Shekhar Suman made his Hindi film debut opposite none other than Rekha in the 1984 film Utsav. Soon after, he signed Manav Hatya, which also happened to be Madhuri Dixit’s second film. At the time, neither Shekhar nor Madhuri were established stars. Years later, Shekhar fondly recalled the chaotic yet memorable experience of working with a young Madhuri during their struggling days in the industry.
Shekhar was paid just ₹5,000 for the film
Speaking to Bollywood Bubble in an old interview from 2024, Shekhar shared that the director approached him to play a journalist in Manav Hatya. However, right at the outset, the filmmaker warned him that the project was running on an extremely tight budget. Shekhar was offered only ₹5,000 for the film — an amount that initially left him disappointed.
Things became even more surprising when he discovered that his co-star was also a newcomer. That actor was Madhuri Dixit, who was still trying to find her footing in the industry. But Shekhar decided to go ahead with the project, remembering how Rekha had once trusted him despite him being a newcomer.
Recalling his first meeting with Madhuri, he said, “But I agreed to do the film thinking that if Rekha can star with me when I was a newcomer, then why will I not work with another newcomer. We went to Madhuri‘s house to meet her, and she was bathing at that time, so she took her time. When she came, she looked resplendent, and I told the director that I will be acting in his film even if he paid me ₹2500. Just kidding.”
Madhuri wore Shekhar’s wife’s clothes in the film
The struggles of the film’s production didn’t stop there. According to Shekhar, the budget was so low that the producer requested permission to shoot portions of the film inside his house because they couldn’t afford proper locations.
Shekhar also revealed that the team couldn’t even afford costumes, make-up artists, or transport for Madhuri. As a result, his wife stepped in to help the production. Madhuri wore Shekhar’s wife’s clothes in the film, while his wife also handled her make-up.
Sharing the anecdote, he said, “The producer told me he didn’t have money to bring Madhuri here. ‘I don’t have Taxi money, so can you pick her up on your motorcycle,’ he told me. So first, I used to pick up Madhuri from her home and come on set. Producer also said that he doesn’t have money for make up or costumes. So my wife used to do Madhuri‘s make-up and my wife even got her own clothes for Madhuri to wear in the film. Madhuri Dixit was such a sweet, naive Maharashtrian girl.”
About Madhuri Dixit
Madhuri Dixit became the most actors of the 90s and early 2000 era. She is currently busy with the promotions of her upcoming film Maa Behen. The film also stars Triptii Dimri and is scheduled to release on June 2.