Trying to elevate people during tough times: Madhuri Dixit Nene on debut song

Mumbai: Actor Madhuri Dixit Nene has added another feather to her cap when she recently made her singing debut with the track "Candle" and the Bollywood diva says she wants to make people feel better in the times of the coronavirus pandemic.

The actor-producer said the song is about hope and positivity.

"There are so many people who cannot afford to sit at home and are facing so many problems. When I look at them I feel my problems are nothing compared to what they are facing. I feel sad. I try to help as much as I can.

"As an entertainer, this is a way to help people. I do what I can in my universe. I can try to help them elevate (through the song). If as an artiste, I can make them feel better about life in general, I would love to do that," Madhuri told PTI in an interview.

Dance and music have always been an integral part of Madhuri's life, but the actor said she never got time to develop her singing skills due to her bustling career in the movies as well as her responsibilities towards her family.

"I started out very young in the film industry and then I became busy. When we worked, we would do two to three shifts a day. Acting and dancing became the focus and singing took a backseat at that time. I got married, had kids. I was busy with my life.

"When I got time for myself I thought maybe this is the time I can actually sing and do what I always wanted to do. I have had a liking for singing since childhood. It is just another way of expressing myself. I would love to sing more in the future," she added.

The 53-year-old actor also explained the idea behind the song's title.

"When the team was writing lyrics, the writer felt the candle is a beautiful metaphor for positivity, peace and hope. Today there everybody is facing uncertainty under the lockdown. The whole world has come down because of one virus.

"I thought this would be an appropriate song to give people hope. It is a problem and we shall come out of it stronger. Everybody feels this is never-ending, they are restless about how life is going to be after this. I would say take one day at a time," she added.

On the acting front, Madhuri is set to make her digital debut with drama-thriller series set at Netflix.

The show, backed by Karan Johar's Dharmatic Entertainment, had to recently stop shooting after the lockdown was announced.

"A lot of shoots have got affected. But we will start shooting once everything settles down and we formulate a system where we can shoot safely.

"I don't know what the sets are going to look like. It is all up in the air till we can figure out a system where we can work without creating trouble," the actor said.

The actor was last seen in Johar's 2019 production "Kalank".