I don’t feel weird about playing mother on screen: Madhuri Dixit (Interview)

MUMBAI - Contrary to rumours, Madhuri Dixit has no hang-ups about playing mother on screen. The Bollywood beauty, who is reported to have refused to play Sonam Kapoor’s mom in a movie, says she is ready to essay any role as long as the script fascinates her.

“I don’t feel weird about playing a mother on screen. I am a mother after all!” Madhuri told IANS, breaking into her trademark laugh and flashing that famous smile.

So does that mean she is ready to play mother to Sonam in Anil Kapoor’s Indian version of “Freaky Friday”?

“I still have to talk to Anilji. He isn’t available as he is out of town. When he comes back, we will meet and talk about it,” said the mother of two sons - Arin, 7, and Raayan, 5.

The 43-year-old, who is here to judge Sony TV’s dance reality show “Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 4″, has been meeting producers and flipping through scripts ever since she has come but is yet to lock a deal.

In a grey and cream suit, without a trace of make-up or even kohl, the actress looked as graceful as ever as she spoke about her movie plans in India.

“See, the film should also fascinate me! What matters is the subject and what they are trying to say through the film…it’s not just whether I have to play a mother or a child or whatever. That doesn’t matter. But what is the film about, what kind of role is it and what all have I to do in the film are very important considerations,” she said.

Madhuri became a name to reckon with after her performance in superhits like “Tezaab”, “Ram Lakhan”, “Tridev”, “Dil”, “Saajan”, “Khalnayak”, “Hum Aapke Hain Koun”, “Dil To Pagal Hai” and “Devdas”.

Breaking a million hearts by tying the knot with US-based doctor Shriram Nene in 1999, Madhuri settled in Denver, Colorado, and did only a select few films.

Her last Bollywood outing “Aaja Nachle” failed to create ripples at the box office, but she is ready to take on new challenges and is open to working with the new wave of directors now.

“I am looking forward to working with good directors. I don’t mind working with someone new or even someone I have already worked with. I just think it should be something new on screen and it should show me in a new light,” said Madhuri, who has liked the works of Vishal Bharadwaj and Imtiaz Ali.

She is also ready to make a departure from her image for the sake of interesting roles.

“The right kind of script is very important. I want to do a fun and entertaining movie which my fans would like to watch. So I am waiting for those kind of scripts. I am ready for an image change if I think a film is going to be nice and entertaining and it’s going to say something different.

“I am an actress and I like to do different things. I don’t mind doing grey shades either - I did it in ‘Pukar’; it was quite grey! So, I have no qualms about doing anything, but it should be for a good role and a good script.”

(Radhika Bhirani can be contacted at radhika.b@ians.in)