The brief was simple and straightforward — “No film, career or personal questions please”. But when it’s Madhuri Dixit at the other end of the telephone line, you just listen — even if the stunner with the million-dollar smile is only willing to dole out skincare tips. Back in the country permanently from the US where she had been living for the last 12 years, the Dhak dhak girl has just been signed up as the face of the Olay Regenerist brand. t2 caught up with Madam M on her skin secrets…

How did the association with Olay Regenerist come about?

Well, Olay Regenerist was launched in the US a couple of years ago and I have been using it ever since. Olay has a lot of history… it’s been around for 100 years… I have even seen my grandmother use it! It is a brand that has a history of giving very good results. It’s been around for so long and there are certain standards that it adheres to. Olay Regenerist has won a lot of awards and been recommended by a number of fashion magazines abroad. It’s also been used by some of the most beautiful women in the world. And so, when they decided to launch it in India — and since I have used the product already and got very good results — they thought of me and I was only too glad to be associated with it.

What is your personal skincare regimen like?

The thing is that… most of us tend to forget that skin needs special care. People work out or go on diets to look after their bodies, but few remember that our skin, too, needs to be looked after constantly. You may have naturally good skin, but the sun’s UV (ultraviolet) rays can wreak havoc on your complexion. The dryness in the air makes the skin look dull. Then, the water you use may be high on iron and other chemicals and affect your skin adversely. So, it’s very important to look after the skin.

Good skin will also make you look good and give you a lot of confidence. So yes, looking after the skin well is a part of my daily regimen too. I keep it clean… I moisturise often… I use good products and I try and be happy because the state of your mind reflects on your skin.

But you haven’t always had good skin...

Oh no! I have had to work very, very hard on my skin. When I was a teenager — of course, everyone knows this — I had skin that was prone to breakouts and rashes and I have had to do all kinds of stuff to it! (Laughs.) But over the last couple of years, I have discovered what works for me and what doesn’t and now my skin is glowing!

Are there any skincare tips or memories from your childhood that you would like to share?

I think the most lingering skincare memory associated with my childhood would be the use of turmeric. I remember my mom used to make me and my sisters use turmeric for a lot of skin problems and it really worked wonders. Now of course, science has stepped in and you get a lot of things in a bottle, but turmeric is something that I still swear by. Even my grandmother used it and so did my mom and then it was passed on to us.

Any common skincare myth you would like to dispel?

A lot of people say ‘Drink lots of water and that will make your skin glow’. But too much of water is also not good for your body. Anything that is done for the body — more so for the skin — should be in moderation. Too much or too little of anything in life isn’t good.

Now that you have come back to India permanently from the US, are you apprehensive about the heat and other factors?

Well, I am glad that I chose this time to come back because the skincare products that I have been using there are all now available here! (Laughs.) Thank god for that! If you are talking about the Indian weather, it isn’t as much a problem for me as it was during my growing up years. I started working when I was 16 and there was so much make-up and lights and sweating and it really messed with my skin, which was anyway very vulnerable.

What kind of a diet do you follow for your skin?

Nothing too oily… nothing too sweet. I believe in eating proper, balanced meals at the right time. Home-cooked food works best for me. I also eat some of the fatty food ordered from outside sometimes, but then again in moderation.

What extra care do you take, being in your 40s now?

Moisturising is very important. As you grow older, your skin tends to get more and more dry. Your skin is exposed to so much nowadays… the pollution… the UV rays… that you have to take extra care all the time and make sure your skin bounces back from all the wear and tear it endures every day. By the time you hit 40, you should know what works for your skin and stick to that.

Any quick tips you would like to share with full-time mothers like yourself who are hard-pressed for time?

Well, just keep splashing water on your face and never forget the moisturiser. If you don’t have time to moisturise in the morning, do it in the afternoon when your kid goes to school. Having a good moisturising routine is half the battle won.

Whose skin would you kill for?

(Thinks hard.) A lot of people have very good skin, but I would have to say I really admire my mom’s (Snehlata) skin. Throughout my life, I have always had one question for her: ‘Why didn’t I get your skin?’.

MADHURI’S TOP LOOKS

TEZAAB

Her wardrobe in the rest of this N. Chandra film may not have been anything to talk about, but that pink sequinned bustier, multicoloured skirt and yellow bandana in the Ek do teen chartbuster remains an eternal favourite with the die-hard Bolly fan.

SAILAAB

The role of a doctor meant simple cotton saris and sensible blouses, but Madhuri ditched that in the Humko aajkal number in this forgettable 1990 film co-starring Aditya Pancholi.

Dressed in a cleavage-revealing yellow choli and navel-flaunting green sari with a nose ring to match, Madhuri the Maharashtrian mulgi sizzled. And how.

PARINDA

Playing a schoolteacher, Madhuri made simple look sexy in cotton churidars, almost no make-up and a ponytail. Go back to Tumse milke to know what we are talking about.

KHALNAYAK

Cop to village belle — Madhuri sported diverse looks in this Subhash Ghai film. But dare you forget her in that flaming red lehnga-choli ensemble in Choli ke peechey. Red hot!

MRITYUDAND

Madhuri turned out in cotton saris and big red bindis to slip into the role of a homemaker in rural Bihar in this Prakash Jha film. Simple and sublime.

HUM AAPKE HAIN KOUN!

Everyone wanted that purple and gold sari (with a back to match)! Madhuri’s lookbook in this Sooraj Barjatya blockbuster was aped by many a fashionista fan — the green and white lehnga-choli of Joote le lo... the orange churidar-kurta in Wah wah Ramji... the red dress in Mitwa....

DIL TOh PAGAL HAI

Fitted kurtis in single tones, minimal make-up and hair left loose defined Madhuri’s Pooja in this Yash Chopra love story. Stuff of dreams.

DEVDAS

Madhuri went 19th century glam to play a courtesan in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s adaptation of Devdas. Our favourite Mads look in Devdas? The laal paar sari in Dola re. The green anarkali in Maar daala comes a close second.