Madhuri Dixit reflects on how Bollywood has changed over the years, says it's much more organised now

Madhuri Dixit has been a stalwart in Bollywood for more than three decades. The actress has seen the industry go through some notable changes indeed. She recently opened up about the developments she has witnessed in Bollywood over the course of her career.

In conversation with Hindustan Times, the actress recalled how ‘disorganised’ the industry had been when she started out. Films used to take a long time to be wrapped up, some even stretching upto seven years, she said. Talking about the lack of planning that was common at the time, Dixit spoke of how the actors were not even aware of their dialogues or when filming would start. The actors were just aware of the story and the rest of it was all very chaotic.

The actress compared it with the present scenario, where the cast and crew had much more clarity on the project’s budget and timeline. The preparation, including getting the script and costumes ready, would be done beforehand so that the actors could start work smoothly. Actors today also had the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in the roles they did. Dixit recalled how actors used to juggle multiple projects years ago, having to take up double or triple shifts in a day to keep up. When it came to outdoor shoots, the actress said that there had been several instances where there wasn't even a proper means of transportation for them either.

Another stark difference Dixit noticed was the number of women behind the camera in films today. The actress recalled how the only women on sets years ago had been her co-stars and hairdressers. But nowadays, she could see women in different departments including as camerapersons and DOPs as well. “Women are everywhere, which is amazing, to see writers, directors doing such brilliant work,” she said.