Rani Mukerji Opens Up About Losing Her Second Child Due To Miscarriage: ‘My Sense Of Loss…’

Rani Mukerji has long been celebrated as one of the most powerful performers in Indian cinema, with a career spanning nearly three decades. As she prepares for the release of Mardaani 3, the next chapter in her acclaimed cop franchise, the National Award-winning actor has opened up about one of the most personal and emotionally challenging phases of her life—and how cinema helped her navigate it.

In an interaction with Pinkvilla, Rani reflected on her approach to choosing meaningful stories and spoke candidly about how Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway came to her at a time of profound personal loss. The 2023 film, which went on to earn her a National Award, arrived during a deeply vulnerable period following her miscarriage with her second child in 2020.

‘The story came to me at a moment of deep loss’

Talking about how she selects projects that create impact and spark conversations, Rani shared that Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway resonated with her instantly because of the emotional space she was in at the time. She revealed, “Wo jo kahani thi wo mujhe bhi aise ek mod pe hua tha, matlab wo film mere paas aayi thi, jab maine mera dusra baccha kho diya tha. Toh yeh sense of loss tha mera bohot aur wo kahani sunke mai itna judd gayi aur maine bola ye kahani mujhe batani hai.” (That story came to me at a time when I had lost my second child [due to a miscarriage]. So my sense of loss was huge, and hearing that film’s story, I got attached to it and wanted to tell it to people.)

The emotional core of the film—centred on a mother separated from her child—mirrored her own grief, making the project deeply personal. For Rani, stepping into the role became a way to process emotions while also shedding light on a story she felt strongly needed to be told.

Rani further explained that beyond personal healing, the film allowed her to address larger societal realities. She spoke about the struggles faced by families living overseas and the emotional toll such situations can take, particularly on mothers.

She said, “[Mujhe] Hindustan ko yeh kahani batani hai aur unko batana hai ki humara jo obsession hai ki hum bahargaon jayein, hum wahan pe settle karenge, ye sacchai nahi hai, sacchai bohot hatke hai.”
(I wanted to show this film to the people of India, where we are obsessed with moving abroad and settling there. I wanted to show the reality, which is very different.)

Highlighting the emotional devastation of forced separation, Rani added, “Apne bacchon ke bina ek maa ka kya haal hota hai aur aapka baccha aapse leke koi chale jaye aapki aankhon ki saamne toh us maa pe kya gujarti hai, bacchon pe kya gujarti hai [wo dikhana tha].” (I wanted to show what happens to a mother when her child is taken away from her in front of her eyes, and how deeply it affects the children too.)

Rani Mukerji and her husband, filmmaker Aditya Chopra, are parents to a daughter, Adira, born in 2015. In 2023, the actor had spoken publicly about experiencing a miscarriage five months into her pregnancy in 2020.