IDENTIFY THE POWER WITHIN, RANI URGES WOMEN
Rani Mukerji feels inspired by real-life female cops
Shreya Mukherjee
As a woman, mother and a public figure, the cause of women’s safety and empowerment is close to Rani Mukerji’s heart. Right from her maiden Bollywood film Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat (1996) to her upcoming drama Mardaani 2, the actor has portrayed strong women characters, and off the screen too doesn’t fear calling a spade a spade.
There is excitement about seeing her in a cop’s avatar again. And Rani says her character in the film is a tribute to all fearless women police officers who have dedicated their lives to their jobs. “When I was offered the script of Mardaani (2014), I had a lot of anger because of the Nirbhaya case. And the character of Shivani Shivaji Roy was giving me that outlet to channelise my energy and my anger,” she says.
At the time, she interacted with several women cops and it made her “feel very inspired that here are these brave women who are doing so much for society .
Her character in the film, she felt, put the focus on all the women police officers.
“Today when you think of a cop, you do picture a lady cop as well. So I think that is something that has happened with Mardaani organically. It’s a film on women cops taking a stand on crime against women. The message is pretty clear that we all need to be aware of the growing threat in our society today and how we can protect ourselves from such incidents,” she explains.
In Rani’s words, her portrayal of Shivani is a culmination of extensive research and interviews with female cops. “We’ve put together everything… I would say it’s my observation, their stories, the way I understood them during our conversations, their body language… Whatever I have absorbed, I have put it in Shivani’s character,” she says.
The actor adds that in Mardaani 2, the audience will see many real-life instances, and that the film raises the issue of how to protect oneself. “Safety is a bigger concern. Today the most important topic is how do you protect yourself,” asks Rani.
She urges every woman to ‘identify the power within’ and face the world headstrong. This is also something she wants to pass on to her daughter Adira, who turns four on Monday (December 9).
That brings us to the question on what special plans she and filmmaker husband Aditya Chopra have for their daughter on the day. “The whole day is dedicated to her. It’s going to be a fun-filled day for all of us, we all are very excited. And I think I am going to get mental on that day,” Rani laughs.
What about the gifts for Adira? This time the mother in Rani comes to the fore. “The love that I give her is the biggest gift, the love that she gives me is my biggest gift. I make sure whatever she likes I make it happen on that day.” You can’t possibly miss the emotions in her voice.
We need to be aware of the growing threat in our society and how we can protect ourselves from such incidents.
ACTOR