Madhuri Dixit is the epitome of royal grace, although she is not in fact a royal at all (except, of course, by Bollywood’s standards and mine). She has deep doe eyes and a charming wistfulness that can turn into playfulness at a moment’s notice. While I have spoken repeatedly about other actress’ ability to express themselves using only facial expressions, her ability to emote in that way surpasses all of them. She is a voluptuous, vibrant beauty; the creators of her wax figure at Madam Tussaud’s could not come close to capturing her, though their efforts were valiant. A fan once remarked on the talk show Koffee with Karan,“If Madhuri were alive during the time of Shah Jahan, there’d be two Taj Mahals” which sums her up better than I ever could.

Madhuri’s career began in 1984 with the film “Abodh” (“Innocent”), but didn’t really take off until 1989 with “Tezaab” (“Acid”), for which she is particularly remembered in the dance number “Ek Do Teen” (“One Two Three”). Check it out on YouTube, she is an adorable twenty-year-old, which I’ve suddenly realized is our age—Madhuri Dixit was becoming a super star at the age we’re enduring our junior year of college. She won her first, much deserved Filmfare in 1990 for her part in “Dil” (“Heart”) and her career continued exploding from there.

In 1992, she took over the film “Beta” (“Son”) to such an extent that it was continually remarked that the film should have been titled “Beti” (“Daughter”). She proved her versatility as well as her dancing skill. She was classically trained from the time she was a toddler and is the best female dancer in the industry even now. Two years later in “Anjaam” (“Consequence”) which she starred opposite Shahrukh Khan in and matched his intensity as a villainous stalker with ease and passion as the object of his ill-tempered affections.

Her most popular film and greatest hit by far was the 1994 smash “Hum Aapke Hain Koun…!” (“Who Am I to You…!”). While I found the film too boring to finish, Indian audiences did not and the film continues to be referenced in modern movies. It’s a classic in Bollywood film history.

She closed out the decade with another hit “Dil To Pagal Hai” (“The Heart is Crazy”) again opposite Shahrukh and again with her skill in dancing put on display. She would be cast in “Devdas” opposite Shahrukh and beside Aishwarya Rai specifically for her dancing ability as well as her beauty and elegance. If you take no other suggestion from me, watch the song “Dola Re Dola” from “Devdas” on YouTube. Be sure to find good quality so as not to miss a moment of Aishwarya’s and Madhuri’s dancing grace in a rare female duet.

Madhuri has been in and out of the film industry in the past decade and made yet another return this year in an item song titled “Ghagra” in the film “Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani” (“The Youth is Crazy”). Her fans, myself especially, eagerly await her upcoming films, as well should all of you.