This is a little story about a very close friend of mine. I have known her very well for the past 10 years. We are good friends, but there is a past that is hers where she belonged, to a world I never knew her in.
She was hard working and only knew how to do what she did because she was good at it. She made her debut in 1990 with Phool Aur Kante without planning a bigger picture and worked with her co-star Ajay Devgan who too was a new comer. This was followed by Roja. It was the end of 1996 and the era of action movies had begun. Madhoo started getting dissatisfied as an actor, not able to achieve what she had intended to when she started out. She met the man of her future and without too much fuss decided to become Madhoo Shah.
She wrote letters to the film fraternity, informing them all that she was due to quit as soon as she finished her pending commitments. She was done with the movie world, bitter and angry. She needed to do what she loved to.
She is happily married with two beautiful daughters, Ameya and Keiya. A perfect mother who is involved with her children’s school to the hilt. A mother who enjoys picking up and dropping her children to the bus stop. A loving and responsible wife and daughter-in-law. As a matter of fact, a friend to her in-laws.
If life was meant to go that way it would have but she started to see an environment where associates would be fighting for a little newspaper space. How ironical to get away from it all only to be shown glimpses of her world again.
Madhoo never planned to make a comeback even though her past life beckoned her a few times. Over for lunch, her aunt Hema Malini asked her to be part of her new venture. “Lend your name, your support and your love,” she said. With no announcements made she decided to do it. And then came the offers pouring in to her. She is currently doing a film with Rajshree productions but has “no definite plans to be here”.
“I wanted to know the difference between now and 20 years ago. I was young then, today I am a senior. I get the respect of one. I am proud and pleased to have a body of work which is acknowledged,” said the Roja girl. “Everything is so professional today. Every scene has a computer printout with the respective costumes etc, and there is a different professional who takes care of every small action. Not like yesteryears where the hairdresser would stitch my blouse if the need arose,” she laughed.
“How do you feel being an actor again?” I asked again. “Today I have no bitterness, no anger like I did when I gave up,” she said. “I am working on my terms, I love it,” she said.
“The media is scary today,” she said. “At that time we had one or two film critics, today we can be slaughtered. I have left myself open to criticism but I think I can handle it. My only fear is that my children and family, who are more sensitive, may get exposed to the harshness of the media,” she said protectively. “That is my only fear because my children think I am the best.” I hugged her, because as a friend, she is the best.
“Another thing,” she said before we ended, “I don’t confront situations anymore like I did. I have no point to prove. When situations happen I lie low and let them pass. No more battlefield for me,” she said happily.
I know Madhoo to be spiritual, kind and loving. “I live in love,” she said. “I love everyday, I love my life and the people around me who fill me with that love.”