Bollywood icon Madhuri Dixit has opened up about one of the most talked-about decisions of her life—leaving a soaring career in the 1990s to marry US-based cardiologist Dr Shriram Nene in 1999 and relocate to Denver, only to return to India a decade later. Speaking candidly on Ranveer Allahbadia’s podcast, the 58-year-old actress described her American chapter as “peaceful and amazing”, where she cherished raising her two sons, Arin and Ryan, away from the spotlight. Yet she revealed that the move back in 2011 was driven by a confluence of personal and professional reasons that felt like “a calling”.

Madhuri explained that her ageing parents, who had lived with her in the US along with her siblings and in-laws, wanted to return to India. “All my life and career, they were with me, and I didn’t want to leave them alone,” she said. Simultaneously, her film offers kept pulling her back to Mumbai for shoots, making the transcontinental commute exhausting. For Dr Nene, the trigger was professional: having treated many late-stage cardiac patients of Indian origin in the US, he wanted to build preventive healthcare and wellness systems in India to catch problems early. “Everything was falling into place,” Madhuri recalled, adding that both felt the timing was divinely aligned.

The actress, who ruled the box office with blockbusters like Dil, Hum Aapke Hain Koun...!, and Dil To Pagal Hai, stunned the industry when she chose marriage over stardom at her peak. She told Allahbadia that the decision never scared her. “The paraphernalia was not very important to me. I loved acting and dancing, but being considered a star was just a bonus. I never saw myself that way,” she said, emphasising that moving to the US allowed her to live her real dream—building a home, husband, and family. “When people ask if I missed anything, I say no, because I was living my dream.”

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Madhuri and Dr Nene, married since October 1999, returned to Mumbai permanently in 2011. She made her cinematic comeback with Aaja Nachle (2007) while still based abroad, followed by major films like Devdas (2002), Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013), Total Dhamaal (2019), and the Netflix series The Fame Game (2022). Dr Nene embraced a new role as a YouTuber and wellness advocate, often appearing alongside his wife in dance reels that continue to charm millions.

Reflecting on the journey, Madhuri said the couple never regretted the decade away from the limelight, nor the eventual return. “Both of us thought moving back to India would be the best decision—and it was,” she concluded, proving that for the original Dhak-Dhak girl, timing, family, and instinct have always mattered more than fame.

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