Born:
Kolkata, West Bengal, India, March 21, 1978
Other name:
Rani Mukherji, Rani Mukerjee
Occupation:
Film actress
Years active:
1996–present

Rani Mukerji born on March 21, 1978, is an award winning Indian film actress who works in Bollywood movies.

Making her acting debut with Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat (1996), Mukerji had her first commercial success with Karan Johar's romance Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), her biggest hit so far, and won her a Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award for her performance in the film. She later starred in many films, most of which fared below expectations. She re-invented her image with Saathiya (2002), which was commercially and critically successful.

In 2004, her performances in the hit Hum Tum and the critically acclaimed Yuva earned her the Best Actress and the Best Supporting Actress awards at the Filmfare, making her the first actress to win two major awards in the same year. She received unanimous praise for her role as a deaf-blind girl in the film Black (2005), as well as many awards for her memorable performance, establishing herself as a leading actress in Bollywood.

Career

Early work, until 1997

While in school at the age of 14, Mukerji did a cameo role in her father's Bengali film Biyar Phool (1992). Four years later, she played the protagonist of Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat (1996). When the film was unsuccessful at the box office, Mukerji returned to college to complete her education.

Breakthrough, 1998 - 2002

Mukerji's first release in 1998 was Ghulam opposite Aamir Khan, which did very well at the box office. Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) came next, starring Shahrukh Khan and Kajol. The movie was a blockbuster and she received her first Filmfare Award in the Best Supporting Actress category.

After this she signed on several projects. Unfortunately, most of the movies did not do well at the box office. However, Badal was one of the highest grossing films of 2000.

The year also had her in the lead role of Mujhse Dosti Karoge! (2002) opposite Hrithik Roshan which was her first film with India's biggest production house: Yash Raj Films. Although, the movie did not do well in India, it generated great business overseas, especially in the United Kingdom. Mukerji's next release was Saathiya where she played a medical student who deals with the tensions and discontent of married life. The film was critically appreciated and was amongst the highest grossing movies of the year.

Success, 2003 - present

Mukerji's first movie in 2003, Chalte Chalte opposite Shah Rukh Khan, was a hit, and earned her various nominations in the Best Actress category at various award ceremonies. Among another three releases that year, Mukerji starred in Chori Chori. She portrayed her first comic role in the film, and although it did not do well, Mukerji's comic timing was praised.

In 2004, Mukerji's performance as a Bengali housewife in Yuva won her the Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award. Though the film failed to do well, her performance was critically acclaimed with one critic writing, "the role demanded an actress of substance and Rani more than lives up to the expectations". Her next film was the commercially successful Hum Tum, which won her the Filmfare Best Actress Award. Her last release, Yash Chopra's Veer-Zaara, was the top grossing movie of the year. Mukerji's performance as a Pakistani lawyer in the love saga won her favourable reviews.

In 2005, Mukerji starred in four high-profile films: Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Black, Shaad Ali's Bunty Aur Babli, Amol Palekar's Paheli and Ketan Mehta's The Rising. Mukerji received critical acclaim for her performance in Black for which she collected many trophies in the category of Best Actress at various award ceremonies. When Bhansali first came to Mukerji with the offer, she turned it down. Mukerji stated that she was not confident enough to play such a role as she had no knowledge on the deaf and blind. Once the director put faith in her, she agreed to do it and intensely studied sign language with professionals. To prepare for her role in Black, she had to go through six to seven months of training at the Helen Keller Institute in Mumbai. Her performance was greeted with unanimous praise. Taran Adarsh from Indiafm.com noted, "There's no denying that Rani delivers her best performance to date. With no dialogues in her lap, the actress conveys through expressions solely and what a terrific impact she makes. Here's a performance that should act as a reference guide for all aspiring actors". Her next release, Bunty Aur Babli, surfaced as one of the biggest hits of the year. The film though successful at the box office opened to mixed reviews. Nevertheless, Mukerji received Best Actress nominations from the IIFA Awards and Filmfare Awards.

Mukerji was offered the lead role in Hollywood film, The Namesake but owing to clashing dates with Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, she could not commit to Mira Nair's project. Mukerji had two releases in 2006. The first was Karan Johar's Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, the film opened to mixed reviews but emerged as the most successful movie ever overseas. She received several nominations for Best Actress, and won her third IIFA Best Actress Award for the third consecutive year. Mukerji's next release was B.R. Chopra's Baabul. Although much hyped, the movie did not do well at the box office in India but proved to be a hit overseas. Her role as a widow was appreciated.

Mukerji's first release of 2007 was Ta Ra Rum Pum where she played a mother for the first time on celluloid. The movie was a semi-hit at the box office. Her performance as a pianist turned housewife was generally praised. One critic mentioned, "Rani enacts the role of the mother/wife proficiently". Her next two releases: Laaga Chunari Mein Daag and Saawariya did poorly at the box office.

In recent times, Mukerji is collaborating with her brother to set up a Television studio.

Personal life

Mukerji comes from a film-oriented family of Bengali origin. Her father Ram Mukherjee is a retired director and one of the founders of Filmalaya Studios while her mother Krishna was a playback singer. Her brother Raja Mukherjee is a film producer, now turned director. Her maternal aunt, Debashree Roy, is a national award-winning Bengali film actress and her cousin, Kajol, is a popular Bollywood actress.

Mukerji is a trained Odissi dancer, and began learning the dance in the tenth grade. Mukerji studied at Maneckji Cooper High School in Juhu, and later enrolled at Mithibai College in Mumbai.

Gossip columnists have linked Mukerji to many industry figures, but she has strongly denied every single rumour of romance. Several gossip columns have also claimed that she is regularly in feud with some of the Bollywood actors and actresses, but Mukerji has denied this.

Mukerji changed the English transliteration of her surname from Mukherjee to Mukerji several years ago. At the time, it was reported that she did this for numerological reasons. In 2006, Mukerji stated that numerology was not a concern; her name had been put down as Mukerji on her passport, and she wanted to be consistent.

Mukerji has three homes in Mumbai, including her childhood home. She bought a bungalow in Juhu for herself and her parents in mid-2005. The house went through a two year renovation with the interiors done by Twinkle Khanna and Sussanne Roshan.

Controversies

In June 2005, Mukerji was widely criticized 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.

Famous commitments

Humanitarian work

In March 2004, Mukerji visited the sandy dunes of Rajasthan to boost the morale of the jawans. It was for a show where entertainers and stars visit Indian troops in far-flung regions to encourage them along with the NDTV team.

In February 2005, Mukerji performed at the HELP! Telethon Concert to help raise money for the victims of Tsunami in company with other Bollywood stars.

She was highly involved in the Temptations 2005 show in New Delhi. The actress helped to raise funds for the National Centre For Promotional of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP), a leading disabled rights' group.

Mukerji donated her prize money, her half-share of 50 lakh rupees from her 2007 appearance on Kaun Banega Crorepati with Preity Zinta, to the Holy Family Hospital. She said that this institution looks after children with heart problems which is a major setback in India.

World tours

Mukerji is a stage performer and has participated in two world tours. Her first world tour was in the year 1999 with Aamir Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Akshaye Khanna and Twinkle Khanna. It was called the Magnificent Five. The show was widely watched in every city where it was showcased.

Five years later, Temptations 2004 came along. It was the most successful Bollywood concert in its time. Mukerji performed alongside Shahrukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Preity Zinta, Arjun Rampal and Priyanka Chopra in nineteen stage shows across the globe.

Special events

In 2005, Mukerji was a guest of honour at a state dinner to greet General Pervez Musharraf in company of the Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh. The government found out that she was Begum Musharraf's favourite Bollywood star and invited her. Mukerji was the only Bollywood star on the elite guest list.

She appeared along with various other Bollywood actors at the Closing Ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, as part of a performance showcasing Indian culture, on behalf of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, to be held in Delhi. For her three minutes dance act alongside Saif Ali Khan, she was reportedly paid 1.5 crore rupees.

In the media

Rani Mukerji was on the top slot of Filmfare's 'Top Ten Bollywood Actresses' list for two years in a row (2004-2005). She was also placed number one on Rediff's 'Top Bollywood Female Stars' Rankings for three consecutive years (2004-2006) while in 2007, the actress was ranked at number five.

In February 2006, Filmfare Magazine 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 as the only woman on the male-dominated list. In 2007, she was again the only woman on the list but ranked higher at number five.

On Women's International Day 2007, Mukerji came in the fourth position on the All-Time Best Bollywood Actresses Ever Listing after Madhuri Dixit, Madhubala and Nargis.

She was placed at number #36 by UK magazine Eastern Eye as one of "Asia's Sexiest Women" (Sept/2006). Mukerji is frequently featured in various lists by Rediff.com, among them, Bollywood's Most Beautiful Actresses, Bollywood's Best Dressed Women and Women of Many Faces.

Mukerji appeared twice in Karan Johar's talk show Koffee with Karan. She appeared with Kareena Kapoor in 2004. Her second appearance was during the first episode of the second season along with Shahrukh Khan and Kajol. She made her third appearance with Madhuri Dixit as a surprise guest. Recently, she made her first appearance on a reality show, along with its contestants on Star Voice of India while the finalists performed to a medley of famous songs from her films.