Rani Mukerji On Aiyyaa With Prithviraj Sukumaran: 'First Time We Showed How A Woman Can Fantasise'

Actress Rani Mukerji, who recently completed 30 years in the film industry, is back on the big screen with Mardaani 3, which hit theatres on Friday, January 30. The film marks the third instalment of the Mardaani franchise, with Rani reprising her role as DCP Shivani Shivaji Roy IPS.

Rani Mukerji On Aiyyaa With Prithviraj Sukumaran

Recently, the actress looked back at her 2012 film Aiyyaa, in which she starred opposite Prithviraj Sukumaran. The quirky romantic drama showcased Rani as Meenakshi Deshpande, a Marathi woman who develops an unusual crush on a Tamil artist, Surya Iyer (played by Sukumaran), expressing her feelings through vivid fantasies while her parents search for a suitable matrimonial match for her.

Calling Aiyyaa way ahead of its time, Rani said that had the film released today, Gen Z audiences would have turned it into a 'super hit', adding that the story was quirky. Rani told Times Now, "Imagine falling in love with somebody who smells good. It was too much fun and way ahead of its time."

'It Is Okay To Fantasise & To Express A Good-Looking Body'

Further, Rani said that Aiyyaa was an important film in her career, "because it was the first time we showed how a woman can fantasise. And it's okay to do that, and I celebrate that on screen."

She believed that while such subjects may be commonly explored today, they were not so 15 years ago. Rani said that what might feel normal for Gen Z audiences now was considered unconventional back then, and Aiyyaa was among the films that conveyed that it is okay to fantasise and express 'a good-looking body.'

On Shooting Aiyaa

Mukerji said that she loves Aiyyaa and had the most fun shooting the film. She recalled that while filming in Pune, she met some of the most amazing actors from Marathi cinema, whom she deeply admires for their immense talent.

Rani also recalled how her close friend and choreographer Vaibhavi Merchant made her perform all kinds of dance moves, including belly dancing, which may look easy on screen but required a great deal of hard work.

She shared, "Shooting it was one of the most fascinating times of my life, and ofcourse shooting those amazing songs with my closest friend Vaibhavi (Merchant). I had a blast. This film was a blast from Day 1."