Rani Mukerji, famous as the queen of Bollywood hails from a film-oriented family of Bengali origin. Her father Ram Mukherjee is a retired director and one of the founders of ‘ Filmalaya Studios’. Her mother Krishna was a playback singer. Her brother Raja Mukherjee is a film producer, now turned director.
Indeed, Rani Mukherjee has more filmi relations than one can count on fingertips.
The Name Mystery “Mukherjee or Mukerji”?
Rani changed the English transliteration of her surname from Mukherjee to Mukerji several years ago. At the time, it was reported that she did this for numerological reasons. In 2006, Mukerji stated that numerology was not a concern; her name had been put down as Mukerji on her passport, and she wanted to retain it.
With a trademark husky voice, Rani made her debut in a women-oriented film Raja Ki Aayegi Baaraat that did nit help her much in establishing herself. She got her first breakthrough with Kuch Kuch Hota Hai in 1998.
Mukerji is a trained Odissi dancer, and began learning the dance in tenth grade. Mukerji studied at Maneckjee Cooper High School in Juhu, and later enrolled at Mithibai College in Mumbai. Rani Mukherjee is very fond of cricket.
The icing on the cake was ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’, a film that had been eagerly awaited for the prospective battle of the Mukherjee cousins. While Kajol was, beyond doubt, the film’s heroine, Rani too had her share of meat in the supporting role of Shah Rukh’s first wife, Tina . She received her first Filmfare Award in the Best Supporting Actress category for the same film.
She was gradually shifting positions towards the top in the popularity charts, she started getting the initial jolts. Films like Baadal and Nayak cast a shadow on her prospects. The film left theatres in India without a whimper. Hope was alive in the form of Hadh Kar Di Aapne, which was in the pipeline. Rani had faith in Govinda and David Dhawan’s saleability at the box office. Unfortunately, the film failed to raise a laugh and the cash boxes did not ring.
Rani tried to remain unfazed. She was looking towards the future and Hey Ram. As an actress, Rani was proud to be associated with an actor-director of Kamal Haasan’s caliber and was thrilled to have Hey Ram in her lap. Even Hey Ram did not propel her career to the extent she had expected. There wasn’t any critical appreciation of her performance in the film. Infact, Rani’s fans became aloof when they saw their favourite actress locked in a passionate kiss in the film.
Rani Mukerji still was excitingly looking up about the projects that were lined up. A series of unsuccessful runs didn’t dampened the giggly self. She continued to be sprightly. Suddenly there was a furious debate about exactly what made Rani Mukherjee click (for a raging hit she was, especially with the male population) her daring, baring clothes, her husky voice, or the little peek you got into her acting abilities.
Whatever it was, this film helped Rani zoom into the happening league and suddenly, she was everyone’s favourite new star! Even a dud like ‘Hello Brother’ (1999) couldn’t affect her new-found status.
In 2001, Mukerji starred in Abbas Mustan’s romantic drama Chori Chori Chupke Chupke , co-starring Salman Khan and Preity Zinta. The film was released after a one-year delay, and was one of the first Bollywood movies to handle the issue of surrogate child-birth. Mukerji’s role was that of Priya Malhotra , a woman who is unable to conceive after a miscarriage, thus hires a surrogate mother. Rani Mukherji was handicapped with a role that doesn’t give her much scope besides weeping and sobbing,yet, to her credit, she manages to hold her own even while playing a stereotypical sacrificing bhartiya nari.
In 2002, Mukerji played the lead role in Kunal Kohli’s romance Mujhse Dosti Karoge , co-starring alongside Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor. Although the movie did not do well in India, it generated great business overseas, and marked her entry into India’s biggest production house: Yash Raj Films. Later that year, Rani Mukerji starred in Shaad Ali’s critically acclaimed Saathiya opposite Vivek Oberoi. The film was a moderate success and became one of the highest grossing movies of the year. The role of Suhani Sharma, the lead protagonist,(a medical student) became so real on-screen by her mesemerizing presence. She dealt with the tensions and discontent of married life beautifully. She won a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance, and among several other nominations, received her first Best Actress nomination at the Filmfare.
.jpg "Chalte Chalte")
Mukerji’s first 2003 release was Aziz Mirza’s drama Chalte Chalte opposite Shahrukh Khan. The film saw her play a similar role to that of Saathiya, and she received her second nomination for Filmfare Best Actress Award. Among another three releases that year, Mukerji starred in Chori Chori, where she portrayed her first comic role. Although the film did not do well at the box office, Mukerji’s comic timing was praised.
In 2004, her performance as a Bengali housewife in Mani Ratnam’s Yuva won Mukerji her second Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award. Though the film failed to do well, her performance was critically acclaimed with one critic writing, “the role demanded an actress of substance and Rani more than lives up to the expectations”. She followed through by playing the leading role in the romantic comedy Hum Tum, which became one of the biggest hits of the year. The film, based on the 1989 film When Harry Met Sally…, was directed by Kunal Kohli. Mukerji’s portrayal of Rhea Sharma, a woman of today’s generation, won her several awards, including her first Filmfare Best Actress Award.
Yash Chopra’s love saga Veer-Zaara, co-starring alongside Shahrukh Khan and Preity Zinta emerged as the top grossing movie in India and abroad, tells the love story of an Indian officer, Veer Pratap Singh , played by Khan, and a Pakistani woman, Zaara, played by Zinta. Mukerji played the supporting role of Saamiya Siddiqui, a Pakistani lawyer who takes it upon herself to find the truth about Veer Pratap Singh.
Black came as the biggest milestone in her career. Mukerji in her critically acclaimed performance as the blind, deaf and mute Michelle McNally in Black (2005), earned her the Filmfare Best Actress Award for the second consecutive year.
In 2005, Mukerji starred in four high-profile films: Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Black, Shaad Ali’s Bunty Aur Babli , Amol Palekar’s Paheli and Ketan Mehta’s The Rising .
She was primarily noted for her performance in Black . When Bhansali first came to Mukerji with the offer, she turned it down and stated that she was not confident enough to play a deaf-blind girl. Once the director put faith in her, she agreed to do it and intensely studied sign language with professionals at the Helen Keller Institute in Mumbai. Mukerji received much critical acclaim for her performance and collected numerous trophies in the category of Best Actress at various award ceremonies. There’s no denying that Rani delivered her best performance to date. With no dialogues in her lap, the actress conveys through expressions solely and what a terrific impact she makes. Here’s a performance that should act as a reference guide for all aspiring actors.
Her next release, Bunty Aur Babli, surfaced as one of the biggest hits of the year. The film, though successful at the box office, opened to mixed reviews, and so did Mukerji’s performance, with one critic writing, “Rani has done a great job most of the time, though she does tend to go a little over the top in the crying scenes. Nevertheless,
Mukerji received Best Actress nominations from the IIFA Awards and Filmfare Awards.
Mukerji was offered the lead role in Mira Nair’s Hollywood film, The Namesake (2007) but owing to clashing dates with Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, she could not commit to the project.
Her first release in 2006 was Karan Johar’s drama Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, which consisted of a multi-starrer that included Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Preity Zinta and Kirron Kher. The film opened to mixed reviews but emerged as the most successful movie ever overseas.The film tells the story of two unhappily married couples in New York, which results in an extramarital affair. Mukerji played the role of Maya Talwar, a woman layered with self-doubt and question about the relationship between her and her husband, played by [Abhishek] Bachchan; her performance was well received. The movie did not do well at the box office in India, though proved to be a hit overseas. Her role as a widow met with mixed reviews.
Anticipated Projects in 2009
Anurag Singh’s directorial debut starring Shahid Kapur and Rani Mukherjee in the lead, under production since July 2008, is already plagued with controversies.
“There are too many reports circulating against the actors. The allegations against Rani and Shahid are rubbish and baseless. Both of them are very professional actors,” the source is quoted as saying.The film has been titled ‘Addipa’ or ‘Haddipa’.
We hope that she comes back with a bang and bring joy to all her fans with her power packed performances and mesmerizing smile.
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