Madhuri Dixit - The Only Constant.

"Sir... wo wahaan kaun baitha hai? Itni baarish mein bouquet pe photos laga raha hai!"
"Madhuri Dixit fan hai...bouquet ko dekho! Itni saari Madhuri hain!"

I smiled & continued the job I suck the most at in this world, - Cut and paste of pictures for decoration, while I overheard people around me saying all this in a well audible tone. It was a beautiful bouquet filled with chocolates, on which I was pasting few pictures of 'Madhura Sane' - Madhuri Dixit's character from Bucket List. Why was I doing this? Well, I did not want to go empty handed this time to my meet with the Diva. Yes, I was going to meet her again! This was going to be my 15th meet with her!

Meeting the person you admire the most, particularly, when it is a Superstar of Bollywood, would not be a privilege everyone gets. I had experienced it 14 times before, and this was going to be the 15th. How my world cycles in and around only Madhuri Dixit is what I wonder sometimes. They say everything that happens to you, happens for a reason. I have been trying to decipher the reason behind these memorable encounters and have finally made some sense out of it.

I reached the venue, viz, Film City sets of Dance Deewane, before time. There never is a fixed time for fan-meets. Everything depends upon the shoot schedule, the stars other commitments and a little bit of luck (which has been in my favour every single time!) . This time I took 2 fans along - one who had been wanting to meet MD for many years - Aditya , and other, Desmond, who was a mutual friend, and had been a fan of only one star for years - Madhuri Dixit. As we waited outside her van area, minutes before the meet, thousands of thoughts began flowing within my mind. I had not met MD in quite a while.There was so much to tell her - about fans, about reactions for Bucket List, about the Fanclub activities and a lot more! I knew I would forget half the things I had on mind, but did not really make a conscious effort to note down all I had to say - Eventually in those final minutes before meeting her I just let go and enjoy the moment-not holding the burden of things I need to discuss.

As I entered the van, with the hand decorated bouquet, she welcomed me with a huge Hello and a broad smile. While I gave her the bouquet, like always, she said," Why do you need to get all this?". To this I replied saying " That's our way of saying Congratulations for the success of Bucket List!"
She quickly noticed a small rolled paper too along with the bouquet. Seeing it, she jokingly asked "Is that your Bucket List, Nitesh? ". I laughed and immediately responded, "No ma'am...My Bucket List ,if I brought it along, would give your manager nightmares! ". She laughed hearing that and so did her manager.  Well, it indeed is true - My Bucket List would've been with so many unknown wishes as a Madhuri fan, like A good face to face interview with MD, Twitter live for @MadhuriEmpress with the Empress herself, and way lot more, that her manager would suffer a mini-heart attack hearing, and wouldn't even help fix the meet with her. Well, I don't really need a Bucket List ....What could be on the Bucket List of a Madhurian who has met her 15 odd times? Mine's way beyond a bucket, that has turned into a Bath-tub of happy moments now.  I shouldn't even ask for more. But, I am always unsatisfied. That's human. I don't think any huge fan of hers, who has met her just once, would be content with it. There's always more and more we crave for as fans. She's our world &; I do not see anything wrong in fans wishing to meet her over and over again. Her aura and magic is such that you are left asking for more every single time. However, she's a legend - Easy to be on one's wishlist, but then she / her team should have you on their wish list too na, for the meet to happen? Luckily, I have earned many memorable meets - just like this one!

As we walked into her newly renovated vanity, I again began shivering! This was anyways nothing new. I was in front of Madhuri Dixit yet again - and those shivers were bound to happen. While the other 2 fans spoke to her, and posed for the pics, I tried capturing few pictures, eventually not being successful with good clicks, I handed over my mobile to her team. It was then my chance to pose for the picture, which I as usual did with my infamous star-struck expression that comes out naturally in front of her. I looked at her post the picture and said softly , "Every time..every single time..I have so much to say, and I am at loss of words looking at you!"  She laughed as usual. I somehow re-collected a lot from what I had to tell her & began... "Ma'am, so have you been happy with the response for Bucket List? " . She smiled saying, "Yes indeed. It has been doing well". I continued,
"We heard there's a 4th song, which has not been added to the film?" . She was surprised - "What song? We had shot just for 3!- Movie always had just 3 songs!" . I exclaimed "Ma'am, Tejas told us about this". She laughed it off still denying the fact of there being a 4th song. I also did not hesitate stating something more about Bucket List - "Ma'am we fans love you in movies particularly with powerful roles like these, where we get to see more and more of just you!". She thanked me for acknowledging this.

 Moving on, I showed her a video - of Sej Shah (from London, who's a good online friend)'s  daughter- Priscilla, where she's crooning to  the tunes of Mai ni mai. The video indeed was super sweet since she is less than 2 months old! She smiled throughout watching the video. In between , also stated "Did I see this on Twitter?". Maybe she had seen Sej's tweet. I wanted her to see the video because I personally found it way too sweet and Sej has been a known Madhurian for years. No, Sej had not requested me to show it to her - she didn't even know I was meeting MD. Sometimes you do things your heart says in that real time- this was one of those!  After this, I gave her few autograph sheets, which she happily signed, without a grudge. While she signed those, I was still talking to her.

"Priscilla? OMG that baby - for her too you want an autograph?"
"Yes ma'am..She is Sej's daughter. Remember Sej Shah, from London"
"Okk I'll write it for Sej's Priscilla then!"

One of my best Madhurian friends - Maddy Smita had missed quite a few chances of meeting MD recently. I had a separate page for MD's autograph to her too.  Not that Smita has never met MD, but , trust me, I totally understand her disappointment whenever she misses an opportunity of meeting her -  because I myself go through the same always. Madhuri smiled as I told her about Smita and she exclaimed Smita to the same and not be disappointed!  Such is her down-to-earth nature. She could've easily questioned me saying - Smita has met me soo many times! Why an autograph for her?  - But what she did was the sweetest gesture. She involuntarily signed for Smita in the booklet. However, later, when she signed the last autograph, she exclaimed "Don't you want a sign for Smita?". I was taken aback for a moment. Maybe it had skipped her mind that she already gave an autograph for her. I replied saying "Neki aur pooch pooch! ...like you say in Aaja Nachle!"- She doesnt' forget fans and this is an evident proof to it.

She signed an autograph not just for my office  team- i.e. Furtados family, but also my colleague Nitish, who keeps troubling me all day at work with weird antics and funny things about MDN, though all in good humour. He was pleasantly surprised while I presented him the autograph- I am not sure if he would ever be a Madhuri fan as he belongs to an age group and era different from mine and it would be difficult for him to connect with her legendary status.However, maybe one day he will understand the greatness inherited in that autograph and remember that he knew someone who was a huge Madhuri Dixit fan.

I told her about how I went for Bucket List with office colleagues and everyone enjoyed the film, which she was delighted to hear. I also mentioned to her about the excitement with which I received calls from so many colleagues when Dr Nene and her kids visited one of our stores to purchase a piano.She exclaimed "Yes, we have recently bought the piano. Kids play it!"

Flipping to the next page while signing, she exclaimed "ME! - Ohh for YOU!"
I replied saying "Yes ma'am...See I trouble you soo much! Inspite of meeting you so many times, I want one more autograph! So selfish and unsatisfied I am!". & she teased me, looking at her manager, and saying "Dekho..Yahaan fans hi selfish hain...& people blame us celebrities!". Those words and that smile while she gave those bunch of autographs still make me feel on the top of this world!
I smiled off, almost going to leave the room, when I realised my mobile's wallpaper- Her picture with a cute pup "Bunny". I showed that to her asking "Ma'am, was this also a part of Bucket List? It wasn't in the film". She excitedly said "No! This was the owner of the bungalow's pet dog, with whom we played a lot  on the sets! It was super fun." . I replied saying, "By now you must have realised, your fans notice everything that becomes public about you!" , to which she responded "Yes I do!"

The faces on the bouquet I gifted had now lost their impact- Because none of those printed smiles matched the level of the smile I saw on her face, while I stood right opposite her! Seeing her smile in a picture is different from watching her smile in front of you. Only someone who has experienced meeting her would understand this.
Leaving that grace and smile intact, which I could stare at for hours and hours, I finally had to bid adieu since everyone was waiting for her to join the shoot inside.Catching that last glimpse of hers, while she continued doing her final touch-up, I left the van, with a smile, lots of positivity and contentment.

I feel everything happens for a reason in life. There ought to be a reason why my life has revolved over and over again around Madhuri Dixit. Being at a stage in life where I am perpetually a loner, with minimal friends, a monotonous routine and a slow-paced unexciting outlook, I find my contentment being a Madhuri fan. Every time I have seen Bucket List in theatre, there is a sheer sense of satisfaction and happiness I experience. This is something only a Madhuri fan, or a true fan of any star, would understand and connect with. Not an obsession, but an absolute epitome of the much required positivity I crave for, is something I realise only watching her - be it in a movie, or be it on a TV show. Yes, I have been part of her fan-club for the longest period now. It has been quite a journey of sorts - From Orkut, to Facebook, to Twitter, but frankly, not much as a fan in me has changed. Even today, I get equally a excited as I used to be years ago with her songs playing on TV, or with a new movie of hers releasing. It's never been that this fanatism has let me compromise on my priorities though. For me, my family is the most important aspect of life. Among the other luxuries and challenges, my needs and aspirations too have been limited.

When I ask myself, if I am happy with the way life is treating me, the only answer I get is - To hell with all those tough times at home that you faced, those tough friendships and relations to maintain, the absolute unworthy remarks you heard from people at work about your simplicity and nature which has always been taken for granted, or anything that makes you feel miserable! - The person you admired you the most since your childhood, knows you as a fan today! Is that less of an achievement? Apart from my family, the only 3 people I am currently close to, and interact with daily, are my online friends are also Madhuri fans!!  I feel these are signs that define my life's purpose- which is being happy with whatever I do.  She truly has been and will remain to be THE ONLY CONSTANT in my life!

I have had 15 unforgettable meetings with the star I love the most, I am sure jolting down these experiences in a book would be an adventurous task - Maybe in a year or two from now, I plan to publish a book with this regards. It may need immense efforts and hardwork from my side but I am really hoping this happens.