Madhuri's biggest gamble ever?

Keeping you on the edge with anticipation so far, Madhuri is finally back to win millions of hearts with her moves yet again in Anil Mehta's Aaja Nachle. Let's find out what the director has to say about her comeback in his directorial debut.

Was Madhuri one of the reasons which enticed you to wield the megaphone?

Not really...(laughs). Getting into direction was never on my agenda. It was Adi (Aditya Chopra) who suggested I should try my hands at direction while we were shooting for Veer-Zaara. I thought it was just a passing phase and Adi would forget. But he insisted and kept harping on the subject whenever we met. He used to ask what kind of subjects I would like to handle etc etc. It was then I realised Adi was serious.

How was the transition from being a cinematographer to a filmmaker?

It was a rather difficult job for me. I know even as a cinematographer, one really needs to put in his best. And it is he who actually turns a filmmaker's vision into reality on celluloid. But personally, I enjoy cinematography more than filmmaking. I need my quota of sleep at the end of the day. As a filmmaker, I could never be at peace with myself. It was quite a roller-coaster ride but with Jaideep Sahani handling the screenplay and Adi on my side, I couldn't have asked for more.

What really prompted you to zero in on Madhuri Dixit?

Could you suggest me another name? It was during one of those initial scriptwriting sessions with Adi and Jaideep when Adi just floated the idea about casting Madhuri. Incidentally, Adi had met her a week before that. So, we decided to give it a try.

Was it difficult persuading the actress for a comeback?

As far as my knowledge goes, it wasn't that difficult. Adi went to talk to her during one of her stays in Mumbai and he came back to happily announce that Madhuri had agreed to do our film. And when you've got the best, why think about anyone else? When Adi gave her an outline of the plot, Madhuri just loved it. The film sees her as a dancer. The story develops during the making of a play, an ageing actress, her director (and ex-lover) and a young actress discuss love, life, ageing and their work. That's all I can reveal at the moment.

The grapevine has it that Madhuri is not very happy with the final outcome and has even refused to participate in the promotions. How far is it true?

Even I have heard that. But the reality is that Madhuri hasn't seen the film yet. So, how can she even dislike it? Let me also inform the media that since the time Madhuri landed in Mumbai, which is day before, she has been moving around like a whirlwind promoting the film.

The film doesn't have a so-called 'male lead' and looks like it's only Madhuri who is shouldering the film. Why so?

Why not? Now, you can't blame us for treading 'a little' different path. I won't call it unconventional though. Madhuri definitely shoulders the film, but with a fantastic screenplay and an ensemble cast of actors like Raghuveer Yadav, Vinay Pathak, Ranbir Shorey, Konkona Sen Sharma and Kunal Kapoor to go with her, the film certainly has an extra edge over others.