Dancing Queen: Interview :)

Dancing Queen: Up, close & personal with Madhuri

DIVA DAZZLES AGAIN: Madhuri Dixit breaks into an impromptu jig in CNN-IBN's studio.

Madhuri Dixit is back. Her sparkling eyes, dazzling smile and dancing toes have held our collective conscience captive for almost two decades and in less than a week from now she is going to light up our screens again.

Rajeev Masand: Are you as excited as the rest of us that you are back in Bollywood?

Madhuri Dixit: Yes, I am excited about Aaja Nachle which is going to release soon. It's also exciting to be back in Mumbai with my fans. So, it's a great day today.

Rajeev Masand: So, here's what we have planed for you on this show. We will talk about your top 10 dances. Now choosing your top dance sequences is not an easy job as you have an entire repertoire of fantastic numbers. So, this is our list of the best numbers and you could tell us whether you agree on those or not.

Ek Do Teen (Tezaab)

Rajeev Masand: We will start with the song that became an anthem in 1988. And this song also gave us the first glimpse of what Madhuri Dixit's dances are all about.

Madhuri Dixit: There are lots of memories because I had worked with Saroj ji (Saroj Khan) in some other films also. But when Tezaab came she said this one dance number has to be very good. So, we rehearsed for seven days.

And the first day I went for the dance sequence I saw a huge set in Mehboob Studios and they had filled it with a huge crowd. And I remember saying that 'I just don't feel confident.' But Saroj ji said, 'just do what we have practiced.' I remember one day we shot the entire day and it was 10.30 at night and I was really tired. They said the set was going to be broken the next day, so we had to shoot the whole night. That little ramp sequence in the song was shot at 5.30 in the morning and that's how we finished it.

Humko Aaaj Kal Hai (Sailaab)

Rajeev Masand: There is another song that you did shortly after Tezaab for a film called Sailaab. It was a Koli number which won over many people and here's what Karan Johar had to say about it.

Karan Johar: When I was in school and college we saw a lot of Madhuri's sensational numbers and I remember making a video cassette of her five best numbers and it started with the Sailaab song. I remember going to the theatre three times, watching that song and coming out. I just couldn't get over how brilliantly she danced. Also you cannot help smiling every time Madhuri smiles. That's the kind of impact she has.

Rajeev Masand: The interesting thing about this song is unlike most of your other songs which are fast dance numbers, this is a slow and sensuous song. Was that difficult?

Madhuri Dixit: It was not just a slow and sensual song, all the antaraas are sung by the chorus and the chorus is sung by the main lead in it. So, the roles were reversed and we were very excited about it. The first time I heard it I was wondering what was I going to do when I wasn't singing the main lines. But the moment Saroj ji heard she instantly choreographed the song in her mind. So, while the chorus was singing, I was just supposed to perform or emote in front of the camera and when my lines come that's when I was supposed to dance. The song was brilliantly choreographed.

Dhak Dhak (Beta)

Rajeev Masand: Now here's a song which is not so much a dance number. It's a very passionate song and it made you very popular. With every song you sort of earned a title and with this song you became the Dhak Dhak girl.

Madhuri Dixit: (laughs) When we shot for this song there was this elaborate set that had been put up. And then our cameraperson walked in and said 'I don't like this set, it's horrible.' It was a very colourful set, and he said make it all dark and brown. We had only three days to complete the song and there they were throwing hay into the main set to change the look. So one side it was all done in a hurry and on the other hand me and Saroj ji had to make sure that it should only look sensual and not anything else. A delicate balance had to brought and the song was shot in exactly three nights.

Choli Ke Peeche (Khalnayak)

Rajeev Masand: Another song which made you very popular is this song from Khalnayak. Though, it became quite controversial.

Madhuri Dixit: It was meant to be a naughty number. Subhash ji came up with it and we all said, "Ah! What are you saying." Whenever I have worked with Saroj ji I have had full faith in her. That is because she is a woman so she would never make anything look vulgar. So, for this song we used a lot of folk numbers like the twirl with the ghagra. It was great fun doing it.

Rajeev Masand: Were you prepared for the controversy that followed?

Madhuri Dixit: No, we didn't think that it would get that big and be blown out of proportion. But it did happen.

Athara Baras Ki Kanwari (Anjaam)

Rajeev Masand: Here's a message from Shah Rukh Khan who has been your co-star in several films. When we asked him about Madhuri the dancer, here is what he had to say.

Shah Rukh Khan I think you decrease the importance of Madhuri if you call her just the dancer. She is a complete actor. Also all the dances that I have done with her, she has helped me immensely. In one or two films she has held my hand and it seems like I am leading her but it is actually she who is leading me. When I came into the industry, she was a superstar but she agreed to work with me and taught me a lot of things.

Rajeev Masand: Now in this song Shah Rukh is not dancing but it is still one of your best dances.

Madhuri Dixit: This song was special because there were a lot of expressions. Again a lot of folk movements were used in this song. And I know Shah Rukkh always teases me on how do I do that hand and hip movement. So, finally I think I have to teach him.

Rajeev Masand: Taking off from what Shah Rukh said that you were a big star and you worked with him when he was a newcomer. A lot newcomers have said that about you that you are generous and a very open-hearted co-star. Here's another a song with a newcomer from the movie Raja.

Akhiyan Milau (Raja)

Madhuri Dixit: We all loved the song when we heard it because it had a lovely beat. I remember we shot the whole song and it was pack-up time and Saroj ji came up with a new idea. She said for the beginning of the song let's just do expressions. She said say the whole thing with your eyes, not with your hands or your face.

So the first line had to be emoted through my eyes. I saw her eye movement and said, 'I don't think I can make my eyes go round like that.' But she kept saying try and so I rehearsed for it. I also managed to get the eye movement. I was really thrilled. And that became like a signature. A lot of people have come up to me post that song and asked if I put something in my eye for it to rotate like that. It was those little moments that make a difference.

Rajeev Masand: Dance must be all about enjoying to get it so right as you do.

Madhuri Dixit: For me it is not just about shaking my hands and feet or moving to a rhythm. It just comes from my soul. It's a very spiritual thing for me whether it is a Western number or an Indian one. Like I remember my mother used to say that as a child there were times when I would just get up and start dancing even in a train.

Mera Piya Ghar Aaya (Yarana)

Rajeev Masand: This is another song which became very popular even though the movie was not so great.

Madhuri Dixit: Once I remember I had gone for a show and Mehmood ji was there. And he started saying that I was really good but in this song that head movement that I did where I tilt it to a side and then start dancing is what made it more interesting for him. Everybody sees something different and interprets a song in a different manner. So, I was really thrilled when he said that. It was a big compliment for me.

Makhna (Bade Miyan Chote Miyan)

Rajeev Masand: These days in Bollywood item numbers are very popular. You mostly kept away from it. But just once you succumbed to it in the film Bade Miyan Chote Miyan and I think the reasons are very evident on why you agreed to do that song.

Madhuri Dixit: I couldn't resist the temptation of working in this song because there was Amit ji in the film and Govinda with whom I hadn't worked with in a long time. These two actors are people who understand dancing because it is also about expressions and not just moving your arms and legs. So, I had to do this song with them.

Rajeev Masand: A lot of people think that your best work was with Aamir in Dil, which went on to become very popular. Here's a message from him.

Aamir Khan: Everybody is excited to have you back but some people like Baba, Indu, Saroj ji and me are very happy to have you back. I am really looking forward to your film. All the very best.

Madhuri Dixit: Yes, it was wonderful working with him because I was new at that time and Aamir had a hit with Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. So, I was a little anxious of working with a star but he was such a lovely and down to earth person. He was very professional and serious about his work. Usually heroes are all macho and have an air about them but I got to see a very soft side of Aamir during the making of that film.

K Sera Sera (Pukar)

Rajeev Masand: I am sure you have heard of lots of actors who have been intimidated at the idea of dancing with you. But there was this one time when someone complimented your style and in fact kept you on your toes – Prabhudeva.

Madhuri Dixit: He kept me on my toes, knees, hands, head everywhere (laughs). When people used to tell me we don't want to dance with you I used wonder why they said so. But when I had to dance with Prabhudeva I understood what they felt like. I didn't want to be in the same frame as his because he was such a terrific dancer.

First of all, when we did this song I didn't know he was going to choreograph it. I went to Hyderabad to shoot the movie and Boney ji said that we will start shooting for the song and Prabhudeva is the choreographer and I nearly fell down. I knew I cannot do his kind of dancing and was very scared.

The first two days I was literally shivering but he is such a sweet person. He said, "Maam I love the way you dance." But I just kept telling him to choreograph as much as I could do. But he said, "Very easy. Not to worry." So I was glad but right after the first step I was saying I can't do it. Then he said, "Only this step difficult, next step very easy." So, he went through the whole song saying the next step is going to easy but nothing was easy. For the first time in my life I was sweating but I have to say that he is a wonderful choreographer. He molded his style to suit my stature, style and dancing. He did a brilliant job.

Mar Dala (Devdas)

Rajeev Masand: Now no Hindi film heroine's career is complete without the big mujra song. You did it quite late actually but here's director Sanjay Leela Bhansali reminiscing about the song and how you made it special.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali: One can go mad just looking at her songs. This song had one of the biggest sets in Indian cinema and the way she performed was a dream. The first time she did the Mar Dala step I whistled and clapped in sheer excitement. It was an exercise in expressions. With every shot, Mar Dala had a different expression. I wished I could shoot the song for a year because I wouldn't get tired of watching her dance.

Madhuri Dixit: That's a big compliment because I have a lot of respect for him as a filmmaker. After a long time we had a director who understood music, so it was wonderful working with him. Saroj ji was brilliant as always and so was Sanjay. But when I heard that song I was wondering how many different expressions can I bring about because one word - Mar Daala - was repeated so many times. But it was so beautifully done. Even the set was great. Every time I walked into it I felt like a princess.

Rajeev Masand: Now you have come back after five years. I am guessing you have worked with a lot of new actors and technicians all of whom were overwhelmed to work with an iconic performer like you. Here's what they all had to say.

Vaibhavi Merchant: She has been a diva for me all along. I have been a huge fan of the Saroj Khan-Madhuri combination. And here I was listening to the songs in Aaja Nachle and visualising that this time I will be choreographing her.

Kunal Kapoor: I almost felt like Huge Grant from Notting Hill because it's very strange when you grow up watching somebody in posters and movies and you have a big persona in your head. And then you meet the person and you start shooting with her and suddenly you are talking about how hot it is and what's for lunch. So, for me it was like 'okay Madhuri thinks about the same things that I do.' She is a person as well and not the larger-than-life icon that you have in your head. It was a bit of a surreal feeling shooting with her.

Rajeev Masand: Do you feel overwhelmed when you hear such things.

Madhuri Dixit: Yes, I do but I sometimes wonder why they say all of that. But yes, it's flattering. I am a people's person and I love interacting with them. It was wonderful shooting with them whether it was Vaibhavi or anyone else.

Rajeev Masand: Aaja Nachle is your second project with Yash Chopra. You worked with him earlier in Dil To Pagal Hai. Here's what he had to say about you.

Yash Chopra: She is a wonderful human being and to add to that she is great actress. She is a hassle free artist who comes from a middle-class family and she hasn't forgotten her roots.

Madhuri Dixit: He is a great producer. He pampers you and makes you feel like a star.

Rajeev Masand: Thank you so much for talking to us and here's wishing you the very best for your film.