Rani Mukerji describes her association with the film industry as an arranged marriage. “It was not love at first sight,” says the actor, who recently won her first National Award for Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway. The 48-year-old star completes 30 years in films this year and has come a long way since the time she did not want to become an actor. “I fell in love with cinema and my craft through the years,” she explains while speaking at the Forbes India Leadership Awards at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai’s Bandra-Kurla Complex on March 24.
In the past three decades, Mukerji has cemented her position as a bankable artiste with acclaimed performances in films such as Saathiya, Black and Hichki. Her latest film, Mardaani 3, has been a box office success and also won her praise for leading a woman-cop franchise which tackles issues affecting girls. “Representation of women in cinema is a huge responsibility. And all of us, including my peers, are trying to shape the language of Indian cinema or the representation of women in Indian cinema with strong characters—whether it is in films or on OTT,” says Mukerji, who was honoured with the Icon of Excellence award at the Forbes India event.
In the age of alpha males on screen, the past few releases of the actor have focussed on strong women and their everyday battles. Mukerji says she has never followed a trend when it comes to her career choices or portraying characters on screen. “I have always reacted with my heart towards any script that comes to me. There are no calculations or manipulations,” she says, adding that it’s about wanting to make a difference with a story and not about how many crores the film will earn.
The decision to headline women-oriented films is not deliberate, Mukerji insists, but has been shaped by how she has evolved as an individual. “Also, my priorities have changed. So, my choices reflect the person or the woman that I have become. There are certain issues that are probably more important to me today than they were 20 years ago. It’s about what you relate with at a particular age,” the actor shares.
Her craft too continues to be led by emotions. The important thing for her is that she should relate to the character. “When I get inspired by the character and I am pulled towards it, it excites me. I automatically start emoting naturally, and the character and I become one,” she reveals, adding that her roles in Black, Hichki and Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway challenged her the most.
Since her acting debut in 1996, Mukerji has pushed the boundaries of excellence and essayed an array of author-backed roles. She has received several accolades along the way. However, she hasn’t been immune to criticism and rejections either. She looks at it positively, saying constructive feedback leads the way for self-analysis. In the same vein, she asserts that failures are equally important as one will not be able to understand or value the success that comes later.
Mukerji has navigated multiple ups and downs in an industry which can alter fortunes in a day or with a film. At no point, though, she felt like giving up. “It’s important to keep striving, to keep doing your best work and to keep reinventing,” she says. “By nature, I am not a quitter… I am a firebrand and a go-getter. So, quitting is not there in my dictionary.”
As someone who has survived and stayed on top in a male-dominated industry for 30 years, Mukerji has seen change from close quarters. From one secretary for an actor to an army of people surrounding artistes today, and from fewer media personnel to the social media boom, she has seen it all. The actor puts it philosophically, saying change is constant. However, adding perspective, she says one has to move with the times. “You have to adapt.” About other trappings that come with today’s actors—entourages, vanity vans etc—she says there is no rule anywhere in the industry. “So, if you don’t want to follow it, you don’t have to. It’s not a school. You can do what you want to do and reject what you don’t want to… it’s a matter of choice.”
The actor prefers to let her work do the talking and says that is the reason she has stayed away from social media. “There are certain things that I am not comfortable sharing. But that’s today… tomorrow it might shift. I might just make my debut on social media. Who knows? As they say, never say never,” says Mukerji.
Honesty and integrity are integral to her profession, according to the actor. She believes one must try to make inroads into the film industry only if they have a passion for their craft, not just for the glamour and fame.
Playing a cop in Mardaani 3, says the actor, was empowering, and she is grateful to the audience for making a movie without the trappings of a commercial film a resounding success. She hopes to continue doing such work of substance in the years to come. “There is madness behind each shot… I think it is that madness that drives us. We are obsessed with wanting to get things right. That is my learning—to never give up that, that love for getting every shot right. I think the day I lose the passion to get that shot right, I would call it quits,” says Mukerji.
Acknowledging that her career is as important as her family, the actor says she will do more films if she exciting work is offered to her. Looking back at her journey, Mukerji says: “It feels wonderful to be in an industry where you get so much love… sometimes even more than what people think we deserve. It’s wonderful to be in an industry like this, an industry that I did not choose, a career that I did not choose, but was accidentally made a part of, and then I completely fell in love with it.”
First Published: Mar 31, 2026, 13:38
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