Madhuri Dixit calls serial-killer role in 'Mrs Deshpande' a challenge, says she is "breaking a mould"

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], December 1 (ANI): Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit is set to surprise her fans as she steps into one of the most challenging roles of her career, a calm yet chilling serial killer, in her upcoming series 'Ms Deshpande'.
Madhuri Dixit, who is known for her impressive acting and dancing skills in Hindi movies, will be making her return to OTT with a crime thriller series, 'Mrs Deshpande'.
In a conversation with ANI, Madhuri Dixit opened up about her role in the upcoming thriller series, saying that it might come as a major surprise for her fans, as she calls it one of the most multi-layered characters she has portrayed to date.
When asked about the characters she has never portrayed on screen, Madhuri Dixit said, "I feel to a large extent, Mrs Deshpande is going to do that because they have not seen me like that ever on screen. In it, she's a multi-layered kind of person."
With her role as a serial killer in the series, Madhuri feels she is breaking the usual "mould" of female characters in Indian entertainment.
"It is a challenge. You're breaking a mould because I don't think we've had a movie or a series done on a woman serial killer yet. I don't think so, at least and the way it has been portrayed, Nagesh Kukunoor has done a fabulous job," said Madhuri Dixit.
What gave her the confidence to take the plunge was director Nagesh Kukunoor and the team backing the project.
"Because he was at the helm and Applause was producing it, I agreed to do it. The script has to be in the right hands to portray a character like this. Since it's a very different thing people might feel, oh, what is this, you know, kind of a thing. But, I think we have tried to be very true to the character and portray her in the most natural, real, kind of way," Madhuri explains.
For the actress, the toughest challenge was shedding every trace of her iconic persona, which she had built over the years in the Bollywood industry.
"It was challenging because you cannot be Madhuri Dixit anywhere. It has to be something very new. It has to be very nuanced. The character is that way. He (Nagesh Kukunoor) didn't want it to be over the top, you know, gesture-y kind of a character. It has to be very calm, very cool. Just a face telling you stuff and making you, making people uncomfortable who are sitting in front of them," said Madhuri Dixit.
The 'Devdas' actress further remembered Kukunoor's regular cue on set became a guiding mantra on the sets during the shooting.
"I think Nagesh always had this line saying that, Let's do a take where there's a little less 'MD and more Mrs D'. I think we have all worked really hard on it. Let's see how people react to it," Madhuri added.
The makers released the teaser for 'Mrs Deshpande' in November. The 30-second teaser offered a disturbing yet gripping glimpse into the world of Mrs Deshpande (Madhuri Dixit), who is shown quietly cutting vegetables and humming a song.
However, things take a mysterious turn when Mrs Deshpande brings out a menacing smile after hearing a radio bulletin about a serial killer on the loose.
Besides Madhuri Dixit in the lead, 'Mrs Deshpande' will also star Siddharth Chandekar and Priyanshu Chatterjee in key roles. The series is adapted from the original French thriller La Mante, produced by Jean Nainchric.
The series is set to stream on Jio Hotstar from December 19, 2025. (ANI)