The Golden Girl

Mohini, Mohini, Mohini…*

If Helen of Troy was the face that could launch a thousand ships, she was the face that could launch a thousand movies. When this* chant was inserted as an intro for a film song, little did they know that it would catapult the actress to stardom. She later on went to prove that she was a mohini indeed, an enchantress nonpareil; the real ‘acid’ that would burn a thousand hearts. If these many references can’t get you to guess whom I’m talking of, then go take a hike to the next hill!  There is only one of her kind – the inimitable Madhuri!

The face where a thousand expressions flit with ease, the grace and beauty undying  till date, the smile that can set a million men into a tizzy, her laugh which can set thousands of hearts on a flutter –  you really wonder what there is, not to like in her. For me, she’s the second best beauty to have graced Bollywood; the first being Madhubala. She danced her way into Bollywood with the cult classic – Ek, do, teen… That song did more than teach the nation to count the days of the month in Hindi. Saroj Khan deftly extracted the best from her – Madhuri had arrived. And how.

As good an actress that she is, for me she stands out as the best dancer in the movie business. If you have any doubts, you need not take my word for it. I’d urge you to check out a few of her songs. Be it classical or free-form; be it Indian or Western, Madhuri lends a certain grace and personal touch to the choreography that cannot be imitated by anyone, nay, not even by watching her songs a zillion times. Be it the highly popular Ek, do, teen; or the song that stopped one’s heartbeats, contrary to what the lyrics suggested – Dhak dhak karne laga.

Choli ke peeche kya hai? Asked a song very suggestively, and Madhuri added sensuality sans vulgarity. In Sailaab, she looked like the hottest fisher-woman on the planet as she swayed to Humko aaj kal hai. Who can forget her diamond-cut back open blouse and blue saree of Didi tera dewar deewana fame? 

She grooved to Ankhiyan milaun and gave Sanjay Kapoor his (once and forever) two minutes of fame! She also single-handedly managed to make Bengal gram fields sexy when she sang about the scuffles in Chane ke khet mein. She swayed to Mera piya ghar aaya; which makes me wonder, which piya wouldn’t be glad to see her? No one else could have carried off the role of Pooja of DTPH – a dancer by profession; Shiamak Davar’s delight, I am sure. She matched Prabhu Deva in Que sera sera, and gave all the leading ladies a run for their money with the grace and poise she exuded in Maar dala, inspite of having to manage the dress weighing almost 30kgs! I’ve tried in vain to twitch the eyebrows, one at a time, like she did. Sadly all I manage is a look which words can’t describe. What’s more, she made Aishwarya pale in comparison when they matched steps in Dola re dola. And for me, the scene that follows this song is one of my favourites, in the movie (where she gives a splendid retort to Milind Gunaji).She made a comeback through Aaja Nachle, the title track of which is a delight to watch, for the Madhurian charm (there, I even made an adjective!)

She can make any co-star look appealing (Sanjay Kapoor and Akshay Kumar cases in point) and can turn any song into a blockbuster. Who else has made each costume of each song iconic? Whether it’s the orange sari of Dhak,dhak; the blue sari of Didi tera dewar, the fisher-woman look of Sailaab, the ghagri choli of Choli ke peeche or the resplendent green costume of Maar dala?

She can look sensuous without looking slutty; she can give Munni and Sheila a run for their money, any day – hands down. She is the lead star and the item girl, all rolled into one. The fact that she is/was a certain Husain’s muse and she had a movie named after her, in which a small town girl aspires to be her (Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon!), is ample proof of her popularity and magic. No doubt, the first crush for a generation of men. Even today, she need only smile once and you will hear a collective gasp from the audience. Guaranteed.

High time the chant* is altered to give the person behind the persona some credit.

Madhuri, Madhuri, Madhuri…

That’s more like it.

Images in this post: Courtesy Google