When Anupam Kher revealed that Madhuri Dixit was given a higher remuneration than Salman Khan in Hum Aapke Hain Koun, barely anyone was surprised. By 1994, Madhuri was already a superstar, a self-made icon who was arguably among one of the biggest success stories of Bollywood. She was 27 and had already delivered blockbusters like Tezaab, Ram Lakhan, Tridev, Parinda, Dil, Saajan, Beta, and Khalnayak.
Rajshri Productions introduced Madhuri with Abodh (1984) at the age of 17. Though the film was panned, she got noticed. After some movies, Tezaab happened. And there she was, leading an entire generation to the tunes of “Ek Do Teen”.
In 2000, Madhuri won the title of Actress of the Millennium. Guinness Book of Records Millennium version even named her as the highest paid Indian actress.

What exactly was it about Madhuri that made her the numero uno star?
Madhuri came when Sridevi was ruling Bollywood in the 1980s. Even after four decades, fans are divided into two teams. The fact remains that she did replace Bollywood’s Chandni in the 1990s. Even the Khans, whose star was on the rise in the days, understood her power.
Seen closely, that was a time when female actors were meant to adorn the screen, shed tears, dance around with the hero and shout “bachaao” at the villain’s den. Madhuri made her choices clear. Most of her films had her playing strong characters, who weren’t ready to budge. They were aggressive, tough, stubborn, bold and took their charge of their life, women who we hadn’t seen on our screens.
She’s a complete package of talent, onscreen presence, a radiant smile, chemistry with her co-actors, and delivers a near-perfect act in almost every genre.
One can easily look at the bright side of her statement. If she did not fit into the frame of heroines back then, she created a new frame that others were forced to fit into. There has not been a replacement for Madhuri yet.
Madhuri Dixit is a recipient of Padma Shri. She has so far won six Filmfare Awards and has featured seven times on Forbes India’s Celebrity 100 list.

Happy birthday, Madhuri Dixit!