Madhuri Dixit to make her debut in Netflix

Mumbai: Madhuri Dixit is coming (on-screen) to Netflix. The Padmi Shri-honoree and award-winning actress will star in the lead for an as-yet untitled Netflix series produced by Dharmatic Entertainment, the year-old digital-focused content arm of Johar-run Dharma Productions, founded by his father Yash Johar in 1979. The show is being described as a “suspenseful family drama” one that “reflects on the lives lead by people in the entertainment industry.” The Netflix series has been written by Sri Rao, a co-writer on 2016’s critically-panned Baar Baar Dekho. Rao is also the showrunner, while Johar will serve as a creative producer.

“I’ve always been a fan of Netflix, which is why I decided to make my debut as a producer with 15th August,” Dixit said in a prepared statement. “The reach and diversity in audience that the global service provides is unparallelled. And of course, Karan and his team have been like family for me, so when I got this opportunity to play the protagonist in this series that’s produced by both Netflix and Dramatic — I was beyond excited.. This series is entertaining, riveting, and yet heartwarming.”

Johar added: “Madhuri has been one of my all-time favourite actresses. Once I got to know her, I loved her even more. Dharmatic’s association with Netflix is extremely special because together, we get to tell untold stories in the way we want to. This is one such story and the confluence of Netflix, Dharmatic and Madhuri Dixit Nene will be nothing short of iconic.”

Dixit is known for her award-winning acting work in Bollywood during the 1980s and 1990s, when she starred in films such as Dil To Pagal Hai, Hum Aapke Hain Koun…!, and Ram Lakhan. Dixit is returning to the bright lights after a hiatus during the 2000s — when she moved to the US for over a decade and starred in a failed comeback film in 2007’s Aaja Nachle — having appeared in five films over as many years, most of which have been on a spectrum of intolerable, disastrous, and mediocre.