Rani Mukerji
Rani Mukerji ( born 21 March 1978) is an Indian actress. Through her Bollywood career, she has become one of the most high-profile celebrities in India, winning several awards, including seven Filmfare Awards. Her film roles have been cited as a significant departure from the traditional portrayal of women in Bollywood.
Although Mukerji was born into the Mukherjee-Samarth family, in which her parents and relatives were members of the Indian film industry, she did not aspire to pursue a career in film. However, while still a teenager she dabbled with acting by playing a supporting role in her father's Bengali language film Biyer Phool (1996) and later accepted a leading role in the 1997 social drama Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat on the insistence of her mother. She then began a full-time career in film and gained recognition for a supporting role in the romance Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998). After this initial success in her career, Mukerji's films fared poorly at the box office for the next three years. Her career prospects improved when Yash Raj Films cast her as the star of the drama Saathiya (2002).
By 2004, Mukerji had established herself as a leading actress of Bollywood with roles in the romantic comedy Hum Tum, and the dramas Yuva and Veer-Zaara. She achieved further success for portraying a deaf, blind and mute woman in the acclaimed drama Black (2005) and an unhappily married woman in Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006). Mukerji then collaborated with Yash Raj Films on several unsuccessful films which led critics to criticise her for choosing poor roles and pairing with the same set of actors. The semi-biographical thriller No One Killed Jessica (2011) proved to be her first box office hit in four years, and she followed it by starring in the successful thrillers Talaash: The Answer Lies Within (2012) and Mardaani (2014).
In addition to acting in films, Mukerji is involved with several humanitarian causes and is lcal about issues faced by women and children. She has participated in concert tours and stage shows, and featured as a talent judge for the 2009 reality show Dance Premier League. Though she is reticent to discuss her personal life in public, her off-screen life is the subject of substantial media coverage in India. She is married to filmmaker Aditya Chopra, with whom she has a daughter.
Early life and background
Rani Mukerji was born in Mumbai on 21 March 1978.Her father, Ram Mukherjee (born to the Mukherjee-Samarth family), is a former film director and one of the founders of Filmalaya Studios. Her mother, Krishna Mukherjee, is a former playback singer. Her elder brother, Raja Mukherjee, is a film producer and director.Her maternal aunt, Debashree Roy, is a Bengali film actress and her paternal cousin, Kajol, is a Hindi film actress and her contemporary.Another paternal cousin, Ayan Mukerji, is a scriptwriter and film director.Despite her parents and most of her relatives being members of the Indian film industry, Mukerji was uninterested in pursuing a career in film.She said, "There were already too many actresses at home and I wanted to be someone different".
Mukerji received her education at Maneckji Cooper High School in Juhu and graduated with a degree in Home Science from SNDT Women's University. She is a trained Odissi dancer and began learning the dance form while in the tenth grade.As part of an annual tradition, the Mukherjee family celebrates the festival of Durga Puja in the suburban neighbourhood of Santacruz every year. Mukerji, a practising Hindu, takes part in the festivities with her entire family.
In 1994, director Salim Khan approached her to play the lead female role in his directorial, Aa Gale Lag Jaa. Her father disapproved of a full-time career in film at such a young age, so she rejected the offer. At the age of eighteen, Mukerji experimented with acting by portraying a supporting role in her father's Bengali language film Biyer Phool (1996).The film starred Prosenjit and Indrani Haldar in lead roles and narrates the story of two sisters; Mukerji played the younger sibling of Haldar's character. Soon after, Khan approached her with another film offer to play the protagonist of the social drama Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat, Mukerji accepted the role due to her mother's insistence that she continue to pursue acting on an experimental basis. Before she began work on the film, Mukerji trained at Roshan Taneja's acting institute.
Mukerji received her education at Maneckji Cooper High School in Juhu and graduated with a degree in Home Science from SNDT Women's University. She is a trained Odissi dancer and began learning the dance form while in the tenth grade.As part of an annual tradition, the Mukherjee family celebrates the festival of Durga Puja in the suburban neighbourhood of Santacruz every year. Mukerji, a practising Hindu, takes part in the festivities with her entire family.
In 1994, director Salim Khan approached her to play the lead female role in his directorial, Aa Gale Lag Jaa. Her father disapproved of a full-time career in film at such a young age, so she rejected the offer. At the age of eighteen, Mukerji experimented with acting by portraying a supporting role in her father's Bengali language film Biyer Phool (1996).The film starred Prosenjit and Indrani Haldar in lead roles and narrates the story of two sisters; Mukerji played the younger sibling of Haldar's character. Soon after, Khan approached her with another film offer to play the protagonist of the social drama Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat, Mukerji accepted the role due to her mother's insistence that she continue to pursue acting on an experimental basis. Before she began work on the film, Mukerji trained at Roshan Taneja's acting institute.
Career
Debut and public recognition (1997–99)
Mukerji portrayed a rape victim who is forced to marry her rapist in Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat, which released in 1997. Although the film was a commercial failure,Mukerji's performance was praised, and she won a special recognition trophy at the annual Screen Awards ceremony. Following the film's poor showing at the box office, Mukerji returned to college to complete her education. However, inspired by her cousin Kajol's success in Bollywood, she decided to pursue a full-time career in films.
In 1998, Mukerji starred opposite Aamir Khan in Vikram Bhatt's Ghulam (1998), her first commercial success.Though her role in the film was small, the song "Aati Kya Khandala" earned her widespread recognition. Due to Mukerji's broken voice texture, Bhatt hired a dubbing artist with a much higher pitched voice to dub for her lines. When asked if the director's decision to not use her voice in the film affected her, she said that her voice was dubbed as it "did not suit the character".
Later that year, Karan Johar cast Mukerji opposite Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol in his directorial debut Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. The role was originally written for Twinkle Khanna, but when she rejected it, Johar signed Mukerji on the insistence of Khan and Aditya Chopra.Johar had originally intended that a dubbing artist dub Mukerji's lines in the film, but she improved her diction and eventually dubbed for her own lines.She portrayed Tina Malhotra, a college student who is in a relationship with Khan's character. Writing for India Today, film critic Nandita Chowdhury considered Mukerji to be the scene-stealer and added, "Oozing oomph from every pore, she [..] proves herself an actress whose time has come." Kuch Kuch Hota Hai proved a breakthrough for Mukerji; it emerged as a blockbuster in India and abroad with earnings of over ₹1.03 billion (US$15 million), and won eight Filmfare Awards, including a Best Supporting Actress trophy for Mukerji.
Following the success of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Mukerji played leading roles in the social drama Mehndi (1998) and the comedy Hello Brother (1999). Both these films were critical and commercial disappointments which failed to propel her career forward.
In 1998, Mukerji starred opposite Aamir Khan in Vikram Bhatt's Ghulam (1998), her first commercial success.Though her role in the film was small, the song "Aati Kya Khandala" earned her widespread recognition. Due to Mukerji's broken voice texture, Bhatt hired a dubbing artist with a much higher pitched voice to dub for her lines. When asked if the director's decision to not use her voice in the film affected her, she said that her voice was dubbed as it "did not suit the character".
Later that year, Karan Johar cast Mukerji opposite Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol in his directorial debut Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. The role was originally written for Twinkle Khanna, but when she rejected it, Johar signed Mukerji on the insistence of Khan and Aditya Chopra.Johar had originally intended that a dubbing artist dub Mukerji's lines in the film, but she improved her diction and eventually dubbed for her own lines.She portrayed Tina Malhotra, a college student who is in a relationship with Khan's character. Writing for India Today, film critic Nandita Chowdhury considered Mukerji to be the scene-stealer and added, "Oozing oomph from every pore, she [..] proves herself an actress whose time has come." Kuch Kuch Hota Hai proved a breakthrough for Mukerji; it emerged as a blockbuster in India and abroad with earnings of over ₹1.03 billion (US$15 million), and won eight Filmfare Awards, including a Best Supporting Actress trophy for Mukerji.
Following the success of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Mukerji played leading roles in the social drama Mehndi (1998) and the comedy Hello Brother (1999). Both these films were critical and commercial disappointments which failed to propel her career forward.
Career struggles and initial success (2000–03)
By 2000, Mukerji wanted to avoid being type-cast as a "standard Hindi film heroine" and thus decided to portray more challenging roles in addition to the archetypical glamorous female lead. However, none of her film releases in 2000 were particularly notable. In Badal and Bichhoo, two male-centric action dramas (both featuring Bobby Deol in the lead), she played roles that were met with little acclaim from the critics.A supporting role in Kamal Hassan's bilingual film Hey Ram proved more rewarding. The film was a partly fictionalised account of Mahatma Gandhi's assassination and Mukerji portrayed the character of Aparna Ram, a Bengali school teacher who is raped and murdered during communal riots in Calcutta. The controversial subject matter of Hey Ram led to poor box office earnings, but the film was critically acclaimed and selected as India's official entry to the Oscars that year. Mukerji found no success in her next two releases, the comedy Hadh Kar Di Aapne and the romance Kahin Pyaar Na Ho Jaaye. The romantic comedy Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega, however, earned her a Best Supporting Actress nomination at Filmfare and was better received by the critics. Padmaraj Nair of Screen found Mukerji's role to be "too meagre for her to prove herself" but added that "she is quite adequate in whatever scenes she has been given".
The year 2001 was a disappointing one for Mukerji. In a review for her first release of the year, Chori Chori Chupke Chupke, a drama based on surrogate childbirth, film critic Sukanya Verma found Mukerji to be "handicapped with a role that doesn't give her much scope besides weeping and sobbing" and preferred the "meatier" role of her co-star Preity Zinta. In Bas Itna Sa Khwaab Hai and Nayak: The Real Hero, films that failed to garner praise, Mukerji played the love interests of Abhishek Bachchan and Anil Kapoor respectively. In a review for the latter, Sarita Tanwar wrote that "[Mukerji] has very little to do except being part of some magnificently picturised songs".
After three consecutive years of poorly received films, Mukerji's career prospects began to improve in 2002 when Yash Raj Films, a leading production company in India, cast her for two high-profile productions: Mujhse Dosti Karoge!, a romantic comedy co-starring Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor, and Saathiya, a remake of the Tamil box office hit Alaipayuthey.Mujhse Dosti Karoge! was heavily promoted before release and proved a success internationally, but failed to earn profits in India.The romantic drama Saathiya proved a major turning point in her career, winning her a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress in addition to a Best Actress nomination at the same ceremony. Mukerji was director Shaad Ali's only choice to play the lead role; he said, "She was born to play this role. She looked the character. She looked vulnerable. She looked the right age. She was perfect". The film co-starred Vivek Oberoi, and her paternal aunt Tanuja, and proved an economic success. Mukerji's portrayal of Suhani Sharma, a medical student who deals with the tensions and discontent of being married at a young age, met with critical acclaim. The BBC stated that "Mukerji plays the character of a middle class girl with great conviction", and Udita Jhunjhunwala of Mid Dayadded, "Her expressions and acting are understated in a role that fits her like a glove."
In 2003, Mukerji replaced Aishwarya Rai to play the lead female role opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Aziz Mirza's romance Chalte Chalte. Media reports suggested that Rai was replaced after feuding with her then boyfriend Salman Khan on the film's sets, but Shah Rukh Khan insisted that Mukerji had been the original choice for the role. The film's concept was similar to Saathiya and dealt with misunderstandings between a married couple. Mukerji said, "[Unlike Saathiya], Chalte Chalte deals with a more mature and deeper form of love. It is about how a man and woman react to situations. [..] You cannot really get very different with the characters, but you can put them against a different background". The film was well received by both critics and audiences, and the following year Mukerji received a second Best Actress nomination at Filmfare.Also that year, she starred in Milan Luthria's romantic comedy Chori Chori opposite Ajay Devgan, Sudhir Mishra's suspense drama Calcutta Mail, alongside Anil Kapoor and Manisha Koirala, and J.P. Dutta's ensemble war film LOC Kargil.None of these films fared well critically or commercially.
The year 2001 was a disappointing one for Mukerji. In a review for her first release of the year, Chori Chori Chupke Chupke, a drama based on surrogate childbirth, film critic Sukanya Verma found Mukerji to be "handicapped with a role that doesn't give her much scope besides weeping and sobbing" and preferred the "meatier" role of her co-star Preity Zinta. In Bas Itna Sa Khwaab Hai and Nayak: The Real Hero, films that failed to garner praise, Mukerji played the love interests of Abhishek Bachchan and Anil Kapoor respectively. In a review for the latter, Sarita Tanwar wrote that "[Mukerji] has very little to do except being part of some magnificently picturised songs".
After three consecutive years of poorly received films, Mukerji's career prospects began to improve in 2002 when Yash Raj Films, a leading production company in India, cast her for two high-profile productions: Mujhse Dosti Karoge!, a romantic comedy co-starring Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor, and Saathiya, a remake of the Tamil box office hit Alaipayuthey.Mujhse Dosti Karoge! was heavily promoted before release and proved a success internationally, but failed to earn profits in India.The romantic drama Saathiya proved a major turning point in her career, winning her a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress in addition to a Best Actress nomination at the same ceremony. Mukerji was director Shaad Ali's only choice to play the lead role; he said, "She was born to play this role. She looked the character. She looked vulnerable. She looked the right age. She was perfect". The film co-starred Vivek Oberoi, and her paternal aunt Tanuja, and proved an economic success. Mukerji's portrayal of Suhani Sharma, a medical student who deals with the tensions and discontent of being married at a young age, met with critical acclaim. The BBC stated that "Mukerji plays the character of a middle class girl with great conviction", and Udita Jhunjhunwala of Mid Dayadded, "Her expressions and acting are understated in a role that fits her like a glove."
In 2003, Mukerji replaced Aishwarya Rai to play the lead female role opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Aziz Mirza's romance Chalte Chalte. Media reports suggested that Rai was replaced after feuding with her then boyfriend Salman Khan on the film's sets, but Shah Rukh Khan insisted that Mukerji had been the original choice for the role. The film's concept was similar to Saathiya and dealt with misunderstandings between a married couple. Mukerji said, "[Unlike Saathiya], Chalte Chalte deals with a more mature and deeper form of love. It is about how a man and woman react to situations. [..] You cannot really get very different with the characters, but you can put them against a different background". The film was well received by both critics and audiences, and the following year Mukerji received a second Best Actress nomination at Filmfare.Also that year, she starred in Milan Luthria's romantic comedy Chori Chori opposite Ajay Devgan, Sudhir Mishra's suspense drama Calcutta Mail, alongside Anil Kapoor and Manisha Koirala, and J.P. Dutta's ensemble war film LOC Kargil.None of these films fared well critically or commercially.
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