Madhuri Dixit Addresses Claims She Was 4 Months Pregnant During Dola Re Dola Shoot: 'Arin Was Born In 2003, Do The Math'

A recent rumour surrounding actress Madhuri Dixit Nene's iconic Dola Re Dola performance in Devdas sparked considerable debate online. The speculation began after Rubina Khan, a former associate of legendary choreographer Saroj Khan, suggested that the actress was four months pregnant while filming the song. Madhuri has now responded to the claim and firmly set the record straight.

Speaking to SCREEN, the actress laughed off the claim and pointed to a simple timeline that contradicts the speculation. "Arin is born in 2003. So, you do the math."

Madhuri's elder son, Arin Nene, was born on March 17, 2003. However, Devdas had already released in theatres on July 12, 2002, after premiering at the Cannes Film Festival in May that year, making the pregnancy claim impossible according to the timeline.

While denying the rumour, Madhuri acknowledged that filming the Sanjay Leela Bhansali directorial was physically demanding. At the time, she was balancing her personal life in the USA with her professional commitments in India after marrying Dr Shriram Nene in 1999.

Recalling the hectic schedule, she reportedly said, "I was under the weather because I was travelling a lot. I was going back and forth, shooting here and going back. And all my shoots were night shoots. So, for me, it was very grueling. I was a little under the weather, but nothing like that."

What Rubina Khan Had Claimed

Rubina Khan spoke about the making of Dola Re Dola during an appearance on the YouTube channel Bollywood Thikana. Recalling a particular dance sequence, she claimed, "There’s a step in which Madhuri ma’am turns and sits down. That shot kept happening from 9 am to 10 pm because she was four months pregnant. So, she couldn’t turn properly and was feeling dizzy."

Rubina also said, "She also had a fever at that time. She struggled a lot. She’d never ask for a step to be changed. Whatever Masterji (Saroj Khan) said was set in stone."

More than two decades after its release, Dola Re Dola remains one of Bollywood's most iconic dance numbers. Interestingly, the song was not part of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's original novel on which Devdas was based.

Director Sanjay Leela Bhansali introduced the sequence by bringing together Paro and Chandramukhi, characters who never meet in the novel, for a grand dance performance. The song was composed by Ismail Darbar, written by Nusrat Badr, and sung by Kavita Krishnamurthy, Shreya Ghoshal and KK.

Released in 2002, Devdas featured Shah Rukh Khan in the lead role, alongside Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as Paro and Madhuri as Chandramukhi. The film went on to become one of the most acclaimed adaptations of the classic novel.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Madhuri will next be seen in the film Maa Behen with Ravi Kishan, Triptii Dimri and Dharna.