Madhuri Dixit was asked to wear a bra on screen, was fired for refusing, reveals director

Tinnu Anand, who made some popular films starring Amitabh Bachchan in the 1980s like Kaalia and Shahenshah, once signed Bachchanand Madhuri Dixit for a film titled Shanakht in 1989. This was going to be the first on-screen appearance of the two actors. At the time, Big B was a star and Madhuri had recently tasted stardom with Tezaab and Ram Lakhan. 

 

In a recent interview, the actor-director recalled that on the very first day of the shoot, he had an argument with Madhuri over her costume, which ended rather badly. He wanted the actor to wear a bra on screen but she wasn’t comfortable with it and said no.

In a chat with Radio Nasha, Tinnu shared that the first scene he was going to shoot had Amitabh tied up in chains. “In the scene, Amitabh is tied up in chains by the villain in that carriage. He is trying to protect Madhuri but he gets overpowered by these goons. So Madhuri’s character says why are you attacking a man in chains when a woman is standing in front of you,” he recalled.

 

 

Tinnu Anand shared that he had shared the entire sequence with Madhuri before he signed her. He recalled telling her that she was supposed to unbutton her blouse on camera and stand in her bra in front of the camera. “I had narrated the entire sequence to Madhuri and I told her that you have to remove your blouse and for the first time, we should see you in your bra. And I am not going to hide anything behind a haystack or anything. Because you are offering yourself to help a man who is trying to help you. So it is a very important situation and I want to shoot it on the first day. She said okay,” the actor-director recalled.

Tinnu further shared that he told Madhuri to design her own bra for the sequence, but it had to be a bra and not any other type of clothing. “I said you can design your bra, whatever you want. You don’t have to wear a bra bra but you can design your own bra, I don’t mind. But it has to be a bra because your are opening your blouse, offering yourself.”

Tinnu then recalled that on the day of the shoot, which was the first day of the film, he was waiting for Madhuri to come on the set. When she did not get out of her room for 45 minutes, he went in to check and found that she hadn’t even started getting ready yet. He shared, “I asked what happened. She said, ‘Tinnu, I don’t want to do this particular scene.’ I said, ‘I’m sorry, you have to do this scene.’ She said, ‘No, I don’t want to.’ I said, ‘Okay, pack up, say good bye to the film. I’ll cancel my shoot.'”

When Amitabh Bachchancame on the set and asked what was happening, Tinnu Anand told him that he had an argument with Madhuri Dixit. Amitabh tried to be the peacemaker and Tinnu recalled him saying, “He said, ‘Let it be, why are you arguing with her? If she has an objection…’ I said, ‘If she had to object, she should have done it earlier, before signing the film,'” he shared.

At the time, Madhuri had just gotten famous after Tezaab and Ram Lakhan’s success. (Photo: Express Archives)

Tinnu said that he immediately started thinking of other actors who could replace Madhuri in the film but just then, Madhuri’s secretary came in and assured Tinnu that she would eventually agree. “Later, Madhuri’s secretary came in and said she will agree to it, give her some time,” he said.