They are the power mums (PMs) of the Hindi film world. Once the oomph girls of the silver screen, they took a sabbatical and went ahead to procreate, only to bounce back with aplomb and a larger fan base.

Madhuri Dixit-Nene: The original Dhak Dhak girl, if today she were to enact the song from the film Beta, she would set more hearts racing than she did then. In a way it’s good that she married cardiovascular surgeon Dr Sriram Nene: while she goes on breaking hearts, he mends them. She made a comeback after two sons — Arin and Raayan — with Aaja Nachle and wooed fans with the same scintillating smile and grace. On Sony TV’s dance reality show, Jhalak Dikhla Ja, Madhuri got the show’s Target Rating Point increasing.

After reaching her mid-40s, she can be seen in ads, TV shows and film award functions. Hopefully, we will see more of her in films too.

Sridevi Kapoor: In her 20s she came to be known as “thunder thighs” and today on the threshold of reaching her 50s, she still looks hot when she walks the ramp as a showstopper at fashion shows.

After having acted in more than 200 films, she married film producer Boney Kapoor, elder brother of actor Anil Kapoor with whom she had acted in several hit films including Mr India, Lamhe, Roop ki Rani Choron ka Raja. She now has two daughters, Jhanvi and Khushi.

A svelte and slim-looking Sridevi Kapoor recently surprised everyone by walking the ramp for jewellery designer Queeny Dhodi at Lakme Fashion Week in Mumbai.

She is busy producing films with her husband and Wanted was a super-hit of 2009. She has been roped in to act in a couple of films including one directed by Balki (of Cheeni Kum and Paa fame).

Kajol Mukherjee-Devgan: She emoted through her champagne-coloured eyes and gamut of expressions when she was just 18 in her debut film Bekhudi, and continues to do it even today. It doesn’t matter that she isn’t the conventional beauty queen of the Indian screen. Even King Khan pales in comparison to her boundless talent — no wonder she’s known as a thinking man’s actress.

After marrying fellow actor Ajay Devgan and having a daughter, Nyaasa, she made Fanaa, My Name is Khan and U, Me aur Hum. Now on her second sabbatical after giving birth to a son, Yug, her fans eagerly await her comeback.

Raveena Tandon-Thandani: The Mast Mast girl gyrated, got rain-drenched and danced with the likes of Govinda, Sunil Shetty and Akshay Kumar. She made her debut a year before Kajol, though her career didn’t take off immediately she made up for it by opting for parallel films such as Aks and Daaman.

Raveena perhaps heralded the trend of single mother in the ’90s in the film industry by adopting two girls — Pooja and Chaaya — long before she got married to film distributor Anil Thandani and had kids of her own — Rasha and Ranbir. She can now be seen on comedy TV shows and maybe she’ll do films again.

Juhi Chawla-Mehta: When debuted with Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak after winning the Miss India title, it was taken for granted that she needn’t know acting. But with her vivaciousness and unbounded energy, she went on to make more than 70 films.Juhi is perhaps the only actress who has the best comic timing. She made a super-hit jodi with Shah Rukh Khan, became his friend for life and after marriage to industrialist Jai Mehta, the couple forged a business partnership with King Khan under their company, Red Chillies. Mother to Jhanvi and Arjun, Juhi-Jai and SRK own the Kolkatta Knight Riders team under the IPL.

Realising that age won’t allow her to act in the same old chulbuli roles, Juhi switched to serious films such as My Brother Nikhil, Jhankar Beats, 71/2 Phere, etc, and her latest release, I Am, bagged rave reviews. Post-marriage and motherhood, she has become busier with ads, films, TV shows, business, etc. This is one real super mum.

Sonali Bendre-Behl: She sizzled in Remo Fernandes’s song, Humma Humma, from the film, Bombay. She towered above her male colleagues due to her height even with flat footwear — case in point being a high-heeled Aamir Khan who couldn’t reach up to her shoulders in the film Sarfarosh. Same was the case with Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan.

After marriage to actor-director Goldie Behl and post-childbirth, she resurrected her career through television, appearing as a judge on India Has Talent and also hosting Kya Maasti, Kya Dhoom.

Twinkle Khanna-Kumar: Asked why he hasn’t had affairs post-marriage, actor Akshay Kumar said about wife Twinkle: “Why should I when I have such a beautiful wife at home?” Twinkle, after nine-year-old son, Aarav, is still drop-dead gorgeous with a figure to die for. She seems to have inherited the genes from her beautiful mum, actress Dimple Kapadia.

Though she never really hit it off as an actress, she acted with the Khan trio for all the top banners. Currently, she is one of the most successful interior designers in Mumbai. — Surekha Kadapa-Bose