Madhoobala Raghunath Malini, popularly known as Madhoo who became dear to the audience and a household name with 1992 film Roja. Her portrayal of a simple village girl won hearts across India and beyond. Now, over three decades later Madhoo’s journey continues – not as the innocent girl from Roja but as a fierce woman doing action sequences that too at 56 in the upcoming multi-language film Kannappa. Speaking exclusively with senior journalist Bharathi S Pradhan on Lehren Retro, Madhoo opened up about her professional highs, personal moments and everything in between.
Madhoo’s Early Rejections, First Break & Rise to Fame
Madhoo always wanted to become an actress, even dreaming about it at the age of five. However, her journey wasn’t smooth. She shared that her first role, despite after pre-production work she was taken away from her by filmmaker saying that she was “unprepared”. But the same industry that once replaced her soon signed her for Phool Aur Kaante (1991) opposite Ajay Devgn and the film became a superhit. And she later gained nationwide recognition through Mani Ratnam’s Roja, which was dubbed in multiple languages and is still remembered as a classic.
On Co-stars & Family
In the interview, Madhoo recalled her first impressions of Ajay Devgn and also talked about her evergreen on-screen pairing with Arvind Swamy. She shared how life came full circle when she played his wife in Thalaivii (2021) nearly 30 years after Roja. And adding on, Madhoo’s Bollywood connections are quite interesting – while dreamgirl Hema Malini is her cousin and Juhi Chawla is her sister-in-law.
Further opening up on her love life, Madhoo has been happily married to Anand Shah for over 25 years and is a mother of two daughters – one is soon to be married, while the other is aspiring to become an actress.
Madhoo’s story from being rejected early on to making a big comeback, is both inspiring and heartwarming. Watch the full interview on Lehren Retro to hear Madhoo speak about her journey in her own words.
