Madhuri Dixit's son talks about privileged upbringing, his dad asks him not to be embarrassed about it

Madhuri Dixit got married to Shriram, a doctor, in 1999. Taking a break from acting work, Madhuri relocated to the US and lived there for over a decade.

Actor Madhuri Dixit recently joined her husband, Dr Sriram Nene along with her kids, on his podcast to discuss parenthood. During the chat, Madhuri’s son Ryan candidly acknowledged the privileges that come with being born into a celebrity family, describing it as an "understatement".

Madhuri got married to Shriram, a doctor, in 1999. They share two sons together.

Madhuri Dixit's son talks about privilege

Madhuri joined her husband, Dr Sriram Nene, on his podcast to discuss parenthood, the immigrant experience and more. The couple’s two sons, Arin and Ryan, were also a part of the discussion, as were Sriram’s parents. They opened up about living on three continents and how they had to adapt to the challenges that life threw at them.

During the conversation, Sriram shared that both of his sons have had ‘some luxuries’ compared to his and his parents’ generations. To which Ryan replied that ‘some’ is an ‘understatement’. Here, Sriram responded, “That is okay; you should never be afraid of accepting who you are. You should not be entitled and say that it’s just for you, it’s for everyone and you should be giving back to humanity. You can’t make any excuses because there is no choice you have in the matter of where you are born."

Sriram and his family discuss staying abroad and in India

The family discussed the difference between living abroad and in India, and Sriram highlighted how much the country has evolved. He asked his parents if they think that the US is better, and his mother said, “I like being here but I also miss my home.”

During the conversation, Sriram’s family reflected on the contrasts between living in India and abroad. He pointed out the progress India has made over the years. Curious about his parents' perspectives, he asked if they believed the US was better. His mother shared, “I appreciate the comforts here, but I also deeply miss my homeland”. Sriram’s parents moved abroad in the 1970s. His mother admitted that India has ‘changed drastically’ since then.

He added that “opportunity is there, hope is there. Before, we had to outsource most of our stuff from the outside, but now there are people building in India and for India”.

The doctor shared that each generation has its own challenges, saying, “I was first a UK citizen, and I travelled to the USA by boat and became a citizen there. You guys (Arin and Ryan) had to deal with reverse migration when you came back to India."

In an earlier episode of the podcast, Ryan had addressed his privileges, to which his dad had replied that they were given as normal an upbringing as possible. In that episode, Sriram shared that in spite of the family background, the kids are grounded. They have never raised them with a spoon in their mouth.

Ryan said, “We grew up in a very different environment to a lot of people that I’ve met. Definitely, we’ve had a much easier time than the average person. Whether or not we’re grounded people, I would never say it myself. I would just hope that people perceive me that way, or rather, I end up behaving that way.”

More about the couple

Madhuri got married to Shriram, a doctor, in 1999. Taking a break from acting work, Madhuri relocated to the US and lived there for over a decade. The couple's first son Arin was born in 2003, and their second child Ryan was born in 2005. She returned to work with Aaja Nachle in 2007.

The actor was recently seen in the film Maja Ma in 2022 with Gajraj Rao, Ritwik Bhowmik and Barkha Singh, Kalank and The Fame Game. She was last seen in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3. The Anees Bazmee directorial also features Kartik Aaryan, Vidya Balan and Triptii Dimri. The film was released on November 1 last year, clashing with Ajay Devgn’s Singham Again. It did decent business at the box office, with the worldwide collection standing at over ₹300 crore.