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One of India’s most beautiful women and Bollywood’s shining star, Madhuri Dixit-Nene turns 45 today. As she celebrates her birthday in the US with her family, we walk down memory lane

Born on May 15, 1967, Madhuri Dixit Nene entered the film industry at the age of 17 and became the nation’s heartthrob in the years to come. The actor, who had moved to USA after she wed Dr Sriram Nene, returned to India in October last year, much to the delight of her fans.

The audience is now waiting with bated breath to see her make a comeback to the big screen. With two interesting films – Vishal Bhardwaj’s Dedh Ishqiya and Gulab Gang – in her kitty, it should be an exciting phase for the actor. Madhuri worked for 23 years before taking a break and she has been one of the most versatile actors of her time, dabbling in almost all genres. We take a look at some of her most memorable comic, tragic, romantic and dramatic roles.

Comedy

One of Madhuri Dixit’s favourite costars, Anil Kapoor still vouches for Madhuri’s comic timing (apart from Sridevi and Juhi Chawla, of course). The girl with the golden smile made her audience laugh on several occasions. Her best comic act was in films like Beta, Raja and Khel where she easily overshadowed her heroes!

Tragedy

Madhuri’s portrayal of Chandramukhi in the 2002 film Devdas won her several awards. She pulled off the character of a prostitute in love with someone who is pining for another woman, with sheer grace and beauty.

Drama

Madhuri was very strong when it came to portraying angst and anger. She is known to light up the screen with her nuanced expressions. She played several strong characters during her career including the rebellious village woman in Mrityudand and a wounded wife who avenges her husband’s death by killing an obsessive lover (played by Shahrukh Khan) in Anjaam. Her portrayal of Janki in Rajkumar Santoshi’s Lajja also brought her many accolades.

Romance

Madhuri’s first big romantic film with a dramatic plot, Tezaab with Anil Kapoor, was the one that brought her into limelight. Over time she went to do several romantic movies, but her character always remained a strong one. Madhuri was the perfect romantic heroine in films like Dil, Hum Aapke Hain Koun and Dil To Pagal Hai.

Grey shades

Madhuri got the chance to play a grey character only once. In Pukar, when she played a lover who could go to any lengths to get her man. We hope that we get to see a lot more of those grey shades in her forthcoming movies like Dedh Ishqiya and Gulab Gang.