Veteran actor and filmmaker Sachin Pilgaonkar recently shed light on his firm decision to cast Madhuri Dixit in his 1992 directorial venture, ‘Prem Deewane’.
He shared that he was deeply impressed by her performance in the 1984 film ‘Abodh’.
This revelation came during a special episode of the Marathi quiz show ‘Kon Honar Crorepati’, where Madhuri Dixit interacted with Sachin Pilgaonkar and actress Madhurani Gokhale. During their chat, Madhuri recalled how she was primarily known for her dance and romantic roles at the time. She asked Pilgaonkar what prompted him to envision her as an inspector in ‘Prem Deewane’.
Pilgaonkar responded, “I had seen your film ‘Abodh’ before that, and I absolutely loved your performance. I said, ‘No, I want Madhuri.’ When I was asked, ‘Why Madhuri for this role?’ I said, ‘If she can do that, she can pull this off too.'” He expressed his conviction that her talent showcased in ‘Abodh’ proved her versatility.
Madhuri Dixit, touched by his faith, thanked the filmmaker for giving her the opportunity to explore a different character type early in her career. ‘Prem Deewane’, released in 1992, starred Jackie Shroff, Madhuri Dixit, Vivek Mushran, and Pooja Bhatt in lead roles. Madhuri played Inspector Shivangi Mehra, a departure from her usual romantic image. The film, a romantic comedy, featured music by the iconic duo Laxmikant-Pyarelal and lyrics by Anand Bakshi, with popular songs like ‘Pi Pi Piya’ and ‘Mohabbat Zindabad’ enhancing its appeal.