Rani Mukerji facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rani Mukerji
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Mukerji in 2018
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| Born | 21 March 1978 Bombay, Maharashtra, India
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| Alma mater | SNDT Women's University |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1996–present |
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Works
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Full list |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 1 |
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| Family | Mukherjee family Chopra family |
| Awards | Full list |
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Rani Mukerji (born 21 March 1978) is a famous Indian actress. She is known for her amazing acting in Hindi films. Rani has won many awards, including eight Filmfare Awards, which are like the Oscars for Indian movies. She was one of the top and highest-paid actresses in the 2000s.
Rani Mukerji comes from the Mukherjee-Samarth family, which has many people in the film industry. She started acting as a teenager in her father's Bengali film Biyer Phool and in Raja Ki Aayegi Baaraat (both in 1996). She became very popular with the action film Ghulam and the romantic movie Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (both in 1998).
Later, Rani starred in many successful films like Chalte Chalte (2003), Hum Tum, Veer-Zaara (both 2004), and Bunty Aur Babli (2005). She also earned praise for her roles in serious dramas like Yuva (2004) and Black (2005), where she played a deaf and blind woman. More recently, she has been successful in thrillers like Mardaani (2014) and Mardaani 2 (2019), and the comedy-drama Hichki (2018). Her film Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway (2023) was also very popular.
Rani Mukerji cares a lot about helping people. She supports causes for women and children. She is married to filmmaker Aditya Chopra and they have a daughter.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Rani Mukerji was born in Bombay (now called Mumbai) on 21 March 1978. Her family, the Mukherjee-Samarth family, has a long history in the Indian film industry. Her father, Ram Mukherjee, was a film director and helped start Filmalaya Studios. Her mother, Krishna Mukherjee, was a singer. Her older brother, Raja Mukherjee, is a film producer and director.
Many of her relatives are also in the film industry. Her aunt, Debashree Roy, is a Bengali film actress. Her cousin, Kajol, is a well-known Hindi film actress. Another cousin, Ayan Mukerji, is a scriptwriter and director. Even though her family was in movies, Rani was not very interested in acting at first. She wanted to do something different.
Rani went to Maneckji Cooper High School and studied Home Science at SNDT Women's University. She also learned Odissi dance, a classical Indian dance form, when she was in tenth grade. Her family celebrates the Durga Puja festival every year, and Rani, who is a Hindu, takes part in the celebrations.
In 1994, director Salim Khan offered Rani a main role in his film Aa Gale Lag Jaa. Her father thought she was too young to work full-time in movies, so she said no. When she was 18, her mother suggested she try acting. Rani then accepted roles in Raja Ki Aayegi Baaraat and her father's Bengali film Biyer Phool. Both movies came out on the same day in October 1996. Before starting Raja Ki Aayegi Baaraat, Rani trained at an acting school. Even though Raja Ki Aayegi Baaraat did not do well at the box office, Rani's acting earned her a special award. After this, she went back to college. But seeing her cousin Kajol's success, Rani decided to become a full-time actress.
Her Film Career
Early Success and Challenges (1998–2001)
In 1998, Rani Mukerji starred with Aamir Khan in the action film Ghulam. This was her first big success. Even though her role was small, the song "Aati Kya Khandala" made her famous. In the same year, Karan Johar cast her in his first movie as a director, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. She acted alongside Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol. Rani played Tina, a character who falls in love with Shah Rukh Khan's character.
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai was a huge hit and made Rani a star. It was the highest-earning Hindi film of that year and won many awards. Rani won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. After this, she appeared in Mehndi (1998) and Hello Brother (1999), but these films were not as successful.
By 2000, Rani wanted to play different kinds of roles, not just the typical glamorous heroine. She took on more challenging parts. She acted in Hey Ram, a film about Mahatma Gandhi's assassination. Rani played a Bengali school teacher. This role was different because she had to act without makeup, which changed her way of acting. The film was praised by critics. She also starred in romantic comedies like Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega, which earned her another Filmfare nomination.
In 2001, Rani's film Chori Chori Chupke Chupke was released. It was about surrogacy. She also appeared in Bas Itna Sa Khwaab Hai and Nayak: The Real Hero. Her last film that year was a small role in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. Many of her roles after Kuch Kuch Hota Hai were not very important.
Becoming a Top Actress (2002–2006)
In 2002, Rani started working with Yash Raj Films. She starred in Mujhse Dosti Karoge! and Saathiya. While Mujhse Dosti Karoge! did not do well, Saathiya was a turning point for her. She played Suhani Sharma, a medical student dealing with the challenges of being married young. Rani received her first Filmfare Award for Best Actress nomination and won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress. Critics praised her natural acting in the film.
The year 2003 was very successful for Rani. She starred with Shah Rukh Khan in Chalte Chalte. This film was a big hit and helped her career a lot. She said working with Shah Rukh Khan taught her a lot.
At the 50th Filmfare Awards, Rani made history by winning both the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress awards in the same year. She won Best Supporting Actress for Yuva (2004), where she played a wife who is treated badly by her husband. She based her role on real-life experiences she observed. She won Best Actress for Hum Tum (2004), a romantic comedy with Saif Ali Khan. This film was one of the biggest hits of the year.
Her success continued with Yash Chopra's romantic drama Veer-Zaara (2004). Rani played a Pakistani lawyer who helps two lovers from India and Pakistan. The film was the highest-earning Hindi film of the year and was shown at the Berlin International Film Festival. Rani's acting was praised for being quiet and dignified. She won the IIFA Award for Best Supporting Actress.
In 2005, Rani was considered one of the most successful actresses in Hindi cinema. Her first film that year was Black, where she played a blind and deaf girl. The director, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, wrote the role just for her. Rani learned sign language to prepare for the role. Black won many awards, and Rani's performance was called "astonishing". She won both the Best Actress and Best Actress – Critics awards at the Filmfare Awards for this role.
Rani also received another Best Actress nomination for Bunty Aur Babli, where she played a clever con woman. This film was the second highest-earning Hindi film of 2005. She then appeared in Paheli, which was shown at the Sundance Film Festival. .....
In 2006, Rani chose to star in Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, a drama about relationships. ..... This film was very popular overseas. Critics praised her acting for making a difficult role believable. She won her third IIFA Award for Best Actress. Her last film that year was Baabul.
Challenges and Comeback (2007–2019)
After some films that didn't do well, Rani starred in Ta Ra Rum Pum (2007), where she played a mother for the first time. The film was a financial success. .....
..... This film was not successful. By the end of 2007, Rani's popularity started to decrease. Some thought it was because she kept working with the same actors and filmmakers.
To try and change things, Rani lost weight and changed her look. She starred in Dil Bole Hadippa! (2009), where she played a girl who pretends to be a man to play cricket. The film was shown at the Toronto International Film Festival, but it was not a big hit. Rani also appeared as a judge on the reality show Dance Premier League to stay visible during this time.
In 2011, Rani's performance in No One Killed Jessica was highly praised. She played a strong journalist investigating a real-life murder case. This film was a big success, especially because it did well without a male star. Rani won her third Best Supporting Actress award at Filmfare for this role.
She then starred in the comedy Aiyyaa (2012), which was not successful. However, she found more success in the thriller Talaash: The Answer Lies Within, where she played a mother dealing with the death of her child. The film was one of the highest-earning Hindi films of the year.
In 2013, Rani was part of Bombay Talkies, a film made of four short stories. She played a journalist who discovers her husband is gay. The film was shown at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. In 2014, Rani starred in the crime thriller Mardaani. ..... To prepare, she met with police officers and learned self-defense techniques. Critics praised her strong performance, and the film was a commercial success. She received another Best Actress nomination for this role.
After having her daughter, Rani took a four-year break from acting. Her husband encouraged her to return. She found a perfect role in the comedy-drama Hichki (2018). In this film, she played Naina Mathur, a teacher with Tourette syndrome who teaches underprivileged children. Rani worked hard to make her character's tics seem real. The film was a huge success, especially in China, and became her highest-earning film. This success made Rani want to act more often. She received another Best Actress nomination for Hichki.
Rani played Shivani Shivaji Roy again in Mardaani 2 (2019). ..... Critics praised Rani's strong performance, and the film did well at the box office. She earned another nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress.
Recent Work (2020–present)
In 2021, Rani returned as Babli in Bunty Aur Babli 2. While the film itself did not do well, Rani's acting and comedic timing were praised. Her next film was Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway (2023), a drama based on a true story about a Bengali woman whose children were taken by Norwegian child welfare services. Rani based her character's way of speaking and actions on her own mother. Even though some critics found the film overly dramatic, it became a surprise hit. Rani won her third Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress for her performance.
Rani Mukerji is expected to star in a new family drama by filmmaker Shonali Bose. She will also appear in the action sequel Mardaani 3 and reunite with Shah Rukh Khan in the action thriller King.
Personal Life
Rani Mukerji likes to keep her personal life private. She doesn't interact much with the media, which sometimes makes people call her a "recluse." However, she said in 2011 that she has changed and is now more approachable. She is good friends with actors Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan, and filmmaker Karan Johar. Rani does not use social media because she prefers to keep a low profile.
For a long time, there were many rumors about Rani's relationship with filmmaker Aditya Chopra. She never talked about it publicly. On 21 April 2014, she married Aditya Chopra in a private ceremony in Italy. The next year, she gave birth to their daughter, Adira. Rani has said that being a mother is the happiest time of her life. She believes it's important for mothers to have a career and use their time well. In 2023, she shared that she had a miscarriage in 2020. Rani is a Hindu and actively takes part in Hindu festivals like Durga Puja.
Off-Screen Work and Causes
Stage Shows and Appearances
Rani Mukerji has performed in many concert tours and award shows. Her first concert tour was "Magnificent Five" in 1999, where she performed with other actors like Aamir Khan and Aishwarya Rai. She also performed in the "Temptations 2004" concert with Shah Rukh Khan and other stars, which was a big international Bollywood concert. The next year, she performed in "Temptations 2005" to help raise money for people with disabilities.
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In 2010, Rani performed at a concert in Dhaka, Bangladesh, with Shah Rukh Khan and other Bollywood actors. She also joined "Temptations Reloaded" concerts in 2012 and 2013 in places like Jakarta and Auckland. In 2014, she performed in Malaysia.
Rani has also appeared in documentaries like Bollywood im Alpenrausch and The Romantics. She was also in the music video "Tera Chehra" with Adnan Sami.
Helping Others
Besides acting, Rani Mukerji is very involved in helping people. She speaks out about issues affecting women and children. She was chosen as an ambassador for a program called Shiksha, which promotes children's education. In 2011, she started a fund to help stroke patients who cannot afford treatment.
She often makes public appearances to support charities. In March 2004 and August 2014, she visited Indian army soldiers in Rajasthan and Baramulla for a TV show. In February 2005, she joined other Bollywood actors in a telethon to raise money for victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.
In March 2006, Rani celebrated her birthday with children from the Helen Keller Institute, whom she had worked with for her role in Black. In November 2010, she helped raise money for the "Because I am a Girl" charity campaign. .....
Rani has also appeared on the game show Kaun Banega Crorepati (both Hindi and Bengali versions) and donated her prize money to hospitals and other charities. In 2012, PETA India gave her an award for her kindness towards animals. She also supports cancer awareness campaigns. In 2023, she was honored for her work with various foundations and programs, including the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Mission).
Her Acting Style
Rani Mukerji is seen as one of the most popular and talented actresses in Indian cinema. She had some ups and downs early in her career but then became a big star. When she first started, some people thought she was "plump" and "short" compared to her successful cousin Kajol. But Rani worked hard and became a successful star on her own.
Rani's directors have noted how much she prepares for her roles. She gets very focused and wants to know everything about her character, including their background and thoughts.
Rani tries to avoid playing the same type of role repeatedly. She is known for her versatility, meaning she can play many different kinds of characters. She balances big blockbuster movies with smaller, more meaningful films. She is brave enough to take on roles that other actresses might not. Rani is also known for her unique "husky" voice, her expressive eyes, and her smile. Filmfare magazine described her as "Earthy, effervescent and emotional," adding that her presence on screen is unmatched.
Forbes India said that Rani is one of the best actors of her generation. She can easily understand her characters and become that person on screen. She is seen as a strong, independent woman who made it on her own terms. When she returned to acting with Hichki, many compared her to actress Sridevi, saying she proved she is still very important in the industry.
Rani Mukerji was the first and only Indian actress to win both the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress Filmfare awards in the same year. She also achieved another first by winning both the Best Actress - Critics and Best Actress awards for the same film in the same year.
In the Media
Rani Mukerji has often been listed among the highest-paid actresses in Bollywood. Box Office India included her in their "Top Bollywood Actresses" list for six years and she was number one for two years (2005–2006). She was also ranked high in their "All Time Top Actress" list.
Rediff.com named her the "Best Bollywood Actress" for three years in a row (2004–2006). She also appeared in their lists of "Bollywood's Best Actresses of all time" and "Bollywood's Wonder Women." In 2013, she was featured among the "Greatest Bollywood Stars" in a UK poll celebrating 100 years of Indian cinema. Filmfare included her in their "Ten Most Powerful People in Bollywood" list for two years.
Rani has also been featured in lists of the most beautiful actresses. Femina included her in their "50 Most Beautiful Women" list in 2007 and 2008. .....
In 2011, an American music group called Blue Scholars even named a song after her. In 2014, Rani was honored by the US Council for her contributions to Indian Cinema. In 2017, the Government of Mauritius gave her an award for Excellence in Cinema. In 2018, she received an award at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. Rani was also among the ten people honored as "Most Powerful Entertainers of the Decade" by IIFA-FICCI Frames.
Rani Mukerji has been a celebrity endorser for many brands and products, including Dabur Amla, Titan Raga, Nestlé Munch, Fanta, and Good Knight. In 2024, she was ranked 27th on IMDb's list of 100 Most Viewed Indian Stars.
Awards and Recognitions
Rani Mukerji has won eight Filmfare Awards.
- She won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for her roles in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Yuva (2004), and No One Killed Jessica (2011).
- She won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for Hum Tum (2004) and Black (2005).
- She won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress for Saathiya (2002), Black (2005), and Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway (2023).
See also
In Spanish: Rani Mukerji para niños
- List of Indian film actresses
- List of Bengali actresses
- List of Bollywood Clans: The Mukherjees
