Madhuri wanted to become a micro-biologist - however that just wasn't destined to be. An offer from Rajshri Productions brought Madhuri her first role, the film `Abodh' (1986) released and forgotten, it wasn't until godfather Ghai saw Madhuri and gave her a tiny dance sequence in `Karma' (1986), that things improved. The dance sequence was omitted from the final cut. Ghai promised Madhuri better roles, on the condition that she stop doing tiny roles in insignificant films. Thus, Ghai gave Madhuri `Uttar Dakshin', and then a proper launch in `Ram Lakhan' (1988). Ghai also took the step of putting an eight page advertisement in the trade magazines featuring Madhuri, proclaiming that producers of the calibre of Boney Kapoor, Yash Chopra and six others had signed Madhuri for their forthcoming projects. It was all together another matter that none of the forementioned producers had signed Madhuri for their films.

Madhuri however, didn't have to wait for Ghai's `Ram Lakhan', N.Chandra's `Tezaab' and ek, do, teen char took the nation by storm, Miss Dixit had arrived, and the whole world knew. Tezaab went on to complete a golden jubilee, and was thus a bigger hit than Ram Lakhan.

A superb performance followed in Dil (1990) - which brought Madhuri her first Filmfare award, a rapport was struck with Indra Kumar which resulted in two more blockbusters Beta (1991) and Raja (1995). 1990 onwards, a hit film per year followed including Saajan, Khalnayak, Prem Pratigaya, cumulating in Hum Aapke Hain Koun (1994), hindi cinema's biggest blockbuster to date. Madhuri mania ensured the success of `Raja' (1995), a film with many flaws, thus Madhuri was renamed `the female Amitabh Bachchan'.