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'I wish her a very happy life ahead'

She, Madhuri Dixit. The girl with the million-dollar smile, who tied the knot finally.

He, Subhash Ghai. The King Midas among Bollywood directors, who gave our girl her first major break with Ram Lakhan.

He spoke to Us about Her marriage:

This is a very important day for all of us at Mukta Arts, especially for me, to learn about Madhuri's marriage. We all are very happy that finally she has decided to enter the marriage institution and live a happy life. We wish her and her husband a very happy married life.

I still remember meeting Madhuri in Srinagar shooting for Kuwara Baap. She was playing a small role, of a daughter of Rajesh Khanna. I was impressed on the very first meeting with her attitude as well as her looks. I could see innocence in her eyes and a photogenic, expressive face, which could be moulded into a great actress. I told her to contact me in Bombay at my office.

After two months, while shooting my film Karma in Kashmir, I needed a girl for a small sequence in a song. I asked Saroj (Khan, choreographer) if she could suggest some good face, who was a good dancer as well, for this small role. She suggested Madhuri's name.

The next day Madhuri was in Kashmir. I did not feel very nice because I thought I was wasting a good face and talent by using her for that small role. Anyway, we shot with her just for our consolation. But in my heart of hearts I could see that she was going to be a big star tomorrow. And I told her my feeling then and there. She started laughing, thinking that I was joking.

The next month she came to my office. I told her that we were very seriously thinking to cast her as heroine opposite Jackie Shroff and Rajnikant in Uttar Dakshin to be produced by Mukta Arts, and also a future movie, Ram Lakhan, to be produced and directed by me.

he could not believe it since she was doing very small and sidey roles and was quite pessimistic about her future. But I encouraged her and asked her to stop thinking that way and be ready to work hard for a great future. Since then she has been a great student and listener and took all advice and guidance, whatever we thought best for her.

We also requested Anil Kapoor to allow his secretary, Rakesh Nath, now Rikku (Madhuri's secretary even now, pic on right), to look after her work. She and her family were too innocent and ignorant about the working of the film industry. I am glad that both have been very loyal to each other as star and secretary.

Madhuri has always been a very patient listener. A great student, a great admirer of art, and a committed professional and good human being. As far as I could see during my association with her from 1985-1995, from Uttar Dakshin to Ram Lakhan to Khalnayak, I saw her growing with the fullest glory. I've always been proud of her. This is the right time and a wise decision she has taken to enter into the marriage institution. And I really wish her a very, very happy life ahead.

Madhuri has been growing as an artiste and a dancer film by film since 1987. I have been watching her work very closely. She has done good, bad and great performances because of good, bad and great films. I can say she has given a good account of her talent in Prem Pratigya, Ram Lakhan, Tezaab, Beta, Khalnayak, Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!, and Dil To Pagal Hain and also Mrityudand. She is essentially a director's actress, and her performances swing according to the merit of the director as well as the film.

I still remember the Khalnayak scene where she drinks with the police and imitates Dimple Kapadia and Sridevi in the antakshari sequence. She did the scene without preparing and she did it instantly. That shows the actress in her.

Subhash Ghai spoke to Suparn Verma.

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