On her 44th birthday, Rani Mukerji opens up about how she envisions her journey in cinema

Mumbai (Maharashtra): Actor Rani Mukerji, who has given the Indian film industry some of the most memorable movies of all time including ‘Mardaani’, ‘Black’, ‘No One Killed Jessica’, ‘Hum Tum’ and ‘Yuva’, turned 44 on Monday.

One of the most celebrated actors, Rani’s career began in the mid-90s and she quickly shot to fame with films like ‘Ghulam’ and ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’. With movies like ‘Hum Tum’, ‘Saathiya’, ‘Veer-Zaara’ and ‘Bunty Aur Babli’, the actor solidified her place in the industry.

Apart from giving the Indian cinema some acting gems, the actor also featured in some of the most popular tracks over the years including ‘Aati Kya Khandala’, ‘Chupke Se’, ‘Hadh Kar Di Aapne’, ‘Say Shava Shava’ and ‘Jee Le Zaraa’.

On her 44th birthday, Rani opened up about her plans to handpick the best scripts going forward and how she is excited to find movies that are about “hope and love” like ‘Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway’.

Talking about her journey so far, Rani said, “It has been an exhilarating journey in cinema so far for me and I hope that it remains the same in the years to come. I have been fortunate enough to collaborate with some of the best minds in the form of directors, producers, actors and technicians who have pushed me to excel on-screen and reinvent myself every single time.”

She added, “I want to continue doing that with every project because I always want to push my boundaries to see where I land. I always knew that my journey will be tough but I sailed through the last 25 years with the audience’s love by my side and my hard work and perseverance.”

The actor further said, “I have never accepted to be typecast or fit in a mould. I have always tried to be part of meaningful films with a very strong female protagonist at the centre of the story. I wanted to be a part of good films with important stories about Indian women. There have been times where I have been blessed with films that have worked and some that missed to make a mark with the audience but I think that’s the best part about our industry. You win some and lose some and that helps you to grow from strength to strength to carve a special place as an individual artiste in a cutthroat industry like ours.”

About her next outing, ‘Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway’, helmed by Ashima Chibber, Rani said, “My next project Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway is a film very close to my heart. I’m hoping that the story of this film will resonate with every Indian the way it did for me and my team. It’s an incredible story of human resilience that will appeal to audiences across the country and across every age group.”

She added, “I’m very emotionally invested in this story as it connected with me as an actor and a mother. These are stories that need to be told. I really hope my next few years in cinema is studded with more such brilliant scripts. I’m hungry for them because these films not only entertain audiences but also deliver a great message to people. I want to do movies that are about hope and love.”

Rani was last seen in ‘Bunty Aur Babli 2’ opposite Saif Ali Khan. The film, which released last year, marked their on-screen reunion after more than a decade. Directed by Varun V Sharma, the film also featured Siddhant Chaturvedi and Sharvari Wagh.