Rani Mukerji Recalls Winning National Award With 'Friend' Shah Rukh Khan: It Was Extra Special Because... - EXCL

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukerji have a long-standing friendship known to all. The duo has co-starred in a number of films including Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Chalte Chalte, Paheli among others. Last year, Rani and SRK achieved a milestone - by receiving their first National Awards respectively. It was a nostalgic and joyful moment for millennials as SRK and Rani shared a heartwarming interaction at the 71st National Film Awards. After Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukerji, and Vikrant Massey received their honours and returned to their seats, a candid moment unfolded that quickly won hearts online. While Rani and Vikrant slipped on their medallions effortlessly, Shah Rukh appeared to struggle with wearing his correctly. Noticing this, Rani, who was seated

beside him, stepped in to help, adjusting the lanyard of his medal. A video of the moment went viral. Recently, in an exclusive interaction with Zoom, Rani reflected on the viral moment and opened up about her bond with SRK over the years.

Rani Mukerji calls receiving first National Award with Shah Rukh Khan 'extra special'

Rani Mukerji opened up about a heartwarming moment with Shah Rukh Khan that went viral, where the two were seen adjusting each other’s medals. Reflecting on the moment, Rani described it as deeply personal and symbolic of a journey shared over decades.“I think all students here today will understand,” Rani said, drawing a parallel between lifelong friendships and their bond. “If you’ve been on a journey with your friends from a very young age, school, college, helping each other through life, then achieving something together on a platform like that becomes extra special. You’re sharing it with someone who started the journey with you.”Speaking fondly of Shah Rukh Khan, Rani added that she has always looked up to him since the beginning of her career. “There’s so much that I imbibed and learned from him - as a professional, as a person, and as an actor. Winning it on that day felt even more special because he has been in the industry for 35 years and I’ve been for 30. With or without National Awards, we’ve never stopped wanting to do our best for our films.”

Rani also spoke about her approach to life and work, saying, “I’m a horse in the Chinese calendar. I believe I keep my blinkers on—I don’t look left or right. I always look ahead and focus on what lies forward.”

Rani Mukerji on friendship with Karan Johar, Salman Khan and Kajol after Kuch Kuch Hota Hai

When asked about her enduring friendships with Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Kajol, and Karan Johar since Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Rani shared a heartfelt message for Gen Z. “These are the friendships you make when you’re ‘nobodies’, not in a negative way, but when the world doesn’t yet know who you’ll become. These friends love you for who you are, not what you’ll be.”The Hum Tum actress further stressed that real friendships are free of expectations. She added, "For me also, these are the friendships that I made at a time when I was a nobody when nobody knew me,they actually made friends with me for who I was as a person. And in friendship, there is no give and take. Never ever think, I did this for you, so you should do this back for me. I think that's a very wrong attitude to have towards friendship - it's always a two way process, the more love you will give, the more love you wil get. So, it's a give and take of love, friendship, of the bond that you will have for each other, trust most importantly, never let the trust fade, never let the love that you all have for each other fade and I think that's what I've maintained in my friendships, throughout my life, where my friendships were not made because there was an ulterior motive that I wanted something out of my friendships, these have stayed for so many years because whether I worked with them, whether I didn't work with them, it was a bond that was made because of the company that we enjoyed of each other. The secrets we shared, the genuinity, and the honesty in which we spoke about our lives - the help we needed when we asked for it. " Rani concluded by highlighting the importance of trust, honesty, and emotional support. She shared, "There might be times when you might all not always be in the best of your moods or family life. Sometimes, things go wrong in the family, it affects us. So many of these times when you're honest to each other about your family situations. So, my friendships are built over years because there was nothing that was ever asked in return only love, kindness and trust."Take a look:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDgleNKBkqU

Rani Mukerji's work front

Meanwhile, on the work front, Rani Mukerji will be next seen inMardaani 3, set to hit the big screen on January 30,2026.