Rani Mukerji, Debashree Roy Spotted In Kolkata's Kalighat Temple - How Are The Two National Award Winning Actors Related?

Mardaani 3 actress Rani Mukerji was recently spotted in the City of Joy, Kolkata as part of the film's post-release promotional tour. Pictures from her visit as well as videos have been widely circulating on social media, where the actress along with Bengali actress Debashree Roy can be seen paying obeisance at the revered Kalighat Temple in the city. Interestingly, both performers are National Award winning actors. While Rani Mukerji won for her powerful performance as a mother fighting for her children in Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway at the 71st National Film Awards, Debashree Roy was conferred with the National Film Award for Best Actress in 1995 for her act in the Bengali film Unishe April, directed by the late Rituparno Ghosh. But did you know

that Rani Mukerji and Debashree Roy are actually related?

How Are Rani Mukerji And Debashree Roy Related?

While both are powerhouse talents in their respective industries, not many people are aware that Rani Mukerji and Debashree Roy are actually related by blood! Debashree Roy was born and broughtup in Kolkata to father Birendra Kishore Roy and mother Arati Roy. The Roys had seven children - Purnima Lahiri, Krishna Mukherjee, Ramendra Kishore Roy, Mrigen Roy, Tanusree Bhattacharya and Debashree Roy. It was Debashree's elder sister Krishna who married filmmaker Ram Mujherjee and had two children Raja Mukherjee and actress Rani Mukerji. So, in reality, Debashree Roy is actually Ranu Mukerji's mausi or maternal-aunt.

Rani Mukerji and Debashree Roy’s National Award Win

In the late eighties Debashree Roy and actor Prosenjit Chatterjee formed a successful pairing in a string of films starting with the 1987 Bimal Roy project Samrat O Sundari. Roy shared the screen with Chatterjee for the final time in Rituparno Ghosh’s critically acclaimed Unishe April (1994). In the film, she portrayed Aditi, a deeply troubled young woman who attempts to take her own life after her boyfriend refuses to marry her, only to be interrupted by her mother. This was the film which earned her a National Award. She would go on to collaborate once more with Rituparno Ghosh for the second time in his National Award winning Bengali film Asukh (1999).Rani Mukerji’s National Award Win is more recent. Mukerji won her first-ever National Film Award for Best Actress at the 71st National Film Awards that was announced in September last year. She won it for her compelling performance as a mother fighting for her children in Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway. She had gone on to describe the win as deeply personal and emotional.Rani Mukerji also recently marked an important milestone, celebrating 30 years in Indian cinema.