When the plot is Madhuri Dixit

With fame and its pitfalls as its juicy centre, writer-director Sri Rao spins a new drama for Netflix that showcases the actor to her best advantage. In this interview, the duo discusses story lines, social media, and stardom

A few years ago, New York- based writer-filmmaker Sri Rao and Madhuri Dixit Nene announced a semi-autobiographical project — a sitcom about a “Bollywood superstar-turned-soccer mom in suburban America”.

The Mumbai-born actor, who made her Bollywood debut in 1984 (Abodh), had got married in 1999, moved to the US, had two children, and led a suburban life. Well, in most parts. She did make a comeback with the tepid Aaja Nachle in 2007, before moving back to India, appearing in a handful of movies (both Hindi and Marathi), judging a dance show on television, bolstering her online presence, and turning producer.

The sitcom — which had Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Madhuri’s husband Sriram Nene attached as executive producers — never took off. But Rao and Madhuri have found a meatier collaboration since: the Netflix original, The Fame Game.

The drama, which follows the disappearance of a Bollywood superstar named Anamika Anand, spotlights the ups and downs of celebrityhood. Through flashbacks, the series, created and directed by Rao, deep dives into the star’s personal and professional lives, and explores the ripple effect of living in the public eye.

“It’s about fame and everything that goes with it — power, ego, prestige. It’s hard to imagine how tricky it is to be someone in the public eye, especially with social media and everyone knowing where you are, what you are doing, who your family is. There is risk involved and we explore that in the series”Sri Rao

For an actor who has experienced stardom right from when she was a teenager, this strikes close to home. “Fame can be addictive. You could also be indifferent to fame. But once you have it, usually you want to hold on to it,” Madhuri, 54, tells The Hindu Weekend. She, however, looks at fame as a consequence of her art. “I love my art and craft, and when I do it to the best of my ability [think Tezaab, Beta, Dil, or Devdas], the byproduct is popularity and recognition. Over time, you also begin to wear dark glasses and hide from that very attention because it can engulf you and invade your privacy.”

Like her peers, Madhuri agrees that the lure of a series is that it provides the space and time to expand and explore characters. “When you do a film, you have to do everything in a couple of hours, whereas a series gives you the time to develop your character... and a lovely arc is created, so when the characters interact, it looks even more real,” she says. Of course, the global reach provided by OTT platforms also sweeten the deal.