Madhuri Dixit made her acting debut in Abodh (1984). After a few minor and supporting roles, she landed the lead female role in Tezaab (1988), which shot her to stardom. She then went on to star in the hit films such as Ram Lakhan (1989), Parinda (1989), Tridev (1989), Kishen Kanhaiya (1990), Dil (1990), Saajan (1991), Beta (1992), Khalnayak (1993), Hum Aapke Hain Kaun! (1994), and Raja (1995).
After a year of little success, she appeared as Pooja in the Yash Chopra’s blockbuster Dil To Pagal Hai (1997), for which she won her fourth Filmfare Best Actress Award. In the same year, Dixit starred in Prakash Jha's critically acclaimed Mrityudand. The film straddled the boundary between an art and a commercial film. It won the Best Feature Film at the Cinéma Tout Ecran in Geneva, the Bangkok Film Festival and the Sansui Awards (Critics' Choice). Her performance in the film also landed her Best Actress awards at the Star Screen Awards and Sansui Awards.