Madhuri Dixit: ‘See what she represents rather than commenting on her age’

Madhuri Dixit Nene and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Pics/Instagram

It's hard to build a successful four-decade career like Madhuri Dixit Nene's in the film industry. Harder even to do so in a country where female stars, as they age, are constantly judged for their appearance. A recent example was the brutal trolling of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as she walked the Cannes red carpet. When we sat down with Dixit, ahead of the release of her next, Maa Behen, the actor rued that women have no respite from "sexism and ageism."

"There is sexism and ageism everywhere. Even when you meet people after a long time, they make personal comments like, ‘You have become so fat. Your hair has become so grey.' But one cannot forget the contribution of the person, and what they have done in the past. You don't know what's happening in their lives or maybe they are happy the way they are. Accept people the way they are; remember what she [Rai] represents rather than commenting on her size or age," asserted Dixit, as she defended Rai.

Dixit has little patience for unsolicited opinions or skewed beauty standards. Instead, she is focusing on what gives her joy - unheard stories and roles that show her versatility. Maa Behen fits right in that plan. "I had not done comedy in some time. The past few offerings were more dramatic, whether it's Mrs Deshpande [2025], Maja Ma [2022], or The Fame Game [2022]. I thought this is the right time for comedy," she said of director Suresh Triveni's feature.

A still from the film. Pic/Youtube

The Netflix film also stars content creator Dharna Durga. Madhuri Dixit Nene revealed that during the workshops, she ensured that the relative newcomer felt comfortable. "When I met her the first time, she said, ‘Mujhse nahin hoga,' with tears in her eyes. I told her to not cry and said, ‘I am also an actor, here to create some magic on the set. Let's work together.'"