…And back in 2008, when I celebrated her birthday with a couple of stage show clips, this blog had a lot more in the way of modern dance music content, so I included some modern dance music clips. But now that I am so hooked on the old stuff, I thought I’d post a positively lovely clip with Madhuri that looks far more traditional. (Well, at least for now, but maybe something more later – read on.) I admit that I have never actually seen this movie, Beta, but when I stumbled upon this clip, I just couldn’t resist it:
Longtime readers of this blog might have noticed that Madhuri is one of just a few Indian dancer-actresses from my own generation whom I have posted or posted about a few times over the past few years. And, more significantly, she is the only one in that category who does not have South Indian origins. Among the solidly Bollywood dancer-actresses who were born in the same decade I was, I do believe that she is the best.
I have to admit, as I have before, that I am not quite as fond of the Madhuri films that I’ve seen as I am of the Madhuri dances. But even if a movie is bad or mediocre, a good Madhuri dance or two will make the experience more than worthwhile.
I also do love her stage shows, as I discovered from YouTube. I might do a post with some more stage shows tomorrow, the 15th (i.e., right on Madhuri’s birthday) or the day after that. But I wanted to get this post out today, May 14, so that it might still count as being part of the Magic of Madhuri Week that was announced at the Bollywood-ish blog, which I learned about from Sita-ji at Bollywood Food Club.
Happy birthday, Madhuri Dixit!
Watch Beta. It’s got a firecracking Madhuri, a good Anil Kapoor and lots of drama… This time for the better!! A tasty film :)
Happy Birthday, Madhuri Dixit!
I like Madhuri as well and am of the opinion that she was wasted in most of the films she starred. (That sounds so good! ;-) )
I can only think of Tezaab as a film which I liked at least at that time. And after that I can’t think of any movie
Richard, So glad you did this post to join in on Maduri Week, and this is so true what you say, “But even if a movie is bad or mediocre, a good Madhuri dance or two will make the experience more than worthwhile.” One movie that I hear many didn’t like was Lajja (which I liked and reviewed a while back here) but even if one doesn’t like that film, I think the “Badi Mushkil” number is worth the whole price and time of the film:
@Sharmi Beta ROCKS
I faithfully watched all of season 4 of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jhalak_Dikhhla_Jaa
this year to see Madhuri as a judge and sometime performer too!
Forgot to link in the Lajaa review I’d mentioned in above comment here it is: http://bollywoodfoodclub.wordpress.com/2009/06/19/lajja-2001-item-numbers-eye-candy-or-could-i-say-aankhon-ladoo/
She was Saroj Khan’s showpiece. Actually I have not seen too much of her. But I do like ‘Hamko aaj kal hai’ from Sailab.
I didn’t like her movies either. I may be the only person in India who has never seen Ham Apke hain kaun from start to finish.
I liked Tezaab.
Here is the song I mentioned above, from Sailab
@Ava: I haven’t seen Hum Aapke Hain Kaun either! Not even in bits and pieces.
One Madhuri Dixit film that I remembered liking (well, back in the days when I was younger and more forgiving) was Pukaar. Oh, and she was the saving grace in Devdas. She couldn’t actually save it, I think – but she did try her best, and there was so much dignity in her depiction of Chandramukhi.
@Dustedoff – Ok, we are two people I know who never saw HAHK.
I agree – I posted Dola Re on my blog because Madhuri stands out so much in comparision to ARB.
Thank you, everybody, for the flood of comments. :) I don’t think I’ve seen as many Madhuri Dixit films as any of you; I know her performances mostly from clips. (I probably haven’t seen as many Bollywood films from the ’80s to 2000s in general as any of you. Well, you know which decades I became obsessed with :) …) But the ones that I did see were disappointing.
Back in June 2008, I did a post on the song “O Priya Priya” from Dil… I was interested in this song because I’d also seen/heard other versions of it by Ilaiyaraaja (which people say this was ripped off from, without due credit) and I have an old/former friend named Priya (a little “inside joke”) and I did like Madhuri in that … Well, anyway, I said in the post back then that I was putting Dil on the have-to-see list and I did see it a little while later, and…I thought it was awful. (But some people actually gave it good reviews. Why?)
I also could not muster more than lukewarm feelings about Khalnayak. As I kind of said in another post, also in 2008, I really enjoyed both versions of “Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hain,” but the film itself was…bleh.
Devdas… Yes, I saw some of that (and Madhuri was the “best thing” in that by far), then I decided I really should leave it and look for the older ones. I haven’t even watched the Dilip/Vyjayanthimala version because I really so much want to see the Saigal one (first). Good luck to me re. finding a good copy of that with subtitles and everything.
Almost went to see Aja Nachle in the theater, then I think I caught some of it on YouTube, wasn’t too interested…
I think I’ve seen others, just can’t recall which ones at the moment…
Actually, strangely enough, I think I’ve seen a few more Sridevi films than Madhuri ones. (Though that’s because I watched quite a few of her Tamil movies.) But I’ve watched more Madhuri songs and dances, from film clips, TV clips, YouTube-posted stage shows. :)
Ava, was she “Saroj Khan’s showpiece”? I recall Saroj Khan doing some of Sridevi’s biggest movies too. I looked Saroj up at IMDb, and it said she was also the assistant choreographer for Kalpana (1960). But if she was born in 1948, that seems unlikely – unless she was a Kamala-type prodigy. :)
I will have to watch Beta (maybe it’s time I watched some slightly more current movies again :) )… And get back to more of these comments. Sita-ji, thanks for the links, etc. – I’ll get back to those too.
@Ava: Part of the reason why I never watched HAHK was Salman Khan – I can’t bear him. The only film of his I’ve liked was Andaz Apna Apna, and that was for the overall funniness of the film, not for SK. In any case, I’m not a fan of Suraj Barjatya’s family films – I find them painful.
I’ve seen her in only 3 films, HAHK (very forgetable, can’t remember a thing), Devdas (lovely dances by both) and Aaja Nachle.
I really loved Aaja Nachle. Other than that I don’t know much about her. She was on top during the ‘horrible era’ in film industry of Bombay IMO.
So, like Richard, I like some of her dances (seen mostly in video clips), not all.
She often thrust her breasts out and back, up and down…and called it dancing LOL, but Devdas showed her skills wonderfully.
@ ava: count me in. I haven’t watched HAHK as well. but I saw Devdas and regretted it.
well, Richard, since I haven’t myself seen many Madhuri Dixit films, I can’t really recommend any. The ones I have seen are Tezaab (that was way back in 1988 or 89) Dil (found it too insipid) and Devdas.
BTW good luck in your search for Saigal’s Devdas. I had a chance to watch it on DD in the late 80s and found it damn boring. And to tell you the truth Bimalda’s Devdas didn’t do anything to me. It reminds me very much of Werther. but somehow the social critic is not well-carved out in Devdas, though it had lots of potential.
Everybody praises Jha’s Mrityudand as a good Madhuri performance.
After going through her filmography at imdb, I realised I have seen more of her movies
Parinda (quite good, but more of a showcase for thee male leading actors than Madhuri)
Sailaab (boring)
100 Days (forgettable)
Saajan (eye-sore)
@ pacifist
“She often thrust her breasts out and back, up and down”
True, but mean! :-) She can’t really help it, when she gets the moves from the dance director (is it any different than a choreographer?). She could even lend elegance to a totally kaputt song like ‘Batata Wada’
@Harvey – wow another HAHK absentee, and I thought I was the only one.
@Dustedoff – Haha.. I dont like Salman either. I havent seen any of his latest ‘wonderful’ hits. He is so heavily botoxed, he can barely move his lips.
@Richard – Maybe Saroj did assist on Kalpana. But her own style was very very different. I started hearing more about Saroj after she directed all those Madhuri dances. I had forgotten about Sri altogether.
I love the songs of Devdas KLS and Devdas Dilip. They are to die for.
Happy birthday Madhuri Dixit!! She is the best bollywood actress ever. I found this video playlist of her best bollywood songs – http://www.dhunio.com/playlists/person-madhuri-dixit/
I hope you guys will like it too.