n Delhi to walk for designer Anju Modi at the PCJ Delhi Couture Week, Madhuri Dixit-Nenetalks to us about how even as Indian cinema is changing for the better, it'll never change much because we love our song-and-dance sequences.
On dance
Dance is an integral part of Bollywood. Actually, I like to call it Indian cinema. Just because there's Hollywood, we call it Bollywood. And anyway, dance does have its own USP in our films. Everything can change but Indian movies will not change much because we're so used to the dance and songs and everything. Even Americans are getting very attracted to all this. They're also getting interested in how Indian movies are made, what goes into making them, what's the content, etc. There were a few neighbours in the US who would watch one Hindi movie and then want to see more because they liked the dance-and-song sequences so much. I also taught someone how to dance, but it was waltz, not any Indian dance form. His daughter was getting married and he wanted to dance with her at the wedding. I am not trained in waltz, but it's just what, 1-2-3, 1-2-3.
On adapting to Bollywood now
You have to adapt everywhere you go. When I went to the US, I had to adapt there, when I came back to India, I had to adapt here. A lot of things in the industry are changing and you have to change accordingly. But everything is changing for the better, I think Indian cinema is going through a brilliant phase, they are trying different subjects and audience is getting mature enough to accept different subjects on the screen. Multiplexes have helped in that it's all very corporate now, so everything is very organized.
And that is one culture corporate brought with it, where everything is very disciplined and the scripts are ready. Earlier, it was very haphazard. We used to be on the set sometimes and we didn't know what we were going to say. The dialogue writer used to be writing at that time. Everything worked in a different way, now it's more disciplined because of the corporatisation (ugh, I can never say that word!).
On all the speculation since she's come back
It's great being back but I don't know if I want to be in the middle of speculation. That's not a very pleasant thing. And I chose to give my side of the story on Twitter because I thought it was a good medium. It goes directly to your fans, and they can read what your thoughts are. I am on Facebook also, but that account is managed by my team, but Twitter is something I do myself. But then, like I said, it feels amazing to be back. And good comes with the bad, and you just have to accept that. So I ignore the bad.
On her lehenga on the ramp weighing 10kg
After Devdas, I can wear everything. It used to take 3 dress men to carry my clothes, so this was no problem. Plus the collection was so eclectic, and the inspiration was so beautiful. Anju (Modi) took all the powerful women in Bengali literature and made these saris and ghaghra-cholis. I have also done some very strong female characters, like Chandramukhi, like in Mrityudand, even Gulab Gang, which I am doing now. I could identify with what she was trying to do and I believe in the power of women. And I think I also have that steely inner strength and that calm. I think that helps me through.
On dance
Dance is an integral part of Bollywood. Actually, I like to call it Indian cinema. Just because there's Hollywood, we call it Bollywood. And anyway, dance does have its own USP in our films. Everything can change but Indian movies will not change much because we're so used to the dance and songs and everything. Even Americans are getting very attracted to all this. They're also getting interested in how Indian movies are made, what goes into making them, what's the content, etc. There were a few neighbours in the US who would watch one Hindi movie and then want to see more because they liked the dance-and-song sequences so much. I also taught someone how to dance, but it was waltz, not any Indian dance form. His daughter was getting married and he wanted to dance with her at the wedding. I am not trained in waltz, but it's just what, 1-2-3, 1-2-3.
On adapting to Bollywood now
You have to adapt everywhere you go. When I went to the US, I had to adapt there, when I came back to India, I had to adapt here. A lot of things in the industry are changing and you have to change accordingly. But everything is changing for the better, I think Indian cinema is going through a brilliant phase, they are trying different subjects and audience is getting mature enough to accept different subjects on the screen. Multiplexes have helped in that it's all very corporate now, so everything is very organized.
And that is one culture corporate brought with it, where everything is very disciplined and the scripts are ready. Earlier, it was very haphazard. We used to be on the set sometimes and we didn't know what we were going to say. The dialogue writer used to be writing at that time. Everything worked in a different way, now it's more disciplined because of the corporatisation (ugh, I can never say that word!).
On all the speculation since she's come back
It's great being back but I don't know if I want to be in the middle of speculation. That's not a very pleasant thing. And I chose to give my side of the story on Twitter because I thought it was a good medium. It goes directly to your fans, and they can read what your thoughts are. I am on Facebook also, but that account is managed by my team, but Twitter is something I do myself. But then, like I said, it feels amazing to be back. And good comes with the bad, and you just have to accept that. So I ignore the bad.
On her lehenga on the ramp weighing 10kg
After Devdas, I can wear everything. It used to take 3 dress men to carry my clothes, so this was no problem. Plus the collection was so eclectic, and the inspiration was so beautiful. Anju (Modi) took all the powerful women in Bengali literature and made these saris and ghaghra-cholis. I have also done some very strong female characters, like Chandramukhi, like in Mrityudand, even Gulab Gang, which I am doing now. I could identify with what she was trying to do and I believe in the power of women. And I think I also have that steely inner strength and that calm. I think that helps me through.
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