Madhoo – Famous Indian Film Actress of ‘Roja’ fame

Madhoo, previously known as Madhubala is a very popular actress of both south Indian films and Bollywood. She played many memorable roles in the 1990s, and currently plays supporting roles, mostly as heroine’s young mother. As an actress she shot to instant fame with Mani Ratnam’s Tamil hit Roja (1992), which was dubbed into Hindi and other south Indian languages. This role made her popular in Bollywood too. Her debut film – Phool Aur Kanta (1991) in Hindi, Yodha (1992) in Malayalam, Gentleman (1993) in Tamil and Allari Priyudu (1993) in Telugu are her most memorable films in a lead role.

She is the niece of Hema Malini

She was born as Madhubala in Tamil Nadu in year 1969. She has been credited as both Madhubala and Madhoo in movies. Her education was done at Mumbai. She is now married to business tycoon Anand Shah since 1999, and hence her name is also credited as Madhoo Shah. Her father Raghunath is the sibling of famous Bollywood actress Hema Malini. Thus she is related to Deol family. She lost her mother at the age of 14. Inspired by her aunt Hema Malini, she too started dreaming to become an actress.

The first ever heroine of Ajay Devgan

The first movie she signed was Phool Aur Kaante (1991). The movie also marked the debut of Bollywood star Ajay Devgan. After the success of this action film, Madhoo signed many projects in Hindi, which include a few multi-starrer movies too. K. Balachander’ s Tamil movie, Azhagan (1991) was her first theatre release, where she appeared in a supporting role. Thus Phool Aur Kaante is her first lead role.

After her debut flicks in Bollywood and Tamil, she had a series of releases in Malayalam

In 1991, she also marked her Malayalam debut. Ottayal Pattalam opposite Mukesh was her first film in Malayalam, followed by Neelagiri opposite Mammootty the same year. The much anticipated project Neelagiri was a box office failure. The following year she worked in two Malayalam movies – Ennodu Ishtam Koodamo opposite Mukesh and Yodha opposite Mohanlal. Her role as Mohanlal’s cousin and fiancée Ashwathy in Yodha was widely appreciated. The film directed by Sangeeth Sivan was a blockbuster, and earned fame to Madhoo as a newcomer.

However after the success of Roja released in Tamil, she turned busy in Kollywood and never worked in Malayalam films in a lead. It’s only in 2014 after a hiatus which she worked in Malayalam. It was through a Malayalam/Tamil bilingual – Samsaaram Aarogyathinu Haanikaram/ Vaayai Moodi Pesavum, where she played Nazriya Nazim’s mother. Though she looks young and charming on screen she accepted only mother’s role after that, mostly playing heroine’s mother.

Her roles in Roja and Gentleman made her a promising young actress in the first half of 1990s

She stuck gold with her titular role in Tamil flick Roja opposite Aravind Swamy and parallel lead role in Telugu romantic film Allari Priyudu in the year 1992. She shot to fame with her powerful role in Roja and earned more projects from different languages. She was paired with Arjun for 1993 Tamil blockbuster Gentleman. However though she stayed in the film industry throughout the decade, she failed to get similar kind of roles. Most of her films flopped one after another, and she got married and said goodbye to film industry in year 1999. She returned to films after a hiatus of nearly 15 years. Prior to her active entry in 2013, she played brief roles in a couple of movies in Bollywood – Tell Me O Kkhuda and Love U…Mr. Kalakaar!, both released in 2011. She also appeared in a less-known Hindi film, Kabhi Socha Bhi Na Tha in 2008.

Since then appears in south Indian and Bollywood films and Hindi short films in supporting roles. Elaan, Diljale, Hum Hain Bemisaal, Mere Sapno Ki Rani, Return of Jewel Thief, Hathkadi, Chehra, Udaan, Pehchaan etc are some of her Bollywood works in the 1990s, where she played female/parallel lead. She frequently worked with Ajay Devgan, Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan and Suniel Shetty in the 1990s. She anchors the film music based show Rangoli on Doordarshan since August 2019.

Madhoo – Some interesting and less-known facts

1. Only a very few people know that her original name is Madhubala, her birth name. When she is addressed as Madhoo, it avoids confusions with the name of iconic Bollywood actress and diva, Madhubala.  

2. Bollywood actress Hema Malini is her paternal aunt. Thus Dharmendra is her uncle, and Esha Deol is her first cousin. Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol and Abhay Deol are also her cousins (linked to Dharmendra).

3. Some of her early releases had A. R. Rahman as the music composer. Interestingly Madhoo played female lead in the debut work of Rahman as a composer, Roja, which bagged him National award, and also his second project, Yodha in Malayalam (Rahman’s single work in Malayalam cinema). She also played female lead in fourth ever project of Rahman, Gentleman, which established him as a leading composer in South Indian cinema. It was the third Tamil project of Rahman. Rahman also composed music for Mr. Romeo.

4. She worked with Ajay Devgan in two movies – Phool Aur Kante and Diljale, and both the movies were commercial hits. However she couldn’t repeat success with other Bollywood actors.

5. She played lead role in Hindi short films – Pocket Mummy and Sab Theek Hain.

6. She is related to Juhi Chawla. Her husband and Juhi’s husband Jay Mehta are cousin brothers.

7. She has worked as a child artist in a very few south Indian films, and has been credited as Baby Madhu Malini.

8. She has been trained in Bharatnatyam by her mother during her childhood days. She lost her mother in the early teens at the age of 13.

9. Once her husband huge financial losses and Madhoo sold off her family home to repay the investors 100 crores. 

10. After her return to films, she acted in a Hindi historical series, Aaramb. However the show was called off.

Some of the best film songs filmed on Madhoo

1. Kathal Rojaave/Roja Jaaneman from Roja (Tamil/Hindi)

2. Chinna Chinna Aasai/Dil Hai Chota Sa from Roja (Tamil/Hindi)

3. Rukumani Rukumani from Roja (Tamil/Hindi)

4. Puthu Vellai Mazhai/Yeh Khula Waadiyan from Roja (Tamil/Hindi)

5. En Veettu Thottathil from Gentleman (Tamil)

6. Ottakathe Kattikko from Gentleman (Tamil)

7. Usilaam Petti Penkutty from Gentleman (Tamil)

8. Thaneerai Kaadhalikum from Romeo (Tamil)

9. Meine Pyar Tumhe Se from Phool Aur Kanta (Hindi)

10. Tumse Milne Ko Dil Karta Hai from Phool Aur Kaante (Hindi)

11. Dheere Dheere Pyar Ko Badhana Hai from Phool Aur Kaante (Hindi)

12. Shaam Hai Dhuaan Dhuaan from Diljale (Hindi)

13. Hat Se Zyada Ati Hai from Chehra (Hindi)

14. Chehra Haseen Hai from Return of Jewel Thief (Hindi)

15. Nainon Ko Batein from Elaan (Hindi)

16. Tujhse Kya Chori Hai Teri Aankhon Ki Masti from Hum Hain Bemisal (Hindi)

17. Kunu Kune from Yoddha (Malayalam)

18. Mayamanchalil Ithu from Ottayal Pattalam (Malayalam)

19. Kili Padumetho/Karuka Yaamam from Nilgiri (Malayalam)

20. Thumpi Nin Mohan from Nilgiri (Malayalam)