In recent days, social media has been abuzz with speculation claiming that Madhuri Dixit was “four months pregnant” while filming the iconic Dola Re Dola sequence from Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s 2002 magnum opus Devdas. The actor has now addressed the speculation, setting the record straight.
Madhuri clarifies
In an interview with SCREEN, Madhuri rubbished the claim, citing the timeline of her son’s birth to set the record straight.
“Arin was born in 2003. So, you do the math,” said Madhuri. Arin Nene, Madhuri Dixit’s elder son, is now 23 years old and was born on March 17, 2003. Devdas film was released on July 12, 2002, following its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 23, 2002.
However, Madhuri clarified that although the shoot was physically demanding, her pregnancy was not the reason behind it. “I was under the weather because I was travelling a lot. I was going back and forth, shooting here and going back. And all my shoots were night shoots. So, for me, it was very grueling. I was a little under the weather, but nothing like that,” added Madhuri.
The clarification comes after Rubina Khan, a former associate of late choreographer Saroj Khan, claimed that Madhuri was pregnant while filming the song.
In the podcast on the YouTube channel Bollywood Thikana, Rubina spoke about Dola Re Dola, saying, “There’s a step in which Madhuri ma’am turns and sits down. That shot kept happening from 9 am to 10 pm because she was four months pregnant. So, she couldn’t turn properly and was feeling dizzy. She also had a fever at that time. She struggled a lot. She’d never ask for a step to be changed. Whatever Masterji (Saroj Khan) said was set in stone.”
Picturised on Madhuri and Aishwarya Rai, Dola Re Dola was composed by Ismail Darbar, written by Nusrat Badr, and sung by Kavita Krishnamurthy, Shreya Ghoshal, and KK. Devdas was Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s adaptation of the Sarat Chandra novel, starring Shah Rukh in the titular role. The most expensive Indian film of the time, it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and was a massive box office success. The film was praised for its grand sets, music, and performances.
Madhuri’s next project
At the moment, Madhuri Dixit is busy promoting her upcoming Netflix comedy-thriller Maa Behan, which also features Triptii Dimri and Ravi Kishan.
Maa Behen is directed by Suresh Triveni, the director of Tumhari Sulu, Jalsa and Subedaar. The film also stars Dharna Durgaa and Ravi Kishan. The trailer shows Madhuri as a single mother and Triptii and Dharna as her daughters. The dark comedy sees Madhuri’s character seek her daughters’ help after a man dies in her home. The film produced by Abundantia Entertainment Production in association with Opening Image Films will be released on Netflix on June 4.