In an exclusive Sit With Hitlist chat, Madhuri Dixit spoke about choosing Dedh Ishqiya for its strong, empowering female character, despite doubts around image and perception. She said fully surrendering to Begum Para was key
Madhuri Dixit
Madhuri Dixit has never shied away from reinventing herself, and Dedh Ishqiya marked one of the boldest chapters of that journey. In an exclusive conversation on mid-day’s Sit With Hitlist, the actress spoke at length about why she chose the film, how it challenged stereotypes around leading ladies, and why she believes an actor must fully surrender to the character, without worrying about perception.
Opening up about her decision to say yes to the film, Madhuri said, “No, but I loved the script because I thought it was a strong woman’s character, who’s talking about women's empowerment and stuff. And I said, I want to do this movie. It was zidd se, main yeh film karungi.” Looking back, she added, “And I’m glad I did.”
At the time, many questioned her decision. “People said, ‘Oh, you’re a commercial actress, there’ll be no makeup. And then you don’t know how people are going to react to you,” she recalled. But that didn’t deter her. “I thought it was something that I wanted to do, and I did it.”
On doing Begum Para in Dedh Ishqiya
The film, which saw Madhuri in a never-seen-before avatar, became what many now call “Madhuri 2.0.” The conversation also touched upon the film’s nuanced themes, including its subtle exploration of same-gender attraction inspired by Ismat Chughtai’s Lihaaf. When asked if she ever worried about how mainstream audiences would perceive her, Madhuri was clear: “Yes, I do. Because I think, as an actress, I shouldn’t be thinking of what the audience is going to think of me as a person. I’m playing a character.”
“For me, I was Begum Para,” she explained. “And everything that comes with that, being Begum Para, that’s it, bring it on.” She added that fully embodying the role was key to her performance. “That’s how I played the Begum Para role.”
Madhuri also praised the film’s clever storytelling. “I loved the tongue-in-cheek kind of stuff that they have done, where it’s hinting at something and yet people are not sure, the sexual undertone,” she said. When asked if she had to discuss boundaries with the director, she revealed, “I didn’t have to say anything. The way it was written was amazing. There was nothing unseeming or awkward. It was very smart and intelligent.”
Madhuri Dixit's take on experimenting with characters
Her appetite for experimentation didn’t stop there. Soon after, she took on another first with Gulab Gang. “That’s also something I hadn’t done before,” she said, referring to the high-octane action film. “There was a lot of action, and all the action was done by us. All the women were doing all the action.”
From jumping onto trucks to fight sequences, Madhuri did it all herself. “Even the action where I jump on the truck and kick someone, that was done by me. No body double,” she said with a laugh. “It was so much fun. A lot of bruises and all that, but it was fun.”
Through Dedh Ishqiya and Gulab Gang, Madhuri Dixit once again proved that reinvention, courage, and conviction are what keep an artist truly timeless.
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