Last week, Rani Mukerji shared a message on social media honoring her three decades in Bollywood. The actress has taken multiple breaks throughout her career
but consistently returns with powerful performances that highlight her skills. In her most recent film, Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway, Rani received the National Film Award for Best Actress. This year, she is poised to reprise her role as police officer Shivani Shivaji Roy in Mardaani 3 on January 30 and will also appear in Shah Rukh Khan's King (2026). In a recent interview with Zoom, Rani reflected on her cinematic journey and discussed how she remained unaffected by any discussions regarding her appearance or abilities during her early days in Bollywood.
Rani Mukerji on her beginnings in Bollywood
During her chat with Zoom, Rani addressed how she coped with the initial unfamiliarity of the industry. The actress stated, "This question is often posed in retrospect, but I can honestly say that when I was at that point in my life, I truly had my blinders on. Perhaps those blinders also had earphones because I didn’t pay attention to the noise about my voice, my height, or my skin tone. Those aspects didn’t matter. What mattered was that I needed to portray my character effectively. I aimed to be authentic in the role I was playing."
Rani continued, "The other discussions about how a heroine ko aisa hona chahiye, how an actress should look or behave, didn’t really concern me. It wasn’t my aspiration to become an actress; I stumbled into it by chance. What truly mattered to me was making films to provide a better life for my parents and ensure their comfort and happiness. So, I believe my early years were focused on that."
More about Mardaani 3
Directed by Abhiraj Minawala, Mardaani 3 is penned by Aayush Gupta of The Railway Men's fame. The film also features Vash star Janki Bodiwala, Jisshu Sengupta, and Mallika Prasad as the antagonist Amma.
In the third installment of the Hindi franchise, Shivani Shivaji Roy sets out to rescue investigates the case of 93 missing girls who have disappeared under mysterious circumstances. The first Mardaani film debuted in 2014.
