Watching Madhuri Dixit sing her debut album Candle on all the channels my mind rewinds to a shooting of Ram Lakhan in Ooty where Madhuri sang Number 54 at a party hosted by filmmaker Subhash Ghai. Dixit was a revelation and in years to come, one discovered many more talents associated with the actor.
A feisty star, Dixit stood her ground while touring with Anil Kapoor for a live show in the US and a few years later, was ready to present her own show, Madhuri Dixit Live held in Kolkatta sometime in the 90s. The team referred to her as MD and the lady boss exhibited all qualities of leadership.
I can never forget that hot afternoon at Netaji Subhash Chandra Stadium when Dixit sat with a sun cap on her head, monitoring rehearsals of all the artistes. Sanjay Kapoor had just finished his revision and Rani Mukherjee was getting ready to start. Anchors for the evening, Ashutosh Rana and Shilpa Shirodkar were learning their lines and music-director Adesh Shrivastav preoccupied with his team.
At 6.00 pm Madhuri is the first to come down in the lobby and drive to the stadium. There are big banners of ‘Madhuri Dixit Nite’ put up all over the city right up to the venue and the arrangements are near perfect. Special security guards are appointed for every artiste who lead them to their makeup rooms. In a separate section reserved for the singers, Alka Yagnik, Sukhwinder Singh and Vinod Rathod are relishing a cup of tea together. They appear cheerful but it is a façade, the anxiety before the concert.
The show begins on time, Sanjay Kapoor and Rani Mukherjee dance to their film hits and in the second half queen Dixit rules the stage. Th finale, which is a medley of Madhuri hits gets the audience so excited that they break barricades and land up in the VIP area. There is complete chaos but somehow the artistes are rescued and escorted to their vehicles.Back to the hotel, one expects Madhuri Dixit to be drained after an energetic dance but she is in terrific spirits. Flooded with compliments from her colleagues and the sponsors, it is time for celebrations with her girl gang comprising Shilpa Shirodkar, Rani Mukherjee and a few more like me! The night is young and we cannot stop laughing until Snehlata Dixit, Madhuri’s mother affectionately packs us off to our respective rooms.
To be continued…