Madhuri Dixit says her sons Arin and Ryan didn’t grow up watching her films, ‘They saw most of my work only after college’ |

Madhuri Dixit recently revealed that her sons, Arin and Ryan, did not grow up watching her films, despite her being one of Hindi cinema’s most celebrated stars. Ahead of the release of her new web series Mrs Deshpande, the actress shared how her children discovered her filmography much later in life.“It’s funny, but my kids, growing up, had not seen a lot of my films,” Madhuri told Hindustan Times, adding, “They have seen more films of mine after they went to college, and because of their Indian friends.”

‘Their classmates couldn’t believe it’

Recalling amusing reactions from her sons’ peers, Madhuri shared that their classmates often found it hard to believe that Arin and Ryan hadn’t watched her iconic movies. “They’d ask them if they had seen a particular movie of their mom, and they would say no. They’d be like: ‘What are you saying!’” she said with a laugh.The actor added that it was only after finishing school that her sons went back and watched many of her older films—mostly due to persistent nudging from their classmates.

Playing a likeable serial killer didn’t worry her

Madhuri’s comments come at a time when her choice of roles has taken a noticeably darker turn. In Mrs Deshpande, she plays a serial killer—arguably one of the greyest characters of her career. Addressing comparisons to Shah Rukh Khan, who once refused to play a tyrant fearing he might make the character too likeable, Madhuri said her approach was different.“For me, the focus was on making her relatable,” she explained. “Outside, she’s just a housewife. Yeah. She loves to cook, make her modaks. So, it’s not like the loud villainy. It’s like the very quiet silence. It’s inside the skin.”

Over the last decade, Madhuri Dixit’s filmography has seen a striking shift, with the actor embracing complex characters with shades of grey far removed from her earlier work. Mrs Deshpande marks yet another step in that direction, placing her at the centre of a psychologically intense narrative. Directed by Nagesh Kukunoor, Mrs Deshpande also stars Priyanshu Chatterjee and Siddharth Chandekar in pivotal roles. The series is currently streaming on JioHotstar.