Happy birthday, Madhuri

Madhuri Dixit turns 42 today, May 15.

And as we all wish the great actress a very Happy Birthday, here's a look at different sides of Madhuri.

Madhuri, the Girl

A Mumbai girl, Mads was born Madhuri Shankar Dixit in a Marathi Brahman family on May 15, 1967.

Her parents, Shankar and Snehlata Dixit, sent her to Mumbai's Divine Child High School and Mumbai University.

The actress was convinced she wanted to be a microbiologist. But fate had other plans for Madhuri, and was working silently in the background while she learnt Kathak for eight years.

Madhuri made her debut as an actress with Abodh, when she was 17. And there was no looking back.

Her blockbuster breakthrough happened four years into her career, with N Chandra's Tezaab. The film earned her massive accolades and her first Filmfare nomination, but also set her up as one of the most screen-dominating actresses of the era. Then came hits like Ram Lakhan, Tridev and Parinda.

Madhuri earned her first Filmfare award for Dil, after which started another string of hits which included Beta, Khalnayak and Saajan. She was one of the biggest stars in the history of Indian cinema, and the only actress who could bring audiences in regardless of the hero -- and her biggest film was still around the corner.

1994's Hum Aapke Hain Koun is one of the biggest Hindi films of all time, and Madhuri Dixit got larger than life with that one.

Not just is Madhuri an accomplished Kathak dancer, but her longtime collaboration with veteran choreographer Saroj Khan made sure she could do her Bollywood thumkas better than any other naach-girl around.

Right from the sexy Dhak dhak to the raunchy Choli Ke Peechhe, from the spunky effervescence of Dil Toh Pagal Hai to modern jazz-style dancing in Pukar, Madhuri's been the industry's primo dancer.

And that Hum Ko Aaj Kal Hai song from Sailaab remains absolutely impossible to forget, as do most of her others.

While at the height of her fame, right before that sensational Kay Sera Sera song from Pukar and after successes like Dil Toh Pagal Hai, Madhuri suddenly bid the arclights goodbye in 1999 to get married and settle down. It was the sort of news that broke the nation's heart.

Married to US-based doctor Sriram Madhav Nene, she and her family now live in Denver, Colorado. Madhuri and Sriram have two sons, Arin and Raayan.

In an industry rampant with affairs and breaking marriages, Madhuri's seems to be the most balanced life.

Yet the country had been clamouring for a comeback. Madhuri stuck around right after her marriage and made movies like Pukar -- for which co-star Anil Kapoor nabbed a National Award -- and Gajagamini, which was MF Hussain's tribute to Madhuri as an actress and a woman. It was a role no other actress could have done, truly.

Then came films like Lajja and finally 2002's Devdas, where she took Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film to a whole different level with her work as Chandramukhi, the courtesan.

A couple of years back, Madhuri returned to the arclights with Yash Raj Films' Aaja Nachle. The film might not have worked but we all sure loved seeing Mads on screen again -- and we hope she'll be back again soon.