Bollywood's dhak-dhak girl broke many hearts when news of her wedding surfaced. She tied the knot with Dr Shriram Nene, a cardiovascular surgeon, in a private ceremony in Los Angeles, California, on October 17, 1999.

In picture: Madhuri Dixit with her doctor husband Shriram Nene at their wedding reception on December 18, 1999, with select guest from the city's glitterati in attendance in Bombay.

At the peak of her career, Madhuri Dixit Nene perhaps set her priorities straight, and hence, distanced herself Bollywood. "I wanted to enjoy new phases of my life. I wanted to have kids, and apart from work, I have had other dreams for myself which I wanted to fulfil," said Madhuri in an interview with mid-day.

In picture: Madhuri Dixit and her husband Dr Shriram Nene talk to painter M.F Husain during the painting exhibition "Chandramukhi" in Mumbai, July 12, 2002. The series of painting was inspired by the character played by Dixit in India's most expensive movie (then) Devdas.

Dr Nene was of Madhuri's brother, Ajit Dixit's close friend. On her brother's request, Madhuri decided to meet Shriram. Interestingly, Shriram wasn't aware of Madhuri's stardom in India. He didn't know that she was an actress. Perhaps, that fascinated Mada even more. After three months of courtship, the two decided to get married. And now, they are soulmates, forever!

Madhuri Dixit became a mommy in 2003 when she gave birth to Arin and then, Ryan in 2005. Arin means 'the sun's first ray of light' and Ryan, in Sanskrit, the name means 'little prince'.

Having started her career in Bollywood with film Abodh in 1984, Madhuri Dixit owns a huge body of work despite her sporadic appearances on-screen post-2000. Not only films, but she has also featured in several reality TV shows as a judge. She was a part of shows like Dance Deewane and Jhalak Dikhhla Ja, owing to her flawless dancing skills.

Madhuri Dixit Nene took a break from movies to devote time to her personal life. And that was a conscious decision.

Madhuri Dixit was quoted saying in an interview with mid-day, "I have been asked about my comeback so many times... I didn't work for years and there was one mandatory comeback question always asked to me. I don't know what to say about it, but I hope this thing will change in future and there will be no more 'comeback' questions being imposed on working women."

In picture: Madhuri shared this picture with her sons' childhood picture and wrote, "Just saw this old picture while scrolling through my phone gallery and it brought a smile on my face! Can't put in words how much I love celebrating festivals with my kids and family. Wishing you all a Happy Makar Sankranti. Have a great time with your loved ones and may you all stay blessed, forever!"

Be it during the time of her marriage with Shriram Madhav Nene in 1999 or after the birth of her sons Arin (2003) and Raayan (2005), Madhuri has taken breaks from work-life. She took a break of five years after starring in 2002's Devdas. In 2007, she came back on-screen with Aaja Nachle and then was away from films for seven years before featuring in Gulaab Gang in 2014.

In picture: An adorable picture of Madhuri Dixit with her son enjoying on a parachute. Mads captioned this picture, "If happiness is a goal, then adventures should be a priority."

Taking a break was very much a conscious decision for her. "It was not that I took a complete break from the industry or was not associated with the industry... I was just not doing films for some time. I was not really away from the industry for a long time. People just have a perception that I took a long break," said the actress.

In picture: Madhuri Dixit and Shriram Nene were served Pani Puri by host Kapil Sharma, during a popular awards night.

Further adding, she said, "I love my sons and I wanted to spend good quality time with them during their initial years. So after giving birth to my sons, I didn't do films. I used to miss my art (acting) sometimes, but my kids were so small at that time, that I was kept very busy with them and I did not have much time to do anything else."

However, after the kids grew up a little, the Nenes, finally, decided to relocate to Mumbai in 2011 from the US. Ever since Madhuri Dixit took the decision to return to India bag and baggage, her husband Dr Shriram Nene firmly stood by her side. Quite literally, too. The big shift across continents had uprooted her US-bred husband and children.

The couple truly set examples for many! While she stayed away from Bollywood, to look after her family for almost a decade, her husband, a cardiothoracic surgeon from the hospital Rocky Mountain in Denver, too had no qualms in giving up his medical practice of years and moving to India.

Dr Nene, however, refrained from taking up a job in Mumbai. While it set off several tongues tattling about his 'unemployed' status, a supportive wife, that she is maintained that her husband helps her manage her work. And he indeed used to and still does. They are truly setting couple goals, aren't they?

She rules the hearts of millions, but when it comes to Madhuri Dixit Nene's kitchen, it is her husband who's the king. "My husband (Dr Shriram Nene) and I are complete foodies. I love all kinds of food, but being a Maharashtrian, I love kande pohe (onion poha) the best. Shriram loves Punjabi food. His favourite is chicken tikka made by me," she said.

When asked who is the cook in the house, Madhuri Dixit said, "Shriram is a fantastic cook and that was one of the reasons why I married him. They say that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, but in my case, it's been the opposite."

Talking about one of her kitchen bloopers, she said, "Once I made prawn curry. But I cooked the prawns like any other vegetable, ignorant that prawns shouldn't be cooked after a certain point. When I served it, Sriram complimented me. But it was only after I tried it that I realised I'd messed up." 

Madhuri Dixit, who made her acting debut in 1984 with Abodh has remained a prominent part of the entertainment industry for over three decades now. She is a perfect example of "working mothers". Madhuri successfully managed both a career in Bollywood and parenthood providing a role model for her kids and also to her fans!

Here's wishing a very happy birthday to Madhuri Dixit!