Madhuri Dixit

Madhuri Dixit Nene (née Dixit, pronounced [d̪iːkʂɪt̪]; born 15 May 1967) is an Indian actress and television personality. She has appeared in over 70 Hindi films, attaining nationwide stardom that influenced Indian popular culture. Noted by critics for her performances and dancing abilities, Dixit was credited for singularly paralleling her male contemporaries by leading star vehicles in a male-dominated industry. Her accolades include six Filmfare Awards from a record 17 nominations. In 2008, the Government of India awarded her with Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian honour of the country. Born and raised in Mumbai, Dixit made her acting debut in 1984 with a leading role in the drama Abodh. After a few successive commercially failed films, she rose to prominence with the action drama Tezaab (1988), and established herself with starring roles in the top-grossing romantic dramas Dil (1990), Beta (1992), Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (1994), and Dil To Pagal Hai (1997). She won four Filmfare Awards for Best Actress for her performances in them. Other commercially successful films during this period include Ram Lakhan, Tridev (both 1989), Thanedaar, Kishen Kanhaiya (both 1990), Saajan (1991), Khalnayak (1993), and Raja (1995). Apart from Dixit's mainstream success, she earned appreciation from critics for her performances in Prem Pratigyaa, Parinda (both 1989), Anjaam (1994), Mrityudand (1997), Pukar (2000), and Lajja (2001). She received the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for playing Chandramukhi in Devdas (2002). Following a hiatus, Dixit made a brief comeback by starring in the musical Aaja Nachle (2007), and acted intermittently over the next decades. During this period, she primarily featured as a talent judge for dance reality shows, such as Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa (2010–2022) and Dance Deewane (since 2018). She continued to gain praise for starring in the black comedy Dedh Ishqiya (2014) and the Netflix drama series The Fame Game (2022), and had her highest-grossing releases in the comedies Total Dhamaal (2019) and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 (2024). Dixit was among the country's highest-paid celebrities throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, and has featured in Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list since its inception in 2012. In addition to acting, she has been engaged in philanthropic activities. She has worked with UNICEF since 2014 to advocate the rights of children and prevent child labour, participates in concert tours and stage shows, and is the co-founder of the production company RnM Moving Pictures.