Madhuri Dixit (born Madhuri Shankar Dixit on May 15, 1967) is an Indian Bollywood actress. Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, she established herself as one of Hindi cinema's leading actresses and accomplished dancers. She appeared in numerous commercial successes and was recognised for several performances as well as dance numbers in various films. Dixit is often cited by the media as one of the most prominent female actresses in Bollywood. In 2008, she was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian award by the Government of India.

Early life

Madhuri Dixit is a native of Mumbai, India. She was born Madhuri Shankar Dixit to Shankar and Snehlata Dixit, of a Marathi Chitpavan Brahmin family. Dixit attended Divine Child High School and Mumbai University and wanted to be a microbiologist. She is an accomplished Kathak dancer and trained for eight years.

Film career

Madhuri Dixit made her acting debut in Abodh (1984). After a few minor and supporting roles, she landed the lead female role in Tezaab (1988), which shot her to stardom, and for which she received her first Filmfare nomination. She then starred in a number of hits that included Ram Lakhan (1989), Parinda (1989), Tridev (1989), and Kishen Kanhaiya (1990).

In 1990, Dixit starred in Indra Kumar's romantic-drama Dil, alongside Aamir Khan. She played the role of Madhu Mehra, a rich and spoiled young girl who falls in love with Raja, played by Khan, and later leaves her house in order to marry him. The film became one of the biggest box-office hits of the year in India, and Dixit's performance earned her the first Filmfare Best Actress Award of her career.

She followed Dil with another line of hits, including Saajan (1991), Beta (1992), Khalnayak (1993), Hum Aapke Hain Kaun! (1994), and Raja (1995). Dixit's performance in Beta, that of a woman married to an illiterate, well-meaning man who exposes her scheming mother-in-law, won her a second Filmfare Award for Best Actress.

Hum Aapke Hain Kaun! became one of the biggest grossers ever in the history of Hindi cinema. It went on to collect over Rs. 650 million in India and over Rs. 150 million overseas, and won Dixit her third Filmfare Best Actress Award. In that same year, Dixit was also nominated in the same category for her performance in Anjaam, which won her critical acclaim.

After an unsuccessful year in 1996, Dixit appeared as Pooja in Yash Chopra's Dil To Pagal Hai (1997). The film was a major national success, both critically and commercially, and Dixit won her fourth Filmfare Best Actress Award. In that same year, Dixit starred in Prakash Jha's critically acclaimed Mrityudand. The film was known for straddling the boundary between a commercial and an art film. It won the Best Feature Film award at the Cinéma Tout Ecran in Geneva and the Bangkok Film Festival. Dixit's performance in the film landed her the Best Actress award at the annual Star Screen Awards.

Dixit is not only known for her acting skills, but for her dancing skills as well. Her dance sequences, accompanying famous Bollywood songs such as Ek Do Teen (from Tezaab), Bada Dukh Deenha (from Ram Lakhan), Dhak Dhak (from Beta), Chane Ke Khet Mein (from Anjaam), Choli Ke Peechhe (from Khalnayak), Akhiyan Milaun (from Raja), Piya Ghar Aya (from Yaarana), Key Sera (from Pukar), Maar Daala (from Devdas), among others, have received abundant critical acclaim.

In 2002, she starred in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Devdas with Shahrukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai. Her performance was applauded and earned her a Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award. The film attracted worldwide attention and was featured at the Cannes Film Festival.

The following year a film named after her, Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon!, was released in which a woman (played by Antara Mali) aspires to become the new Madhuri Dixit by trying her luck in the Bollywood industry.

On February 25, 2006 she performed on stage for the first time in six years at the Filmfare Awards to music from her last movie Devdas. Her performance was choreographed by Saroj Khan.

Madhuri Dixit has been the muse for the famous Indian painter M.F. Husain who considers her the epitome of womanhood. Hence he made a film named Gaja Gamini (2000) in which Madhuri acted. The film was intended as a tribute to Ms. Dixit herself. In this film she can be seen portraying various forms and manifestations of womanhood including the muse of Kalidasa, Leonardo's Mona Lisa, a rebel, and an incarnation of musical euphoria.

On December 7, 2006, Dixit returned to Mumbai along with her husband and sons to start filming for Aaja Nachle (2007). The film released in November 2007 and despite the critics panning it, Dixit's performance was well received, with the New York Times commenting about her that "she's still got it".

On Women's International Day in 2007, Dixit topped Rediff's list of the Best Bollywood Actresses Ever.

In 1999, Madhuri Dixit married Sriram Madhav Nene, a UCLA-trained cardiovascular surgeon who practices in Denver; Dr. Nene is also from a Marathi Konkanastha Brahmin family. She has two sons, Arin (born in March 2003 in Colorado) and Raayan (born on March 8, 2005 in Colorado).

She has two elder sisters, Rupa and Bharati, and an elder brother, Ajit. Madhuri and her family reside in Denver, Colorado,USA.

Awards and nominations

Filmfare Awards

Won

• 1990: Filmfare Best Actress Award for Dil.
• 1992: Filmfare Best Actress Award for Beta
• 1994: Filmfare Best Actress Award for Hum Aapke Hain Kaun
• 1997: Filmfare Best Actress Award for Dil To Pagal Hai
• 2002: Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award for Devdas

Nominated

• 1988: Filmfare Best Actress Award for Tezaab
• 1989: Filmfare Best Actress Award for Prem Pratigya
• 1991: Filmfare Best Actress Award for Saajan
• 1993: Filmfare Best Actress Award for Khalnayak
• 1994: Filmfare Best Actress Award for Anjaam
• 1995: Filmfare Best Actress Award for Raja
• 1995: Filmfare Best Actress Award for Yaraana
• 2000: Filmfare Best Actress Award for Pukar
• 2001: Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award for Lajja
• 2008: Filmfare Best Actress Award for Aaja Nachle

Star Screen Awards

Won

• 1994: Star Screen Award Best Actress for Hum Aapke Hain Kaun!
• 1995: Star Screen Award Best Actress for Raja
• 1997: Star Screen Award Best Actress for Mrityudand
• 2002: Star Screen Award Best Supporting Actress for Devdas

Nominated

• 2000: Star Screen Award Best Actress for Pukar

Zee Cine Awards

Won

• 1998: Zee Cine Award for Best Actor - Female for Dil To Pagal Hai
• 2002: Zee Cine Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role - Female for Lajja

Nominated

• 2000: Zee Cine Award for Best Actor - Female for Pukar
• 2003: Zee Cine Award for Best Actor - Female for Devdas

IIFA Awards

Nominated

• 2000: IIFA Best Actress Award for Pukar

Stardust Awards

Nominated

• 2008: Stardust Star of the Year Award - Female for Aaja Nachle

Honours and recognitions

• 1997: "Kalabhinetri" award by the Government of Andhra Pradesh^[12]
• 2001: National Citizen's Award
• 2001: Forbes named Dixit among the Top Five Most Powerful Indian Movie Stars.^[13]
• 2007: "Bollywood's Best Actress Ever"^[3]
• 2008: Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award by the Government of India^[14]
• 2008: Honored at IFFLA Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles^[15]

Filmography

Year	Film	Role	Other notes
1984	Abodh	Gauri
1985	Awara Baap
1986	Swati
1987	Mohre
	Hifazat	Janki
	Uttar Dakshin	Chanda
1988	Khatron Ke Khiladi	Kavita
	Dayavan	Neela Velhu
	Tezaab	Mohini	Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award
1989	Vardi	Jaya
	Ram Lakhan	Radha
	Prem Pratigyaa	Laxmi	Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award
	Ilaaka	Vidya
	Mujrim	Sonia
	Tridev	Divya Mathur
	Kanoon Apna Apna	Bharathi
	Parinda	Paro	India's official entry to the Oscars
	Paap Ka Anth
1990	Maha Sangram
	Kishen Kanhaiya	Anju
	Izzatdaar	Mohini
	Dil	Madhu Mehra	Winner, Filmfare Best Actress Award
	Deewana Mujh Sa Nahin	Anita
	Jeevan Ek Sangharsh	Madhu Sen
	Sailaab	Dr. Sushma
	Jamai Raja	Rekha
	Thanedaar	Chanda
1991	Pyaar Ka Devata	Devi
	Khilaaf	Sweta
	100 Days	Devi
	Pratikaar	Madhu
	Saajan	Pooja	Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award
	Prahaar	Shirley
1992	Beta	Saraswati	Winner, Filmfare Best Actress Award
	Zindagi Ek Jua	Juhi
	Prem Deewane	Shivangi Mehra
	Khel	Seema/Dr.Jadi Buti
	Sangeet
1993	Dharavi	Dreamgirl
	Sahibaan	Sahibaan
	Khalnayak	Ganga (Gangotri Devi)	Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award
	Phool
	Dil Tera Aashiq	Sonia Khanna/Savitri Devi
	Aansoo Bane Angaray
1994	Anjaam	Shivani Chopra	Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award
	Hum Aapke Hain Koun...!	Nisha Choudhury	Winner, Filmfare Best Actress Award
1995	Raja	Madhu Garewal	Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award
	Yaraana	Lalita/Shikha	Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award
1996	Prem Granth	Kajri
	Paapi Devta
	Raj Kumar
1997	Koyla	Gauri
	Mahaanta	Jenny Pinto
	Mrityudand	Phoolva	Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award
	Mohabbat	Shweta Sharma
	Dil To Pagal Hai	Pooja	Winner, Filmfare Best Actress Award
1998	Bade Miyan Chhote Miyan	Madhuri Dixit	Special appearance
	Wajood	Apoorva Choudhury
1999	Aarzoo	Pooja
2000	Pukar	Anjali	Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award
	Gaja Gamini	Gaja Gamini/Sangita/ Shakuntala/Monika/Mona Lisa
2001	Yeh Raaste Hain Pyaar Ke	Neha
	Lajja	Janki	Nominated, Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award
2002	Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam	Radha
	Devdas	Chandramukhi	Winner, Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award India's official entry to the Oscars
2007	Aaja Nachle	Diya	Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award

External links

• Madhuri Dixit at the Internet Movie Database

Awards and achievements
Filmfare Awards
Preceded by Sridevi for Chaalbaaz	Best Actress for Dil 1991	Succeeded by Sridevi for Lamhe
Preceded by Sridevi for Lamhe	Best Actress for Beta 1993	Succeeded by Juhi Chawla for Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke
Preceded by Juhi Chawla for Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke	Best Actress for Hum Aapke Hain Kaun 1995	Succeeded by Kajol for Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge
Preceded by Karisma Kapoor for Raja Hindustani	Best Actress for Dil To Pagal Hai 1998	Succeeded by Kajol for Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
Preceded by Jaya Bachchan for Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham	Best Supporting Actress for Devdas 2003	Succeeded by Jaya Bachchan for Kal Ho Naa Ho

Source:www.wikipedia.org