WHAT DRIVES THE ARTISTE IN RANI
Rani Mukerji says she feels connected to strong and challenging characters
Here’s a fun fact that might surprise even diehard fans of actor Rani Mukerji. Growing up, she never wanted to face the camera and it was her mother who convinced her to give acting a shot. And thinking it might be “exciting”, Rani agreed to it with one condition that she would only tell stories that she felt connected to. “Otherwise why am I doing films?” she justifies.
While there’s much talk about female-fronted films being made now, Rani explains she has been doing it since the beginning of her acting career.
“The characters that I’ve portrayed in most of my films have been that of strong women. Somewhere, I always felt connected to them. The roles that I’ve accepted have attracted my interest in some way. For me, portraying such strong characters was essential to show the world how Indian women are. I think this comes from the fact that I never wanted to be an actor in the first place. It was my mother who influenced me and I agreed because I thought filmmaking would be exciting, which, of course, it is, but then your choice of films does matter. They have to be stimulating enough,” she says.
A closer look at her filmography — which includes films such as No One Killed Jessica (2011), Mardaani (2014), and Hichki (2018) — reveals how the actor has been drawn to socially relevant stories. And she admits that challenging characters “drives the artiste within”.
The Mardaani 2 (2019) actor explains, “I need to be excited to go on the sets. Playing characters like Shivani Shivaji Roy (in Mardaani series) is exciting because I’m being someone who is moving forward, and addressing many important issues of our life and society. Such characters and stories, I feel, are important because of their relevance in the current time and age,” she says.
Stressing on the importance of making the right choice, being a social influencer, she adds, “It’s essential to give out the right message. A balance between entertainment and relevant stories needs to be maintained.”
For me, portraying such strong characters was essential to show the world how Indian women are.
RANI MUKERJI ACTOR