Rani Mukerji on Monday looked back at her three a long time in cinema that she says began with “curiosity, fear, and a deep love for stories” and evolved right into a profession where she still gets to live many lives.
In an extended post shared by Yash Raj Movies, ahead of the discharge of her latest film “Mardaani 3”, Mukerji said despite so a few years and flicks, she still appears like a newcomer, able to tackle latest cinematic challenges.
Daughter of late filmmaker Ram Mukherjee and playback singer Krishna Mukherjee, she made her acting debut with the 1996 movie “Raja Ki Aayegi Baaraat”.
“I consider actors are a vessel of ideas and creativity and I’m truly blessed that I could grow to be an actor. So long as there are stories to inform and emotions to explore, I’ll remain a student of this beautiful, demanding art.
“Thanks for letting me live so many lives. Today, I’m still feeling like a newcomer, wanting to excel, to work harder, to tackle latest cinematic challenges and write a completely latest chapter of my life starting without delay,” Mukerji said.
The 47-year-old actor said acting wasn’t a dream that she chased, it was something that found her.
“A young girl, drawn into cinema almost by likelihood, hesitant at first… and yet, somewhere between instinct and vulnerability, I fell in love with the craft.
“Cinema has a wierd way of freezing emotions. Somewhere inside me, I’m still that nervous girl standing in front of the camera for the primary time, hoping I wouldn’t forget my lines, hoping I belonged,” she said.
Mukerji added that she didn’t come into movies with a master plan as she was driven by “curiosity, fear, and a deep love for stories, for the exploration of the human mind through characters”.
As an artiste, she said she has all the time been drawn to women who challenge the world around them.
“Whether it was the spirited small town girl with big dreams in ‘Bunty Aur Babli’, the fierce journalist in ‘No One Killed Jessica’, or the relentless police officer in ‘Mardaani’, I felt a deep connection to characters who refuse to back down, who need to shatter patriarchy and have numerous grace while doing so.”
In keeping with Mukerji, marriage and motherhood modified her — not by slowing her down, but by sharpening her focus.
“I became more selective, more protective of my energy, and more aware of the type of legacy I wanted to construct and the movies that I would like to lend my voice to,” she said.
The actor said her 2023 movie “Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway” reaffirmed her belief that emotional truth transcends borders. The movie helped her win her first National Award for best actress.
“A mother fighting a system larger than herself is a story that needs no language. The response to that film told me something profound: audiences still want sincerity. They still want stories that come from the center. Playing a mother gave me my first National Award and I’m a believer in signs. Perhaps I used to be born to play this role, which is why the universe reserved the sensation of me winning this award for once I became a mother and understood what a girl can do for her offspring,” she added.
Looking back, Mukerji said her journey in movies has taught her that longevity just isn’t about staying relevant – it’s about staying honest.
“I even have made decisions that surprised people, sometimes even myself. I even have taken breaks, returned alone terms, and trusted my instincts even once they went against trends.
“I owe every little thing to the individuals who believed in me – directors who challenged me, co-actors who inspired me, technicians who worked tirelessly behind the scenes, and audiences who grew up with me, questioned me, and stood by me. Cinema is a collaboration, and I even have never walked this path alone.”