Madhuri Dixit, who ruled the hearts of the audience in 80s and 90s, says when she started her career, people tried to pull her down by saying she won't be able to make her place in Bollywood. "Being a woman you always go through something or the other. When I made my debut in Bollywood, many people told me I can't do, it's not a good place, I can't make my position in this industry. But that time I had faith in myself and worked and proved everyone what can I do," Madhuri said at an event yesterday. "When you push yourself you rise up to the challenge and you realise your strength. When adversity comes that's when one stands for themselves," she added. Madhuri made her acting debut with Abodh in 1984 but the film failed at the box office. Her next release Awara Baap (1985) also turned out to be failure. In 1986 Madhuri starred in Swati and Manav Hatyaboth the films being declared as flops. She had three releases in 1987 Mohre, Hifazat and Uttar Dakshin, which also did not do well.

After a series of consecutive flops, she finally attained stardom with Tezaab in 1988. The film went on to become that year's highest grossing movie. Thereafter she delivered hit films one after the other, including Ram Lakhan, Prem Pratigyaa, Tridev, Parinda, Dil, Saajan, Beta, Mrityudand, Dil Toh Pagal Hai and others. After her marriage in 1999 to Shriram Nene, a US-based surgeon, she did Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Devdas in 2002. She then took a break and staged a comeback with Aditya Chopra's home production Aaja Nachle in 2007. Despite missing from the silver screen, the 46-year-old film star was very much present on small screen. She appeared as one of the judges in TV dance reality show, Jhalak Dikhla Jaa in season four, five and now six.