Rani’s loving marriage and the free time

Actor Rani Mukerji says five years down the line, she wants to do ‘kickass films’ and have ‘lovely babies’

Actor Rani Mukerji (above), who exchanged vows with producer Aditya Chopra earlier this year, says she is currently enjoying “being married and doing nothing”.

Ask if she sees herself producing or directing a film in the future, the actor, who has completed two decades in Bollywood, says, “There’s nothing stopping me. Adi (Aditya Chopra) would never say no. But I see the way my husband works. He’s the most hard working person in his studio and the last one to leave at night. I wouldn’t want to risk his or the company’s name by doing something juvenile. For now, I’m enjoying being married and doing nothing.”

As for five years from now, she wants to see herself doing some “kickass films” and having “lovely babies”. Rani, who has delivered powerful performances in films like No One Killed Jessica and Mardaani, says that while her husband spotted the talent in her, there are other actors who have been crucial to her career. “Yes, he (Aditya Chopra) did, and so did Shah Rukh (Khan). Aamir (Khan) recommended me to Mukesh Bhatt and Vikram Bhatt for Ghulam (1998). These three men have been integral to my career,” said the actor.

She also recalls the time when filmmaker Karan Johar asked her to lose weight before Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. “Karan is so hyper. If you see that scene today, where’s the weight? I was actually happy that I didn’t look like everyone else. Today, people think about it far more than we used to,” says the actor.

And with the same ease she accepts that with the changing time and age, she can’t be doing the roles she did when she was in her 20s. Rani feels that “it’s embarrassing for a 37-yearold to do the roles she did in her twenties.” She says she knows what the audience wants. “I’m not delusional. I’m conscious of what the audience wants to see me in,” the actor says.

I can direct. But I can’t risk his (husband, producer Aditya Chopra) name by doing something juvenile - Rani Mukerji, actor