Madhuri Dixit Nene: Spent time with son before he goes to college

Madhuri Dixit Nene

She dances like no one's watching. But truth is every time Madhuri Dixit Nene takes to the dance floor, she has got everyone's attention. Easily one of the finest dancers of Bollywood, the actor has discovered and groomed new talents across the country through Dance Deewane. Readying for the third season of the Colors reality show, Dixit says she tries to be a balanced judge while forming a bond, based on respect and admiration, with the contestants.

"Here, what you see is what you get. When we see a performance, we realise how much the [artiste] has grown and make our judgments accordingly. We always encourage the contestants to do better; we never want them to feel that they are not good dancers. But the unfortunate times when we have to tell a performer that s/he needs to rehearse more, we try to be as positive about it as possible," says the actor, adding that she is not a believer of tough love. "Nowadays, people are judging you on everything. [The important thing is] that it doesn't matter what people say."

Apart from solo performances, the upcoming season will focus on joint performances and group acts. "We're also giving an opportunity to the third generation [of families] to show their artistry. A lot of people feel, ‘I have crossed the age of 35, I shouldn't dance anymore', but because of this show, they are picking up the skill again."

Shooting in the new normal isn't easy. Dixit says that the unit religiously adheres to safety norms, beginning with regular COVID-19 tests. "We get tested before we go to the sets as do the contestants and their family members who come with them. Even when we hug them, we sanitise our hands." While 2020 was a difficult year, the actor chooses to see the silver lining to the lockdown.

"After long, we got family time together. We spent our days cooking, [honing our] music skills and gardening together. I was fortunate to spend uninterrupted time with my son [Arin] before he goes to college this year."