Bollywood actress Rani Mukerji is gearing up for the release of Mardaani 3. The Free Press Journal interacted with Rani and spoke to her about the film, completing 30 years in the industry, feeling the box office pressure, and more...
'30 years in the film industry', when you hear this, what's the first thing that comes to your mind?
Gratitude! Gratitude towards all the people who have supported me. People who have been with me in the journey, for example, my hair and makeup people, my spot, my team. There are good days, there are bad days, and they are the first people who are there with you, who support you, give you a warm hug, and say, 'Okay, today is going to be a great day'. People, who have been with me through thick and thin, my peers, my co-workers, my colleagues, producers, directors, writers, music directors, singers, lyric writers, story writers, dialogue writers, who have contributed so much in this journey of mine, including my parents who have blessed me, my friends and family who have always been there. And of course, the most important people are the audience who have always helped me in this journey by accepting me in whichever role I came.
When you did Mardaani in 2014, did you think that this character Shivani Shivaji Roy would have such a long journey, and after a few years, you would be promoting a Mardaani 3?
No, honestly, not at all. Because when we enter into a journey of doing a particular film, that journey happens because of a reason, as Mardaani happened because of the Nirbhaya case. It was our creative expression of what we felt: the anger, the frustration, the angst, and just the disbelief as to how that crime took place. So, it was our way of expressing. And through that, Shivani Shivaji Roy's character was born, who depicted these wonderful female officers of our country who are working tirelessly every day. Police officers don't have a gender. Nobody calls them a female officer or a male officer because both have equal duties. They (female officers) probably work more because they have to cook in their homes, go to work, and come back and cook again. So they have to do much more. The hierarchy is set. You will see there is a female officer leading a team of probably 10 men. So it's not about whether you're a female or you're a male. What happened with Mardaani is that I think for the first time, the audience saw a female cop with such authority and somebody who's leading the way. They were not used to seeing characters like this. I think that really made for a very empowering watch for a lot of girls. They felt hopeful; they felt empowered. So, Mardaani happened because of these reasons. And of course, it ended up being loved by so many people, and then the outcome was Mardaani 2 and now, Mardaani 3.
As a mother, how difficult is it for you to be a part of a franchise like Mardaani?
Any film that deals with a story which is very true to life, which is about a girl child or a girl or a woman in a circumstance like this, including something like Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway or Hichki, it makes you sit back and wonder that, 'okay, this is a huge responsibility that is on my shoulder and I have to deliver and not let these women or these girls down'. At the end of the day, I'm telling the world that this is what is happening around us. So, please be aware and please understand that these things are going to continue to happen till we don't bring about a change. So I think whether I'm a mother, a girl, a daughter, or a sister, being a woman in itself makes me feel for these characters a lot more. You don't have to be a mother to feel the pain of what is happening to women around you. If you ask me how it is being a mom to a girl child? I will tell you, as a mother, how I feel, because whether you have a daughter today or a son, it doesn't matter. A mother's heart is actually walking outside the body, so it's always going to be there, and it's been with every generation. As a mother, you'll always be extra protective of your children.
One thing that has grabbed everyone's attention about the character Shivani Shivaji Roy is the perfect Mumbai Marathi accent that you get. How easy or difficult was it for you to do it?
It's a language that I have heard growing up because, being born and brought up in Mumbai, surrounded by people who speak Marathi all the time, it's a language that is not alien to me. So, it was something that I could adapt to because it's a very natural Mumbai lingo. For me, I have a lot of fun with it. I love saying those lines.
For the first time in the Mardaani franchise, there is a female antagonist. So, when you read this story, how did you react to the fact that this time Shivani will face a female villain?
The way I look at it is very different. For me, the ethos of Mardaani is good versus evil, and evil doesn't choose a gender. Either you are evil, or you're not. So, for me, it was more about what the film is, rather than the fact that it's a female antagonist. Because I feel that Shivani is always standing and her moral compass is always on point, and what is the case that she's solving. So, for me, Mardaani is more about that. Yes, it will be interesting for the audience to see a female antagonist because they were thinking that it's going to be a male antagonist. Because each time, like the first time around, it was Tahir (Raj Bhasin), the second time around it was Vishal (Jethwa). But for me, more than male or female, I think it is the subject that we're dealing with in this film.
With films like Hichki, the Mardaani franchise, Mrs. Chatterjee Vs Norway, there's a credibility attached to your name now. Moviegoers feel that if a film features Rani Mukerji, it will turn out to be good, so does that put pressure on you when you are planning to sign a film?
You've suddenly given me a lot of pressure while I am talking to you (laughs). No, in that case (about signing a film), I don't feel pressured. For me, it's always been about, is the story touching my heart? Is there something in the story that I need to tell the audience? Now, whether the audience likes it or doesn't like it, is not in my hands. But if I, as a woman, as a person, or as a citizen of the country, I feel that, this is a story that needs to be told, this is a story that has less awareness, it's a story that educated me or it's a character that has inspired me as a person, I would always take that film up. Because at that point, I am only looking at it from an emotional space as I have to give my voice, myself to that character. So that character indirectly becomes me because I stand for that character. So for me, I must feel for her. I should feel for the cause. It's not necessary that it always has to be a social cause or a moral compass film. Like if it's a comedy film, it should make me laugh, or it should bring a smile to my face. If it's a love story, I should feel that passion or that romance myself. I should be able to take it to an audience.
It has been 30 years in the industry. You have proved your mettle as an actor and as a star. But still, when a Friday comes, are you nervous about the box office numbers?
Of course, I'm very, very nervous. Because if I'm not nervous, then I should give up acting. I think a primary thing for every actor is to always have butterflies in the stomach. Because that's what makes the fire in our system do better. If I ever lose that, then there's no point, right? So, I always have butterflies. I have butterflies on the first day of work as well. When I'm entering the set for the first time, and I'm portraying a new character, I have butterflies then as well. So, that is who I am. I am always stressed.
While the audience loves you in serious, dramatic roles, can we expect to see you in a romantic-comedy like Hum Tum, where we also get to see you dancing, as you are an amazing dancer?
I would love to. To be honest, I love songs and dances, and I love doing romantic films. But see, as I tell you, nothing is in our hands. Because everything depends on the audience, like what they are accepting at the box office. Everything depends on the director and the producer, who are the main backbone of a film. Does he want to produce a different film, like a mature love story? Are there writers who are able to write a really beautiful love story at this point? So it's really not in my hands. I will have to keep waiting. So if somebody is inspired, please go ahead and come up with a nice story. I would love it.
While Mardaani 3 is all set to release, are there plans to take the franchise further, and have Mardaani 4 as well?
It's all in your hands. I always say, if the audience gives a thumbs up to Mardaani 3, I am sure we will be back with Mardaani 4.
Mardaani 3 is slated to release on January 30, 2026.
