Key Highlights

• On KBC 18: Madhuri Dixit opened up to Amitabh Bachchan about her late mother’s influence.
• Early struggles: She said she was very young when she joined films and would feel hurt by criticism.
• Mother’s advice: “Itna weak nahi hona... bas kaam karo aur sincerity se kaam karo.”
• A career built on resilience: After early flops, she rose to stardom with Tezaab and went on to win six Filmfare Awards and the Padma Shri.

On Kaun Banega Crorepati 18, Madhuri Dixit spoke about the person she credits for both her art and her resilience: her late mother, whom she called “Aai.”

Amitabh Bachchan asked her, “Madhuri ji, kya aap maanti hain jinko aap aai kehti hain unse aapne bahut kuch sikha hai, ya kuch aisa jo aapne unse prapt kiya ho?” (Madhuri ji, do you believe you learned a lot from the person you call Aai, or received something from her?)

“Karke Dikhao”

Madhuri said her love for art and dance came from her mother, and that she was as strong as Amitabh’s own mother, the late Teji Bachchan. Recalling her early days, she said:

“Jab main iss field mein aayi, main bahut hi young thi, toh koi kuch bol deta tha toh main ghar jaati thi aur mujhe bahut hi bura lagta tha. Toh maa humesha kehti thi ki itna weak nahi hona aur kisi ki nahi sunna, tumhe yeh karna hain toh karke dikhao. Woh kehti thi bas kaam karo aur sincerity se kaam karo, aur jo logon ko sab negative lag raha hain, ek success ke baad sab positive ho jaata hain.”

(When I entered this field, I was very young, and if someone said something, I would go home and feel very hurt. My mother always said not to be so weak and not to listen to others; if you want to do this, prove it. She told me to simply work with sincerity, because whatever people see as negative becomes positive after one success.)

Why It Matters: Her Career Proved Her Mother Right

Madhuri’s own journey shows how true her mother’s advice was. She made her debut in 1984 with Rajshri Productions’ drama Abodh. After a few commercially failed films, she rose to prominence with the action drama Tezaab (1988), and went on to establish herself with top-grossing films such as Dil (1990), Beta (1992), Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (1994) and Dil To Pagal Hai (1997).

In other words, early setbacks were followed by exactly the kind of “one success” her mother had promised would turn every negative into a positive.

Madhuri Dixit’s Journey

Over her career, she has won six Filmfare Awards from 17 nominations, and was honoured with the Padma Shri in 2008.

Two Strong Mothers

The conversation became especially moving because both Madhuri and Amitabh have often spoken about the influence of their mothers. Her comparison of her mother to Teji Bachchan created a personal connection between two of Hindi cinema’s biggest stars.

The Bottom Line

Decades after her debut, Madhuri Dixit still carries her mother’s simple lesson: don’t be weak, work sincerely, and let success answer the critics.

With inputs from IANS.