Shagufta Ali reflects on receiving r₹r5 lakh from Madhuri Dixit on Dance Deewane: 'It was shocking, touching'

Ailing actor Shagufta Ali has opened up about the noble gesture that Madhuri Dixit and the team of Dance Deewane extended towards her, after she spoke about her illness and the subsequent financial turmoil it had fuelled. Madhuri Dixit presented Shagufta with a cheque of ₹5 lakh in a recent episode of the reality show.

In an interview, Shagufta Ali said that she was touched by the outpouring of support that she has received since coming out about her troubles.

"I was invited by Colors to come on the stage and talk about my life and issues I was facing," she told indianexpress.com. "Firstly, I am a huge fan of the talent on the show and was so excited to meet all of them. To be back in front of the camera was another temptation, and then I thought maybe I would be able to reach more people if I share my ordeal on the platform. It was so shocking for me when I was given the cheque. I couldn’t find words to even react."

She continued, “It was so touching when Madhuri Dixit remembered details of her project together, years back. I went on the show on a whim, little did I know that they would honour me and give me so much love. Everyone was so sweet to me that I was overwhelmed."

Last week, Shagufta said in an interview with a leading daily that she had to sell off her valuables to make ends meet. She is best known for having appeared in the TV show Saans. "I started facing issues in the last 4 years as work reduced. There was less work, so somehow I tried to manage things on my own by selling off my car and jewellery. I somehow managed to handle things in the first 2/3 years but now in the last 1 year things have been very difficult as I have exhausted all my savings," she had said.

It has since been revealed that her Saans co-star Neena Gupta, filmmaker Rohit Shetty, and actor Johny Lever have provided her with financial aid.