‘I CHANNELISE MY EMOTIONS, ENERGY INTO MY WORK’
my emotions, energy into my work’
Her daughter’s birth gave her immense joy. And her father’s death left her with “extreme pain”. Bollywood actor Rani Mukerji says she channelises all her emotions and energy into her work. Rani, who is married to filmmaker Aditya Chopra, gave birth to their daughter Adira in December 2015. Has motherhood changed her?
“Yes, with a child we undergo a huge transformation,” Rani said in an interview. “I felt what true love is. That happens with motherhood... Till I had my child, I did not realise how I can love someone more than myself. At the same time, a few months ago I lost my father.”
“So I know what extreme pain feels like,” the actor said, paused and added: “As an actor, I channelise all my emotions and energy into my work. I feel the vacuum of my father, but instead of crying and brooding over it, I channelise the emotions.” Rani’s comeback vehicle Hichki, in which she plays a person suffering Tourette Syndrome a neurological disorder, has won her praise. She is enthused about working more in films and she is glad her daughter has started understanding this.
“She is a very playful child and stays without me when I am working. She is a happy baby. She has begun to understand that I go for work... And I wanted to teach her for a certain time I will go out for work... She should have the security that I will come back,” said the 40-year-old.
From playing a London-returned style diva Tina in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai to a deaf, blind and mute Michelle Mcnally in Black, from the outspoken strong-headed Meera in No One Killed Jessica to police officer Shivani Shivaji Roy in Mardaani – Rani has proved her versatility and acting talent with many films. She says as long as an actor looks relevant to the character he or she portrays on-screen, age “really doesn’t matter”.
“I think it is very important for an actor to look the part. Today, when Aamir Khan plays a father in Dangal, as the character he looked convincing. When he did Dhoom, he completely transformed himself and we did not question his age. The beauty of an actor comes from their transformation for every film. It stays true for a male and female actor. When I play a character, I should look so real to it that the audience will not question my age,” Rani said.
After her father’s death, Rani feels a vacuum in her life, but instead of crying and brooding over it, she prefers to channelise the emotions into her work
Beauty of an actor comes from their transformation for every film. When I play a character, I should look so real that the audience will not question my age