Women are no more just eye candy, says Madhuri Dixit!

Bollywood diva Madhuri Dixit is set to make a comeback on the screen in a never-seen-before avatar in ready-to-release "Dedh Ishqiya", a hinterland based thriller-drama, and thanks Indian cinema for evolving and making way for strong female characters.

"The more depth in the character the more fun you get to perform," Madhuri told when asked how comfortable she was with the bold role in "Dedh Ishqiya", which brings her out of her comfort zone, Madhuri told in an interview.

"I am so thankful that our cinema has come a long way, and I am happy that women are portrayed as characters and not just eye candy in the films. (Women are) very beautifully portrayed on the screen," she told.

With the lethal combination of oomph and talent, Madhuri rose on the movie firmament in the late 1980s and 1990s with blockbusters like "Tezaab", "Ram Lakhan", "Dil", "Beta" and "Saajan".

She is also known for her acting prowess in off beat movies "Prahaar" and "Mrityudand", which saw her in a non-glamorous avatar.

After ruling the roost for years, Madhuri shifted base to Denver when she married US-based doctor Sriram Nene in 1999. Her last big hit was "Devdas".

Begum Para in "Dedh Ishqiya" marks her second innings in filmdom post marriage and when asked how important is the film for her, she told, "Everybody wants to see me after a gap. Begum is a strong character. She has many multi-layered kind of a woman. How the film does is very important."

"Dedh Ishqiya" is a sequel to "Ishqiya", a movie that made its lead actress Vidya Balan a name to reckon with.

Co-produced by Vishal Bharadwaj and Raman Maroo, "Dedh Ishqiya" will release Jan 10.