Rani’s emotional post before ‘Mardaani 3’: A wonderful journey of 3 decades

Entertainment: Rani Mukerji on Monday reflected on her three-decade-long journey in cinema. She described it as a path that began with “curiosity, fear, and a deep love for stories” and blossomed into a career where she lives many different lives on screen. Sharing a heartfelt post through Yash Raj Films ahead of the release of her new film, Mardaani 3, Mukerji said that despite her years of experience, she still feels like a newcomer, ready to embrace new cinematic challenges. The daughter of late filmmaker Ram Mukherjee and playback singer Krishna Mukherjee, Rani made her acting debut with the 1996 film Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat. She wrote, “I believe actors are conduits of ideas and creativity, and I am truly blessed to have been an actor. As long as there are stories to tell and emotions to explore, I will remain a student of this beautiful, demanding art.” “Thank you for letting me live so much. Even today, I feel like a newcomer, eager to do better, work harder, and start a completely new chapter in my life right now.” At 47, Mukherjee recalled that acting wasn’t a dream she chased—it found her. She said, “As a young girl, drawn to cinema almost by accident, I was a little hesitant at first… and yet, somewhere between intuition and vulnerability, I fell in love with this art. Cinema has a strange way of numbing emotions. Deep inside, I’m still that nervous girl standing in front of the camera for the first time, hoping I won’t forget my lines, hoping I belong there.” She added that her journey in films has always been guided by “curiosity, fear, and a deep love for stories, exploring the human mind through characters.” Mukherjee explained that she is drawn to strong women who challenge the world around them: “Whether it’s the spirited small-town girl with big dreams in Bunty Aur Babli, the fiery journalist in No One Killed Jessica, or the relentlessly assertive police officer in Mardaani, I feel a deep connection to characters who refuse to back down, who aim to break patriarchy and do so with grace.” Mukherjee also spoke about how marriage and motherhood changed her approach to her career. She said, “They didn’t slow me down—they increased my focus. I became more selective, protective of my energy, and conscious of the legacy I want to create and the films I want to lend my voice to.” Her 2023 film, Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway, which won her her first National Award for Best Actress, further strengthened her belief in the universal power of emotional truth. “A mother fighting a system bigger than herself is a story that needs no language. The response to that film taught me something profound: audiences still love honest and heartfelt stories. Playing a mother won me my first National Award, and I believe the universe placed this role for me at the right time—when I became a mother and truly understood what a woman can do for her child,” she added. Looking back, Mukherjee said that longevity in cinema isn’t about staying relevant—it’s about staying honest. “I’ve made decisions that have surprised people, sometimes even surprised me. I’ve taken breaks, made comebacks on my own terms, and trusted my inner voice, even when they went against the trend. I’m grateful to everyone who believed in me—the directors who challenged me, the co-actors who inspired me, the technicians who worked tirelessly behind the scenes, and the audiences who grew with me, questioned me, and stood by me. Cinema is a collaboration, and I’ve never walked this path alone,” she said.