Superstar Madhuri Dixit Nene says digital platforms have freed storytellers from the box office trap and made it possible for actors to embrace “bold” themes like her latest release ‘Maja Maa’.

In the film, the actor plays Pallavi Patel, a closeted homosexual on a quest to keep his perfect family together while maintaining his individuality. Madhuri made her OTT debut with the series “The Fame Game” earlier this year.

“Times were different in the 90s. With the advent of OTT, different stories can be told without having to think about the constraints of theatrical release. On OTT, stories can be told the way you want and you can do it your way. One can choose subjects of choice, the actor told PTI in an interview.

Madhuri said the makers are now telling stories for a global audience.

“On OTT, people watch movies and serials from all over the world with different themes and this has made it possible for people here to make such a bold film,” she added.

Directed by Anand Tiwari of  ‘’Bandish Bandit’-fame, the film also stars Gajraj Rao, Rithik Bhowmick, Rajit Kapoor, Simone Singh, Sheba Chadha and Nand Kamat.

Madhuri has been credited with ‘Dil’, ‘Khal Nayak’ and ‘Hum Aap Ke Hain Koon…!’ and is also known for critical hits ‘Mrityudand’, ‘Prahar’, ‘Laja’ and ‘Deedh Ishqiya’.

The 55-year-old actor said her star status never influenced her career choice.

“In my mind, I never saw myself as a superstar. Even when I was doing films like ‘Khal Nayak’, ‘Beta’, ‘Raja’, ‘Mritiyudand’,and ‘Prahar’. I belong to a certain genre as an actor. I look at the story we are going to tell through the film,” she said.

The film has received mixed reviews, but both the actor and the director are happy with the response. Anand said he was happy to see all the reactions, but, for him, the real success was that the film could start a conversation about the stigmatization of homosexuality.

He said that the audience they were addressing are those who will not sit together and watch this film together. Anand said members of the LGBTQIA+ community were involved in the project from the script stage.

“Also, there were people from the community who watched the film before the release, to ensure that we are doing it sensitively and in the right spirit,” he added.

“She is a mother, a loving wife, a part of the community and an important figure as she helps women organize garba. She plays all these roles but what comes out is her personality. A small part. We see these people every day. There was no stereotype or anything that we followed. We followed the story of this woman and her journey,” the director added.