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Rani Mukherjee Biography
Born Rani Mukherjee
21 March 1978 (age 35)
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Nationality Indian
Other names Rani Mukherji
Rani Mukherjee
Occupation Actress
Years active 1997–present
Rani Mukerji (born Rani Mukherjee on 21 March 1978) is an Indian film actress. Born in the Mukherjee-Samarth family, she made her acting debut with a supporting role in the Bengali film Biyer Phool (1992), while still in school. She began a full-time career in Bollywood with the 1997 social drama Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat, and subsequently featured in Karan Johar's blockbuster romance Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998, she won a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress). For her work in the 2002 relationship drama Saathiya, she won her first Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress.
In 2004, her performances in the hit romantic comedy Hum Tum and the critically acclaimed drama Yuva earned her the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress awards, respectively, at the 50th Filmfare Awards. She later received unanimous praise for her portrayal of a blind, deaf and mute woman in Black (2005), for which she garnered two more Filmfare Awards: Best Actress and Best Actress (Critics' Choice). She went on to play leading roles in the comedy Bunty Aur Babli (2005) and the adult drama Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006), both of which emerged as major economic successes in India and overseas. She then starred in a series of commercially unsuccessful films, a majority of which were under the Yash Raj Films banner, that led to setbacks in her career. She later earned praise for her portrayal of a headstrong journalist in No One Killed Jessica (2011, she won a Best Supporting Actress award at Filmfare) and a grieving mother in Talaash: The Answer Lies Within (2012). These accomplishments established Mukerji as a leading actress of Hindi cinema.
In addition to acting in films, Mukerji featured as a talent judge in Sony Entertainment Television's reality show Dance Premier League (2009). She is a regular stage performer and has been involved in philanthropic endeavours related to women and children. Despite constant speculation, she remains guarded about her personal life and is sometimes labelled a recluse by members of the media.
Mukerji was born in Mumbai on 21 March 1978 to a film-oriented family of Bengali origin. Her father, Ram Mukherjee, is a former film director and one of the founders of Filmalaya Studios, and her mother, Krishna Mukherjee, is a former playback singer. Her elder brother, Raja Mukherjee, is a film producer and director. Her maternal aunt, Debashree Roy, is a Bengali film actress and her paternal cousin, Kajol, is a Hindi film actress and her contemporary.Another cousin of hers, Ayan Mukerji is a scriptwriter and film director.As part of a tradition, the Mukherjee family celebrates the festival of Durga Puja at Santacruz every year. Mukerji, being a deeply religious person, takes part in the festivities with her entire family.
Mukerji is a trained Odissi dancer and began learning the dance form in the tenth grade.She was schooled at Maneckji Cooper High School in Juhu, and graduated from SNDT Women's University in the field of Home Science. Despite her family background, Mukerji was disinterested to pursue a career in film. She said, "[T]there were already too many actresses at home and I wanted to be someone different". At the age of fourteen, she was cast by her father for a supporting role in his Bengali film Biyer Phool (1992). The film starred Prosenjit and Indrani Haldar in lead roles and narrates the story of two sisters, with Mukerji playing the younger sibling of Haldar's character. In 1994, director Salim Khan approcahed her to play the lead female role in his directorial, Aa Gale Lag Jaa. Her father disapproved of a full-time career in film at such a young age and hence, she turned down the offer. When Khan approached her with another film offer (to play the protagonist of the social drama Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat), Mukerji accepted the role due to her mother's insistence that she pursue acting on an experimental basis. Before beginning work on the film, she trained at Roshan Taneja's acting institute.
Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat, which tells the story of a rape victim (played by Mukerji) who is forced to marry her rapist, released in 1997 and proved a critical and commercial failure.Positive reviews, however, were directed at Mukerji's performance and she won a special recognition trophy at the annual Screen Awards ceremony.Following the film's commercial failure, Mukerji returned to college to complete her education. However, inspired by her cousin Kajol's success in Bollywood, she decided to pursue a full-time career in film.
In 1998, Mukerji was cast opposite Aamir Khan, as the female lead, in Vikram Bhatt's box office hit Ghulam. Though she portrayed a small role in the film, the song "Aati Kya Khandala" earned her wide public recognition.After noticing her performance in Raja Ki Aayega Baraat, freshman director Karan Johar cast her alongside Shahrukh Khan and her cousin, Kajol, in his big-budget romantic drama Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. The role was originally written for Twinkle Khanna, who turned down the offer, following which Johar approached several leading actresses before casting Mukerji for the role.In the story, she portrayed Tina Malhotra, a sophisticated teenage girl who is in a relationship with Khan's character. Of her performance, Rediff.com wrote, "Rani Mukherjee is a pleasant surprise — totally comfortable, clearly having suspended all disbelief". The film emerged as a blockbuster in India and abroad, with an adjusted worldwide gross of 182 crore (US$33 million),and Mukerji received her first Filmfare Award in the Best Supporting Actress category.
Due to her slightly broken voice texture, her lines were dubbed by a dubbing artist in Ghulam. Johar initially wanted her voice dubbed for Kuch Kuch Hota Hai too, but Mukerji improved on her diction and eventually dubbed for her own lines.Following the success of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, she played leading roles in the social drama Mehndi (1998) and the comedy Hello Brother (1999). Both these films were critically and commercially unsuccessful.
Mukerji's first release of 2000 was Raj Kanwar's action drama Badal opposite Bobby Deol. The film emerged as one of the highest-grossing films of the year,but met with negative reviews from critics. She then essayed a brief role in Kamal Haasan's Hey Ram as the protagonist's first wife, Aparna Ram. The controversial film, based on Mahatma Gandhi's assassination, was a critical success and was chosen as India’s official entry to the Oscars that year. Mukerji next appeared in Bichhoo, an unofficial adaptation of Luc Besson's Léon: The Professional, as the foul-mouthed, coarse daughter of a drug dealer. The film and her performance received negative reviews from critics. Following a collaboration with actor Govinda, for the first time, in the comedy Hadh Kar Di Aapne, Mukerji featured opposite Salman Khan in two romantic dramas, Raj Kanwar's Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega and K. M.M. Rao's Kahin Pyaar Na Ho Jaaye. She was appreciated for her performance in the former and received her second Filmfare nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category.
The following year, Mukerji starred in Abbas Mustan's Chori Chori Chupke Chupke, a drama on surrogate childbirth featuring Salman Khan and Preity Zinta. Mukerji's role was that of Priya Malhotra, a woman who is unable to conceive after a miscarriage and thus, hires a surrogate mother (played by Zinta). Sukanya Verma wrote, "Rani Mukerji is handicapped with a role that doesn't give her much scope besides weeping and sobbing. To her credit, she manages to hold her own even while playing a stereotypical sacrificing bhartiya nari [Indian woman]." She next played the love-interests of Abhishek Bachchan and Anil Kapoor respectively, in two predominantly male-centric films: Bas Itna Sa Khwaab Hai and Nayak: The Real Hero. Upon release, both the films under-performed at the box office.
Mukerji's first appearance of 2002 was a leading role in Kunal Kohli's romantic comedy Mujhse Dosti Karoge!, alongside Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor. The film marked the first of her many collaborations with Yash Raj Films, a leading production company in India.Although the movie was a commercial disappointment in India,it performed well overseas. She then co-starred with Vivek Oberoi in Shaad Ali's critically acclaimed drama Saathiya, a remake of the Tamil film Alaipayuthey. Essaying the role of Suhani Sharma (originally played by Shalini), a medical student who deals with the tensions and discontent of being married at a young age, she won a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress, and received her first Best Actress nomination at the same ceremony. BBC reviewed, "Mukerji plays the character of a middle class girl with great conviction", and Udita Jhunjhunwala of Mid Day added, "Her expressions and acting are understated in a role that fits her like a glove." Saathiya emerged as a moderate commercial success and proved a turning point in her career.
Mukerji's first release of 2003 was Aziz Mirza's box office hit Chalte Chalte opposite Shahrukh Khan.Though she played a role similar to the one in Saathiya, her new "tanned" look met with public appreciation and her portrayal earned her a second nomination for Best Actress at the Filmfare awards ceremony. Also that year, she starred in Milan Luthria's romantic comedy Chori Chori opposite Ajay Devgan, Sudhir Mishra's suspense drama Calcutta Mail, alongside Anil Kapoor and Manisha Koirala, and J.P. Dutta's ensemble war film LOC Kargil. All three films were critical and commercial faliures.
Mukerji at the 6th International Indian Film Academy Awards in Amsterdam. She won both the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress awards, for Hum Tum and Veer-Zaara respectively, at the ceremony
At the 50th Filmfare Awards, Mukerji won both the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress awards, becoming the first performer to win both these awards in the same year.The Supporting Actress win was for Mani Ratnam's Yuva (2004), a composite film that featured an ensemble cast that included Ajay Devgan, Abhishek Bachchan, Vivek Oberoi, Kareena Kapoor and Esha Deol. The film narrates the story of three youngsters from different strata of society whose lives intersect due to a car accident; Mukerji was cast as Shahshi Biswas, a financially deprived Bengali housewife who is abused by her husband, a local goon (played by Bachchan). Taran Adarsh wrote, "Amongst the leading ladies, it is Rani Mukerji who is the best of the lot. The role demanded an actress of substance and Rani more than lives up to the expectations."She won the Best Actress award for her starring role in Kunal Kohli's Hum Tum, a romantic comedy about two headstrong individuals who meet at different stages of their lives. The film pitted her opposite Saif Ali Khan and proved one of the biggest commercial successes of the year.The Hindu found Mukerji's portrayal of Rhea Sharma to be "self assuredly competent".
Later that year, Mukerji received further success when Yash Chopra cast her alongside Shahrukh Khan and Preity Zinta in his period romance Veer-Zaara. The film narrates the story of star-crossed lovers, Veer Pratap Singh (played by Khan) and a Pakistani woman, Zaara Hayaat Khan (played by Zinta); Mukerji played the role of Saamiya Siddiqui, a Pakistani lawyer embroiled in a court case involving Singh. With a worldwide gross of 94 crore (US$17 million), Veer-Zaara emerged as the highest grossing film of the year; it was screened at the Berlin Film Festival and met with critical acclaim.Mukerji's role was particularly praised by the critics; BBC noted, "ts Rani Mukerjee who deserves praise for her acting. To act through your eyes and not using dialogue is an art. Rani for one, has perfected this."She won the Best Supporting Actress trophy at the IIFA Awards ceremony, and received a nomination in the same category at Filmfare.
In 2005, Outlook magazine published that Mukerji had established herself as the leading actress of Hindi cinema.Her first film role that year was opposite Amitabh Bachchan in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's highly acclaimed Black, a drama about an alcoholic man who dedicates his life to teach a blind and deaf girl how to communicate. Bhansali wrote the part of the blind-deaf girl specifically for Mukerji, who was initially hesitant to take on the role due to its "challenging" subject matter.Once Bhansali enforced his faith in her, she intensely studied sign language with professionals at the Helen Keller Institute in Mumbai.Upon release, TIME featured Black as the fifth best film of the year, and it won two National Film Awards and eleven Filmfare Awards.Mukerji's performance met with widespread acclaim; Filmfare included her work in their listing of Indian cinema's "80 Most Iconic performances".Rediff.com noted, "The performer in Rani Mukerji must have turned more than a few mental cartwheels when she got Black. It is a pure, performance-driven role, and Rani does it with a fluid maturity that is great to watch.".She won the Best Actress and the Best Actress – Critics awards at the Filmfare Awards ceremony.
Her next release, the comedy Bunty Aur Babli, surfaced as the second highest grossing film of 2005. She played the character of Vimmi "Babli" Saluja, a con woman, opposite Abhishek Bachchan. The film opened to mixed reviews, as did Mukerji's performance. A review carried by Variety mentioned, "Three years ago, in Saathiya, helmer Shaad Ali managed to rediscover Mukerji's earlier vivacity, and he's done it again here in a role that the raspy-voiced diva-ette simply eats up"Consequently, Mukerji received another nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for her work. Her third release that year, the fantasy film Paheli, opposite Shahrukh Khan, was screened at the Sundance Film Festival and was chosen as India’s official entry to the Oscars for the 79th Academy Awards.The film was critically acclaimed, as was Mukerji's performance, which Raja Sen called "another perfectly played part". In her final release of the year, The Rising, Mukerji played a prostitute, Heera, who is the love interest of the protagonist Mangal Pandey, played by Aamir Khan. Derek Elley of Variety mentioned that she made "the most of her feisty nautch-girl," despite having "a small role for a star of her caliber."
In 2006 she starred in Karan Johar's adult drama Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna; featuring Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Preity Zinta and Kirron Kher. The film opened to mixed reviews but emerged as a major international success with a worldwide gross of 113 crore (US$21 million). The film told the story of two unhappily married couples in New York, which later 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 with Rajeev Masand from CNN-IBN concluding, "Rani looks a million bucks and she dives under the skin of her character to make that part one that we will remember for a long time."She received several nominations for the role, including her sixth Filmfare Best Actress nomination, and won the IIFA Best Actress Award for the third consecutive year. Mukerji's next release was B.R. Chopra's tearjerker Baabul alongside Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan and John Abraham. The movie did not do well at the box office in India, but proved to be a hit overseas.Her portrayal of Malvika, a young widow, met with mixed reviews from critics with Sarita Tanwar from Mid Day commenting, "Rani Mukerji breathes life into a somewhat confused character".
From 2007 to 2009, Mukerji featured primarily in films produced by Yash Raj Films (with the exception of Saawariya).Her first release was Siddharth Anand's melodrama Ta Ra Rum Pum, where she played Radhika Rai Banerjee, a pianist turned housewife opposite Saif Ali Khan. The film performed decently at the box office, while her performance was generally well received. Adarsh wrote, "Rani enacts the role of the mother/wife proficiently."Negative reviews, however were directed towards the film itself, with Rajeev Masand writing, "neither Saif Ali Khan nor Rani is able to make much of an impression because their characters are so unidimensional and boring."Her next release of the year was Pradeep Sarkar's drama Laaga Chunari Mein Daag alongside Jaya Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Konkana Sen Sharma and Kunal Kapoor. The film met with mixed reviews, while Mukerji was criticised for playing stereotypical roles that required her to cry often. A review carried by Indian Express noted, "Rani holds the film together, even if her part, both as the ingénue and the hooker, doesn’t have freshness." Her performance nonetheless fetched her another Best Actress nomination at Filmfare. Her final release of the year was Sanjay Leela Bhansali's tragedy Saawariya, where she essayed a smaller part of a sex-worker. The film, which featured debutants Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor in lead roles, was a critical and commercial failure, but Mukerji's performance earned her a fifth Filmfare Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
In 2008, Mukerji was paired with Saif Ali Khan again for Kunal Kohli's Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic. This fantasy film had Mukerji play an angel who comes to Earth to help four troubled kids. The film, which flopped at the box office, met with generally positive reviews from critics.The box office failure of her recent films made Mukerji lose weight and undergo a makeover in her following release, Dil Bole Hadippa (2009). The project, co-starring Shahid Kapoor, saw Mukerji portray a cricket-obsessed Punjabi village girl masquerading as a man. The film, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival under performed at the Indian box office. A review carried by The Economic Times noted, "Mukerji's mock sob-whine-whimper do not amuse anymore. Also after a point you dislike visualizing the charming actress as the moustached male player."
Though her performances in the films during this period were generally well received, none of them performed well commercially, leading to major setbacks in her career.When questioned about working only under the Yash Raj Films banner, she said, "An actor is here to act and pick great roles and scripts. I was getting great roles from Yash Raj at that point, roles that any actor would give an arm to do. I stand by those films regardless of their fate".
In 2011, Mukerji starred in UTV Motion Pictures' semi-biographical thriller, No One Killed Jessica, based on the Jessica Lal murder case. She played the fictional character of a foul-mouthed television journalist, Meera Gaity, deeply involved with the case. In an interview with The Telegraph she said, "It was such a different role to portray. It wasn’t a role that was typical of a Hindi film heroine. Meera was more like a hero. It was a character that actually took the story forward.... Meera made a lot of things happen. It wasn’t something that I had ever done before. I actually had to play a man! "Upon release, Mukerji's performance received mostly positive reviews. The Times of India wrote, "Rani's character being fictional and glamourized seems superficial to an extent but she packs in the punch required for her dynamic character."While other critics praised her performance, with Daily News and Analysis describing it as "one of her best performances till date,"[ several critics were less positive, including Anupama Chopra of NDTV, who called her role, "the fatal, false note in No One Killed Jessica," arguing that "The character is written superficially and Rani’s portrayal of her is equally banal. It’s all about externals. She argues a lot and proudly labels herself a bitch but her hair stays perfectly in place and in the end, she even gets to do a super-hero-like slow motion walk."The film eventually earned 49 crore (US$9.0 million) and was especially noted for being a commercial success, despite the absence of any prominent male actors.Consequently, Mukerji won her third Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Mukerji followed the success of No One Killed Jessica with a leading role in Sachin Kundalkar's Aiyyaa (2012); a comedy of manners co-starring Prithviraj. She played Meenakshi Deshpande, a woman with a heightened sense of smell who develops a one-sided attraction towards Prithiviraj's character. Critically and commercially unsuccessful, Aiyyaa generated positive comments for Mukerji's performance alone.Rediff.com criticised her decision to star in the film and wrote, "Rani, as fine an actor that one gets in Bollywood, gets no support from the way her character is written but nevertheless is a joy to watch."Later that year, Mukerji earned critical appreciation for her portrayal of Roshni Shekhawat, a mother who loses her only child in a boating accident, in Reema Kagti's supernatural thriller Talaash: The Answer Lies Within. Co-starring Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor, the film proved an economic success with gross earnings of over 174 crore (US$32 million). Ronnie Schieb of Variety mentioned Mukerji as "vivid" in a "quietly sympathetic role"; Saibal Chatterjee added, "A deglamorised Rani Mukerji plays her role with finesse and a great sense of empathy".She received Best Supporting Actress nominations at several award ceremonies, including Filmfare.
As of January 2013, Mukerji will star in the anthology film Bombay Talkies, in the segment directed by Karan Johar, alongside Saqib Saleem and Randeep Hooda.
In 2009, Mukerji made her television debut as a talent judge with the reality show Dance Premier League on Sony Entertainment Television. She explained her stint with television, saying that it made her "more accessible" to the audience and helped her "gain visibility when [she was] not doing too many films." In 2011, she reprised her role of Meera Gaity on the TV series C.I.D. in a guest appearance to promote her film No One Killed Jessica.
Involved with several social causes, Mukerji remarked, "It's my dream that every child in India is educated because the way India is growing I don't think without education, we can see a very bright future. So if we want a bright future for our country, I think education is foremost." Mukerji has stated that she feels strongly for causes that affect women, because, "it angers me to know that women are ill-treated".In March 2004, Mukerji visited the desert of Rajasthan, where she spent a day at the army training base to boost the morale of the jawan troops. The visit was conducted for a NDTV show, Jai Jawan, on which entertainers and actors visit Indian troops. In February 2005, Mukerji performed at the HELP! Telethon Concert to help raise money for the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake alongside several other Bollywood stars.In March 2006, Mukerji interacted with the physically challenged children of the Helen Keller Institute, during her birthday celebrations. She had previously worked with them while researching for her role in Black.In November 2010, she was part of a fund raising auction for the "Because I am a Girl" charity campaign.
Among her stage performances, Mukerji has participated in two world tours. Her first concert, Magnificent Five was in the year 1999 with actors Aamir Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Akshaye Khanna and Twinkle Khanna. Five years later, she was a part of the Temptations 2004 concert. Mukerji performed alongside Shahrukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Preity Zinta, Arjun Rampal and Priyanka Chopra in nineteen stage shows across the globe.Mukerji was also part of the Temptations 2005 concert in New Delhi. She helped to raise funds for the National Centre For Promotional of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP), a disabled rights' group, with the show which also featured Shah Rukh Khan, Fardeen Khan, Ameesha Patel and Malaika Arora Khan. In 2010, Mukerji joined Shahrukh Khan, Arjun Rampal, Ishaa Koppikar, among others for a concert at the Army Stadium, Dhaka, Bangladesh to a packed audience. For the Temptations Reloaded concert of 2012 in Jakarta, Mukerji performed alongside Shahrukh Khan, Preity Zinta and Bipasha Basu.
Rani uses the English transliteration of "Mukerji" instead of the original "Mukherjee" for her surname. She has never clarified the reason for having done so.Mukerji has three homes in Mumbai, including her childhood home. She currently lives in Juhu with her parents.
Mukerji is extremely guarded about her personal life, and despite constant media speculation, has never spoken about her relationships. However, in an interview with Simi Garewal she claimed to have been "absolutely in love", without divulging the name of the person.As opposed to most of her contemporaries, Mukerji limits her media interactions and is often termed as a recluse. However in 2011, in an interview to Screen India she clarified, "Today actors have become more open with the media. But this has posed a problem for actors like me because if I don’t do that, then I end up being called reclusive. So now I have changed myself and am easily approachable." She is additionally known for her friendly image and shares a close friendship with several Bollywood stars including Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan and Karan Johar.
In June 2005, Mukerji was widely criticised following the publication of an interview with British newspaper Desi Xpress. Mukerji was asked to name her idol and she replied, "Adolf Hitler".However, in an interview with Times Now a year later, she denied ever mentioning Hitler's name. In November 2006, Mukerji was shooting for the film Laaga Chunari Mein Daag in Varanasi when avid fans crowded the set. Security personnel beat the crowd back.A media storm followed as various groups insisted that Mukerji should have stopped the security guards. Mukerji later issued an apology.
Mukerji occupied the top slot of Box Office India's Top Actresses list for two years in a row (2005–2006). She was also placed number one on Rediff's Top Bollywood Female Stars Rankings for three consecutive years (2004–2006), while in 2007, she was ranked at number five. In February 2006, Filmfare placed her eighth amongst the "Ten Most Powerful Names of Bollywood", an achievement she repeated from the previous year, where she was ranked at number ten, the only woman on the list. In 2007, she was ranked at number five. On Women's International Day 2007, Mukerji came in fourth on the Best Bollywood Actresses Ever listing. She was placed at number 36 by the UK magazine, Eastern Eye, as one of Asia's Sexiest Women (2006).Mukerji is frequently featured in various lists by Rediff.com, including, Bollywood's Most Beautiful Actresses, Bollywood's Best Dressed Womenand Women of Many Faces.In 2013, she was honoured by the US Embassy, on the day of Barack Obama's inauguration into office, for her contribution to Indian cinema.
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Rani Mukherjee Biography
Born Rani Mukherjee
21 March 1978 (age 35)
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Nationality Indian
Other names Rani Mukherji
Rani Mukherjee
Occupation Actress
Years active 1997–present
Rani Mukerji (born Rani Mukherjee on 21 March 1978) is an Indian film actress. Born in the Mukherjee-Samarth family, she made her acting debut with a supporting role in the Bengali film Biyer Phool (1992), while still in school. She began a full-time career in Bollywood with the 1997 social drama Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat, and subsequently featured in Karan Johar's blockbuster romance Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998, she won a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress). For her work in the 2002 relationship drama Saathiya, she won her first Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress.
In 2004, her performances in the hit romantic comedy Hum Tum and the critically acclaimed drama Yuva earned her the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress awards, respectively, at the 50th Filmfare Awards. She later received unanimous praise for her portrayal of a blind, deaf and mute woman in Black (2005), for which she garnered two more Filmfare Awards: Best Actress and Best Actress (Critics' Choice). She went on to play leading roles in the comedy Bunty Aur Babli (2005) and the adult drama Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006), both of which emerged as major economic successes in India and overseas. She then starred in a series of commercially unsuccessful films, a majority of which were under the Yash Raj Films banner, that led to setbacks in her career. She later earned praise for her portrayal of a headstrong journalist in No One Killed Jessica (2011, she won a Best Supporting Actress award at Filmfare) and a grieving mother in Talaash: The Answer Lies Within (2012). These accomplishments established Mukerji as a leading actress of Hindi cinema.
In addition to acting in films, Mukerji featured as a talent judge in Sony Entertainment Television's reality show Dance Premier League (2009). She is a regular stage performer and has been involved in philanthropic endeavours related to women and children. Despite constant speculation, she remains guarded about her personal life and is sometimes labelled a recluse by members of the media.
Mukerji was born in Mumbai on 21 March 1978 to a film-oriented family of Bengali origin. Her father, Ram Mukherjee, is a former film director and one of the founders of Filmalaya Studios, and her mother, Krishna Mukherjee, is a former playback singer. Her elder brother, Raja Mukherjee, is a film producer and director. Her maternal aunt, Debashree Roy, is a Bengali film actress and her paternal cousin, Kajol, is a Hindi film actress and her contemporary.Another cousin of hers, Ayan Mukerji is a scriptwriter and film director.As part of a tradition, the Mukherjee family celebrates the festival of Durga Puja at Santacruz every year. Mukerji, being a deeply religious person, takes part in the festivities with her entire family.
Mukerji is a trained Odissi dancer and began learning the dance form in the tenth grade.She was schooled at Maneckji Cooper High School in Juhu, and graduated from SNDT Women's University in the field of Home Science. Despite her family background, Mukerji was disinterested to pursue a career in film. She said, "[T]there were already too many actresses at home and I wanted to be someone different". At the age of fourteen, she was cast by her father for a supporting role in his Bengali film Biyer Phool (1992). The film starred Prosenjit and Indrani Haldar in lead roles and narrates the story of two sisters, with Mukerji playing the younger sibling of Haldar's character. In 1994, director Salim Khan approcahed her to play the lead female role in his directorial, Aa Gale Lag Jaa. Her father disapproved of a full-time career in film at such a young age and hence, she turned down the offer. When Khan approached her with another film offer (to play the protagonist of the social drama Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat), Mukerji accepted the role due to her mother's insistence that she pursue acting on an experimental basis. Before beginning work on the film, she trained at Roshan Taneja's acting institute.
Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat, which tells the story of a rape victim (played by Mukerji) who is forced to marry her rapist, released in 1997 and proved a critical and commercial failure.Positive reviews, however, were directed at Mukerji's performance and she won a special recognition trophy at the annual Screen Awards ceremony.Following the film's commercial failure, Mukerji returned to college to complete her education. However, inspired by her cousin Kajol's success in Bollywood, she decided to pursue a full-time career in film.
In 1998, Mukerji was cast opposite Aamir Khan, as the female lead, in Vikram Bhatt's box office hit Ghulam. Though she portrayed a small role in the film, the song "Aati Kya Khandala" earned her wide public recognition.After noticing her performance in Raja Ki Aayega Baraat, freshman director Karan Johar cast her alongside Shahrukh Khan and her cousin, Kajol, in his big-budget romantic drama Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. The role was originally written for Twinkle Khanna, who turned down the offer, following which Johar approached several leading actresses before casting Mukerji for the role.In the story, she portrayed Tina Malhotra, a sophisticated teenage girl who is in a relationship with Khan's character. Of her performance, Rediff.com wrote, "Rani Mukherjee is a pleasant surprise — totally comfortable, clearly having suspended all disbelief". The film emerged as a blockbuster in India and abroad, with an adjusted worldwide gross of 182 crore (US$33 million),and Mukerji received her first Filmfare Award in the Best Supporting Actress category.
Due to her slightly broken voice texture, her lines were dubbed by a dubbing artist in Ghulam. Johar initially wanted her voice dubbed for Kuch Kuch Hota Hai too, but Mukerji improved on her diction and eventually dubbed for her own lines.Following the success of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, she played leading roles in the social drama Mehndi (1998) and the comedy Hello Brother (1999). Both these films were critically and commercially unsuccessful.
Mukerji's first release of 2000 was Raj Kanwar's action drama Badal opposite Bobby Deol. The film emerged as one of the highest-grossing films of the year,but met with negative reviews from critics. She then essayed a brief role in Kamal Haasan's Hey Ram as the protagonist's first wife, Aparna Ram. The controversial film, based on Mahatma Gandhi's assassination, was a critical success and was chosen as India’s official entry to the Oscars that year. Mukerji next appeared in Bichhoo, an unofficial adaptation of Luc Besson's Léon: The Professional, as the foul-mouthed, coarse daughter of a drug dealer. The film and her performance received negative reviews from critics. Following a collaboration with actor Govinda, for the first time, in the comedy Hadh Kar Di Aapne, Mukerji featured opposite Salman Khan in two romantic dramas, Raj Kanwar's Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega and K. M.M. Rao's Kahin Pyaar Na Ho Jaaye. She was appreciated for her performance in the former and received her second Filmfare nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category.
The following year, Mukerji starred in Abbas Mustan's Chori Chori Chupke Chupke, a drama on surrogate childbirth featuring Salman Khan and Preity Zinta. Mukerji's role was that of Priya Malhotra, a woman who is unable to conceive after a miscarriage and thus, hires a surrogate mother (played by Zinta). Sukanya Verma wrote, "Rani Mukerji is handicapped with a role that doesn't give her much scope besides weeping and sobbing. To her credit, she manages to hold her own even while playing a stereotypical sacrificing bhartiya nari [Indian woman]." She next played the love-interests of Abhishek Bachchan and Anil Kapoor respectively, in two predominantly male-centric films: Bas Itna Sa Khwaab Hai and Nayak: The Real Hero. Upon release, both the films under-performed at the box office.
Mukerji's first appearance of 2002 was a leading role in Kunal Kohli's romantic comedy Mujhse Dosti Karoge!, alongside Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor. The film marked the first of her many collaborations with Yash Raj Films, a leading production company in India.Although the movie was a commercial disappointment in India,it performed well overseas. She then co-starred with Vivek Oberoi in Shaad Ali's critically acclaimed drama Saathiya, a remake of the Tamil film Alaipayuthey. Essaying the role of Suhani Sharma (originally played by Shalini), a medical student who deals with the tensions and discontent of being married at a young age, she won a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress, and received her first Best Actress nomination at the same ceremony. BBC reviewed, "Mukerji plays the character of a middle class girl with great conviction", and Udita Jhunjhunwala of Mid Day added, "Her expressions and acting are understated in a role that fits her like a glove." Saathiya emerged as a moderate commercial success and proved a turning point in her career.
Mukerji's first release of 2003 was Aziz Mirza's box office hit Chalte Chalte opposite Shahrukh Khan.Though she played a role similar to the one in Saathiya, her new "tanned" look met with public appreciation and her portrayal earned her a second nomination for Best Actress at the Filmfare awards ceremony. Also that year, she starred in Milan Luthria's romantic comedy Chori Chori opposite Ajay Devgan, Sudhir Mishra's suspense drama Calcutta Mail, alongside Anil Kapoor and Manisha Koirala, and J.P. Dutta's ensemble war film LOC Kargil. All three films were critical and commercial faliures.
Mukerji at the 6th International Indian Film Academy Awards in Amsterdam. She won both the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress awards, for Hum Tum and Veer-Zaara respectively, at the ceremony
At the 50th Filmfare Awards, Mukerji won both the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress awards, becoming the first performer to win both these awards in the same year.The Supporting Actress win was for Mani Ratnam's Yuva (2004), a composite film that featured an ensemble cast that included Ajay Devgan, Abhishek Bachchan, Vivek Oberoi, Kareena Kapoor and Esha Deol. The film narrates the story of three youngsters from different strata of society whose lives intersect due to a car accident; Mukerji was cast as Shahshi Biswas, a financially deprived Bengali housewife who is abused by her husband, a local goon (played by Bachchan). Taran Adarsh wrote, "Amongst the leading ladies, it is Rani Mukerji who is the best of the lot. The role demanded an actress of substance and Rani more than lives up to the expectations."She won the Best Actress award for her starring role in Kunal Kohli's Hum Tum, a romantic comedy about two headstrong individuals who meet at different stages of their lives. The film pitted her opposite Saif Ali Khan and proved one of the biggest commercial successes of the year.The Hindu found Mukerji's portrayal of Rhea Sharma to be "self assuredly competent".
Later that year, Mukerji received further success when Yash Chopra cast her alongside Shahrukh Khan and Preity Zinta in his period romance Veer-Zaara. The film narrates the story of star-crossed lovers, Veer Pratap Singh (played by Khan) and a Pakistani woman, Zaara Hayaat Khan (played by Zinta); Mukerji played the role of Saamiya Siddiqui, a Pakistani lawyer embroiled in a court case involving Singh. With a worldwide gross of 94 crore (US$17 million), Veer-Zaara emerged as the highest grossing film of the year; it was screened at the Berlin Film Festival and met with critical acclaim.Mukerji's role was particularly praised by the critics; BBC noted, "ts Rani Mukerjee who deserves praise for her acting. To act through your eyes and not using dialogue is an art. Rani for one, has perfected this."She won the Best Supporting Actress trophy at the IIFA Awards ceremony, and received a nomination in the same category at Filmfare.
In 2005, Outlook magazine published that Mukerji had established herself as the leading actress of Hindi cinema.Her first film role that year was opposite Amitabh Bachchan in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's highly acclaimed Black, a drama about an alcoholic man who dedicates his life to teach a blind and deaf girl how to communicate. Bhansali wrote the part of the blind-deaf girl specifically for Mukerji, who was initially hesitant to take on the role due to its "challenging" subject matter.Once Bhansali enforced his faith in her, she intensely studied sign language with professionals at the Helen Keller Institute in Mumbai.Upon release, TIME featured Black as the fifth best film of the year, and it won two National Film Awards and eleven Filmfare Awards.Mukerji's performance met with widespread acclaim; Filmfare included her work in their listing of Indian cinema's "80 Most Iconic performances".Rediff.com noted, "The performer in Rani Mukerji must have turned more than a few mental cartwheels when she got Black. It is a pure, performance-driven role, and Rani does it with a fluid maturity that is great to watch.".She won the Best Actress and the Best Actress – Critics awards at the Filmfare Awards ceremony.
Her next release, the comedy Bunty Aur Babli, surfaced as the second highest grossing film of 2005. She played the character of Vimmi "Babli" Saluja, a con woman, opposite Abhishek Bachchan. The film opened to mixed reviews, as did Mukerji's performance. A review carried by Variety mentioned, "Three years ago, in Saathiya, helmer Shaad Ali managed to rediscover Mukerji's earlier vivacity, and he's done it again here in a role that the raspy-voiced diva-ette simply eats up"Consequently, Mukerji received another nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for her work. Her third release that year, the fantasy film Paheli, opposite Shahrukh Khan, was screened at the Sundance Film Festival and was chosen as India’s official entry to the Oscars for the 79th Academy Awards.The film was critically acclaimed, as was Mukerji's performance, which Raja Sen called "another perfectly played part". In her final release of the year, The Rising, Mukerji played a prostitute, Heera, who is the love interest of the protagonist Mangal Pandey, played by Aamir Khan. Derek Elley of Variety mentioned that she made "the most of her feisty nautch-girl," despite having "a small role for a star of her caliber."
In 2006 she starred in Karan Johar's adult drama Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna; featuring Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Preity Zinta and Kirron Kher. The film opened to mixed reviews but emerged as a major international success with a worldwide gross of 113 crore (US$21 million). The film told the story of two unhappily married couples in New York, which later 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 with Rajeev Masand from CNN-IBN concluding, "Rani looks a million bucks and she dives under the skin of her character to make that part one that we will remember for a long time."She received several nominations for the role, including her sixth Filmfare Best Actress nomination, and won the IIFA Best Actress Award for the third consecutive year. Mukerji's next release was B.R. Chopra's tearjerker Baabul alongside Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan and John Abraham. The movie did not do well at the box office in India, but proved to be a hit overseas.Her portrayal of Malvika, a young widow, met with mixed reviews from critics with Sarita Tanwar from Mid Day commenting, "Rani Mukerji breathes life into a somewhat confused character".
From 2007 to 2009, Mukerji featured primarily in films produced by Yash Raj Films (with the exception of Saawariya).Her first release was Siddharth Anand's melodrama Ta Ra Rum Pum, where she played Radhika Rai Banerjee, a pianist turned housewife opposite Saif Ali Khan. The film performed decently at the box office, while her performance was generally well received. Adarsh wrote, "Rani enacts the role of the mother/wife proficiently."Negative reviews, however were directed towards the film itself, with Rajeev Masand writing, "neither Saif Ali Khan nor Rani is able to make much of an impression because their characters are so unidimensional and boring."Her next release of the year was Pradeep Sarkar's drama Laaga Chunari Mein Daag alongside Jaya Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Konkana Sen Sharma and Kunal Kapoor. The film met with mixed reviews, while Mukerji was criticised for playing stereotypical roles that required her to cry often. A review carried by Indian Express noted, "Rani holds the film together, even if her part, both as the ingénue and the hooker, doesn’t have freshness." Her performance nonetheless fetched her another Best Actress nomination at Filmfare. Her final release of the year was Sanjay Leela Bhansali's tragedy Saawariya, where she essayed a smaller part of a sex-worker. The film, which featured debutants Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor in lead roles, was a critical and commercial failure, but Mukerji's performance earned her a fifth Filmfare Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
In 2008, Mukerji was paired with Saif Ali Khan again for Kunal Kohli's Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic. This fantasy film had Mukerji play an angel who comes to Earth to help four troubled kids. The film, which flopped at the box office, met with generally positive reviews from critics.The box office failure of her recent films made Mukerji lose weight and undergo a makeover in her following release, Dil Bole Hadippa (2009). The project, co-starring Shahid Kapoor, saw Mukerji portray a cricket-obsessed Punjabi village girl masquerading as a man. The film, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival under performed at the Indian box office. A review carried by The Economic Times noted, "Mukerji's mock sob-whine-whimper do not amuse anymore. Also after a point you dislike visualizing the charming actress as the moustached male player."
Though her performances in the films during this period were generally well received, none of them performed well commercially, leading to major setbacks in her career.When questioned about working only under the Yash Raj Films banner, she said, "An actor is here to act and pick great roles and scripts. I was getting great roles from Yash Raj at that point, roles that any actor would give an arm to do. I stand by those films regardless of their fate".
In 2011, Mukerji starred in UTV Motion Pictures' semi-biographical thriller, No One Killed Jessica, based on the Jessica Lal murder case. She played the fictional character of a foul-mouthed television journalist, Meera Gaity, deeply involved with the case. In an interview with The Telegraph she said, "It was such a different role to portray. It wasn’t a role that was typical of a Hindi film heroine. Meera was more like a hero. It was a character that actually took the story forward.... Meera made a lot of things happen. It wasn’t something that I had ever done before. I actually had to play a man! "Upon release, Mukerji's performance received mostly positive reviews. The Times of India wrote, "Rani's character being fictional and glamourized seems superficial to an extent but she packs in the punch required for her dynamic character."While other critics praised her performance, with Daily News and Analysis describing it as "one of her best performances till date,"[ several critics were less positive, including Anupama Chopra of NDTV, who called her role, "the fatal, false note in No One Killed Jessica," arguing that "The character is written superficially and Rani’s portrayal of her is equally banal. It’s all about externals. She argues a lot and proudly labels herself a bitch but her hair stays perfectly in place and in the end, she even gets to do a super-hero-like slow motion walk."The film eventually earned 49 crore (US$9.0 million) and was especially noted for being a commercial success, despite the absence of any prominent male actors.Consequently, Mukerji won her third Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Mukerji followed the success of No One Killed Jessica with a leading role in Sachin Kundalkar's Aiyyaa (2012); a comedy of manners co-starring Prithviraj. She played Meenakshi Deshpande, a woman with a heightened sense of smell who develops a one-sided attraction towards Prithiviraj's character. Critically and commercially unsuccessful, Aiyyaa generated positive comments for Mukerji's performance alone.Rediff.com criticised her decision to star in the film and wrote, "Rani, as fine an actor that one gets in Bollywood, gets no support from the way her character is written but nevertheless is a joy to watch."Later that year, Mukerji earned critical appreciation for her portrayal of Roshni Shekhawat, a mother who loses her only child in a boating accident, in Reema Kagti's supernatural thriller Talaash: The Answer Lies Within. Co-starring Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor, the film proved an economic success with gross earnings of over 174 crore (US$32 million). Ronnie Schieb of Variety mentioned Mukerji as "vivid" in a "quietly sympathetic role"; Saibal Chatterjee added, "A deglamorised Rani Mukerji plays her role with finesse and a great sense of empathy".She received Best Supporting Actress nominations at several award ceremonies, including Filmfare.
As of January 2013, Mukerji will star in the anthology film Bombay Talkies, in the segment directed by Karan Johar, alongside Saqib Saleem and Randeep Hooda.
In 2009, Mukerji made her television debut as a talent judge with the reality show Dance Premier League on Sony Entertainment Television. She explained her stint with television, saying that it made her "more accessible" to the audience and helped her "gain visibility when [she was] not doing too many films." In 2011, she reprised her role of Meera Gaity on the TV series C.I.D. in a guest appearance to promote her film No One Killed Jessica.
Involved with several social causes, Mukerji remarked, "It's my dream that every child in India is educated because the way India is growing I don't think without education, we can see a very bright future. So if we want a bright future for our country, I think education is foremost." Mukerji has stated that she feels strongly for causes that affect women, because, "it angers me to know that women are ill-treated".In March 2004, Mukerji visited the desert of Rajasthan, where she spent a day at the army training base to boost the morale of the jawan troops. The visit was conducted for a NDTV show, Jai Jawan, on which entertainers and actors visit Indian troops. In February 2005, Mukerji performed at the HELP! Telethon Concert to help raise money for the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake alongside several other Bollywood stars.In March 2006, Mukerji interacted with the physically challenged children of the Helen Keller Institute, during her birthday celebrations. She had previously worked with them while researching for her role in Black.In November 2010, she was part of a fund raising auction for the "Because I am a Girl" charity campaign.
Among her stage performances, Mukerji has participated in two world tours. Her first concert, Magnificent Five was in the year 1999 with actors Aamir Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Akshaye Khanna and Twinkle Khanna. Five years later, she was a part of the Temptations 2004 concert. Mukerji performed alongside Shahrukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Preity Zinta, Arjun Rampal and Priyanka Chopra in nineteen stage shows across the globe.Mukerji was also part of the Temptations 2005 concert in New Delhi. She helped to raise funds for the National Centre For Promotional of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP), a disabled rights' group, with the show which also featured Shah Rukh Khan, Fardeen Khan, Ameesha Patel and Malaika Arora Khan. In 2010, Mukerji joined Shahrukh Khan, Arjun Rampal, Ishaa Koppikar, among others for a concert at the Army Stadium, Dhaka, Bangladesh to a packed audience. For the Temptations Reloaded concert of 2012 in Jakarta, Mukerji performed alongside Shahrukh Khan, Preity Zinta and Bipasha Basu.
Rani uses the English transliteration of "Mukerji" instead of the original "Mukherjee" for her surname. She has never clarified the reason for having done so.Mukerji has three homes in Mumbai, including her childhood home. She currently lives in Juhu with her parents.
Mukerji is extremely guarded about her personal life, and despite constant media speculation, has never spoken about her relationships. However, in an interview with Simi Garewal she claimed to have been "absolutely in love", without divulging the name of the person.As opposed to most of her contemporaries, Mukerji limits her media interactions and is often termed as a recluse. However in 2011, in an interview to Screen India she clarified, "Today actors have become more open with the media. But this has posed a problem for actors like me because if I don’t do that, then I end up being called reclusive. So now I have changed myself and am easily approachable." She is additionally known for her friendly image and shares a close friendship with several Bollywood stars including Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan and Karan Johar.
In June 2005, Mukerji was widely criticised following the publication of an interview with British newspaper Desi Xpress. Mukerji was asked to name her idol and she replied, "Adolf Hitler".However, in an interview with Times Now a year later, she denied ever mentioning Hitler's name. In November 2006, Mukerji was shooting for the film Laaga Chunari Mein Daag in Varanasi when avid fans crowded the set. Security personnel beat the crowd back.A media storm followed as various groups insisted that Mukerji should have stopped the security guards. Mukerji later issued an apology.
Mukerji occupied the top slot of Box Office India's Top Actresses list for two years in a row (2005–2006). She was also placed number one on Rediff's Top Bollywood Female Stars Rankings for three consecutive years (2004–2006), while in 2007, she was ranked at number five. In February 2006, Filmfare placed her eighth amongst the "Ten Most Powerful Names of Bollywood", an achievement she repeated from the previous year, where she was ranked at number ten, the only woman on the list. In 2007, she was ranked at number five. On Women's International Day 2007, Mukerji came in fourth on the Best Bollywood Actresses Ever listing. She was placed at number 36 by the UK magazine, Eastern Eye, as one of Asia's Sexiest Women (2006).Mukerji is frequently featured in various lists by Rediff.com, including, Bollywood's Most Beautiful Actresses, Bollywood's Best Dressed Womenand Women of Many Faces.In 2013, she was honoured by the US Embassy, on the day of Barack Obama's inauguration into office, for her contribution to Indian cinema.
Rani Mukherjee Hot Acterss Wallpapers Photos Heroines Masala Actress Movie PIcs Navel Movies Stills
Rani Mukherjee Hot Acterss Wallpapers Photos Heroines Masala Actress Movie PIcs Navel Movies Stills
Rani Mukherjee Hot Acterss Wallpapers Photos Heroines Masala Actress Movie PIcs Navel Movies Stills
Rani Mukherjee Hot Acterss Wallpapers Photos Heroines Masala Actress Movie PIcs Navel Movies Stills
Rani Mukherjee Hot Acterss Wallpapers Photos Heroines Masala Actress Movie PIcs Navel Movies Stills
Rani Mukherjee Hot Acterss Wallpapers Photos Heroines Masala Actress Movie PIcs Navel Movies Stills
Rani Mukherjee Hot Acterss Wallpapers Photos Heroines Masala Actress Movie PIcs Navel Movies Stills
Rani Mukherjee Hot Acterss Wallpapers Photos Heroines Masala Actress Movie PIcs Navel Movies Stills
Rani Mukherjee Hot Acterss Wallpapers Photos Heroines Masala Actress Movie PIcs Navel Movies Stills
Rani Mukherjee Hot Acterss Wallpapers Photos Heroines Masala Actress Movie PIcs Navel Movies Stills
Rani Mukherjee Hot Acterss Wallpapers Photos Heroines Masala Actress Movie PIcs Navel Movies Stills
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