of Abodh An assistant director AD would minutely observe Dixit on occasion and take notes on his writing pad between her takes Shersquod often ask her mom who this kid was and what notes was he taking anywayThat AD incharge of ensuring continuity in scenesshots was the Rajshri heir Sooraj Barjatya still learning the craftThe family friend Moonis incidentally had directed the Rajshri production Nadiya Ke Paar 1982 which inspired what Barjatyarsquos Hum Aapke Hain Koun HAHK 1994ldquoOh yes yes oh my God big coincidencerdquo Dixit sighs when I remind her Barjatya had debuted with Maine Pyar Kiya 1989 Dixit had loved that film As did millionsBarjatya narrated HAHKrsquos script to Dixit performing each character playing the recorded songs even singing one over three and half hours of screentimeHAHKrsquos Nisha as per Dixit ldquobecame a member of every Indian household ideal sister girlfriend daughter daughterinlawhelliprdquo The filmrsquos unmatched success for an indoor family drama had no precedence and has no successor still A group of ladies at a ldquoshoot in the Northrdquo would pull Dixitrsquos cheeks ldquoKinni soni hai hamari Nishardquo Raja 1995 right after scored a boxoffice hit on Dixitrsquos name aloneTherersquos a Madhuri Waterfall in Arunachal Pradesh for a song from Koyla 1997 she shot there oncehellipLast evening watching Dixit 58 as a quietly intelligent serialkiller in the show Mrs Deshpande JioHotstar I wondered if current generations know what a legacy that charming face enduresMayank Shekhar attempts to make sense of mass cultureHe tweets mayankw14 Send your feedback to mailbagmiddaycomThe views expressed in this column are the individualrsquos and donrsquot represent those of the paper