Madhuri Dixit’s husband, Dr Sriram Nene, spoke about playing second fiddle to a celebrity such as her. He admitted that it sometimes bothers him, and that he would prefer being treated as an individual in his own right. He also spoke about his newfound celebrity status, and how disarmed he feels when asked for selfies. Dr Nene is a health influencer, having moved to India some years ago to support Madhuri’s comeback in the movies. He said that he would like to use his fame to do good, and that he firmly believes in ‘the power of one’.
In a panel discussion with Dr Deepak Chopra, which he posted on his YouTube channel, Dr Nene said, “I’m the accidental yankee in King Arthur’s court, and the incidental tourist, if you will. My wife’s the famous one, I’m just here for the ride. But, other than the imposter syndrome that all of us face on the spectrum, it’s the power of one to make a difference in the lives of many. Don’t ever underestimate how powerful each of you is.”
Reflecting on how drastically life has changed for him after marrying Madhuri and moving to India, he said, “The idea of using fame to other people’s benefit is what we were thinking about. I was at UCLA, I took care of a lot of celebrities. This was even before I was married. The only thing they wanted was anonymity. They only wanted to put their pants on one leg at a time, and not be addressed. Now I’m facing the opposite of that. Everyone wants a selfie with me. How do I deal with this? Honestly, I want to have a conversation with them, but it becomes challenging.”
In another video on his channel, in which he interacted with YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia and discussed the downsides of fame, he said, “Sometimes, it gets me down… The hardest part for me, and I’ll be honest, I’ve never confessed this… My wife and I are independent, living beings. And yet, sometimes, they just see me as her lesser half. I joke about that, because she’s certainly the better half, she’s the love of my life. Everyone I know should be given respect, top to bottom. There is no ‘sir’ in my house, in my office, or anywhere.”
Madhuri quit her acting career when it was at its peak to marry Dr Nene and move to the United States. She lived there for several years, and raised two sons, Arin and Ryan, before moving back to India in the mid-2000s.
