Madhuri Dixit Nene has been a star pretty much all her life. With the adoration from millions, it feels impossible for her to step out and not be recognised in public. Yet, there was a phase in her life when she enjoyed anonymity.
She spilled the beans on the same when she visited HT City’s office recently to meet the winners of the HT City Stars In The City contest, along with co-stars Triptii Dimri and Dhaarna Durga, and director Suresh Triveni. Madhuri, after getting married to Dr Shriram Nene in 1999, had shifted to United States of America for a couple of years.
She shared as she got into a conversation with Sonal Kalra, Chief Managing Editor, Entertainment and Lifestyle, “In Denver, it was smooth and nicer because there were less Indians there. Where I lived, mostly there were Americans. For a long time, they didn’t know who I was, I was Mrs Nene there. I had my kids (Arin and Ryan), I would go to school to drop them. One day, I saw a car would come and stop at our house, then take a round and come back. My neighbours called me… vahaan darr laga rehta hai that someone could be trying to rob us, so people are careful. The neighbour asked ‘should I call the cops?; I said ‘please don’t!’ I had to tell them I am a celebrity, and that the people in the car were trying to get a glimpse of me.”
Calling this phase of her life away from the limelight ‘liberating’, she continued, “I was free to do anything at any time. I enjoyed so much of ‘me time’ with my kids. It was a big part of my dream in life… that I have a husband who I love, with kids. I was living my dream there.”
Her husband, meanwhile, had no idea about his better half’s stardom in India. Asked about how he finds life in India, Madhuri revealed, “We have been here in India since 2011. He’s more friends with the people of the industry than I am now! He’s even said in interviews ‘I knew she is an actor, I didn’t know how big an actor she is!’ When he came here initially, it was a shock. It’s all good today, our kids are growing up, I have enjoyed playing the character of Rekha in Maa Behen. I am in a good place.”