This article's factual accuracy is disputed. Please help to ensure that disputed facts are reliably sourced. See the relevant discussion on the talk page. (April 2012)

Shantaram Vankudre (18 November 1901 – 30 October 1990) referred to as V. Shantaram is a renowned Indian filmmaker, film producer and actor. He is most known for his films like Dr. Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani (1946), Amar Bhoopali (1951), Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje (1955), Do Aankhen Barah Haath (1957), Navrang (1959), Duniya Na Mane (1937), Pinjra (1972), Chani, Iye Marathiche Nagari and Zunj.

He directed his first film, "Netaji Palkar" in 1927. In 1929, he founded the Prabhat Film Company along with Vishnupant Damle, K.R. Dhaiber, S. Fatelal and S.B. Kulkarni, which made Ayodhyecha Raja, the first Marathi language film in 1932 under his direction.^[2] He left Prabhat in 1942 to form "Rajkamal Kala Mandir" in Mumbai.^[3] In time, 'Rajkamal' became one of most sophisticated studios of the country.^[4]

He was praised by Charlie Chaplin for his Marathi film Manoos.Charlie Chaplin reportedly liked the film very much.^{[citation needed]}

Early life[link]

Shantaram was born Shantaram Rajaram Vankudre^[5] on 18 November 1901 in the erstwhile princely state of Kolhapur (in present day Maharashtra) ^[6] into a reputed Marathi Jain family.^[7] During his lifetime he was honoured with Jain Samaj Ratna award given to outstanding Jains.^[8]

Career[link]

V. Shantaram started his film career doing odd jobs in Maharashtra Film Co. owned by Baburao Painter at Kolhapur. ^[9] He went on to debut as an actor in the silent film, Surekha Haran in 1921.^[10]

Shantaram, fondly known as Annasaheb, had an illustrious career as a filmmaker for almost six decades. He was one of the early filmmakers to realize the efficacy of the film medium as an instrument of social change and used it successfully to advocate humanism on one hand and expose bigotry and injustice on the other. V. Shantaram had a very keen interest in music. It is said that he "ghost wrote" music for many of his music directors, and took a very active part in the creation of music. Some of his songs had to rehearsed several times before which they were approved by V. Shantaram. ^[11]

The Dadasaheb Phalke Award, was conferred on him in 1985.^[12]He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 1992.^[13]

His autobiography Shantarama was published in Hindi and Marathi.^[12][14]

Shantaram died on 30 October 1990 in Mumbai.^[5] The V. Shantaram Award was consitituted by Central Government and Maharashtra State Government. The V. Shantaram Motion Picture Scientific Research and Cultural Foundation, established in 1993, offers various awards to film makers. The award is presented annually on 18 November.^[12]

Personal life[link]

Shantaram married thrice. His first marriage was to Vimla. He then married actress Jayashree, with whom he had three children-Marathi film director Kiran Chandra, actress Rajshree and Tejasri

His third wife, actress Sandhya, was his co-star in Do Aankhen Barah Haath as well the heroine of his films like Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje, Navrang, Jal Bin Machli Nrutya Bin Beejli, and Sehra. His other children are Prabhat Kumar, Sarojini, Charushila and Madhura, who is married to Pandit Jasraj is the mother of Durga Jasraj.^[15]

He introduced Rajshree and Jeetendra in the 1964 film Geet Gaya Patharon Ne. He also introduced his niece Ranjana Deshmukh into the marathi film industry through Chandanachi Choli Ang Aang, directed by Kiran Shantaram in 1975. Ranjana dominated the Marathi silver screen in 70s and 80s.He used to live at Panhala.His son has maintained his house and converted it in a hotel Valley View.

Filmography[link]

As Actor

• Sinhagad, 1923
• Savkari Pash,1925
• Stri, 1961

As Director

• Netaji Palekar, 1927.
• Gopal Krishna, 1929
• Udaykal, 1930
• Rani Sahiba, 1930
• Khooni Khanjar, 1930
• Chandrasena, 1931
• Maya Machindra, 1932
• Jalti Nishani, 1932
• Ayodhya Ka Raja, 1932
• Sinhagad, 1933
• Sairandhri, 1933
• Amrit Mantham, 1934
• Dharmatma, 1935
• Chandrasena, 1935
• Amar Jyoti, 1936
• Duniya Na Mane, 1937
• Manoos, 1939
• Admi, 1939
• Padosi, 1941
• Shakuntala, 1943
• Parbat Pe Apna Dera, 1944
• Maali, 1944
• Dr. Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani, 1946
• Lokshahir Ramjoshi, 1947
• Apna Desh, 1949
• Dahej, 1950
• Amar Bhopali, 1951
• Parchhaiyan, 1952
• Teen Batti Char Raste, 1953
• Surang, 1953
• Subah Ka Tara, 1954
• Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje, 1955
• Do Aankhen Barah Haath, 1957
• Navrang, 1959
• Stri, 1961
• Sehra, 1963
• Geet Gaya Patharon Ne, 1964
• Ladki Sahyadri Ki, 1966
• Boond Jo Ban Gaye Moti, 1967
• Jal Bin Machhli Nritya Bin Bijli, 1971
• Apna Desh, 1972
• Pinjra, 1973
• Jhanjhar, 1987

As Producer

• Banwasi, 1948
• Sehra, 1963
• Geet Gaya Pattharon Ne, 1964
• Ladki Sahyadri Ki, 1966
• Jal Bina Machali Nritya Bina Bijli, 1971
• Raja Rani Ko Chahiye Pasina, 1978
• Jhanjhar, 1987

Source: IMDB^[16]

Awards[link]

Won[link]

• 1957: Filmfare Award for Best Director: Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje
• 1958: National Film Award for Best Film: Do Aankhen Barah Haath
• 1958: Berlin International Film Festival, OCIC Award: Do Aankhen Barah Haath ^[17][18]
• 1958: Berlin International Film Festival, Silver Bear (Special Prize): Do Aankhen Barah Haath ^[17][18]
• 1985: Dadasaheb Phalke Award
• 1992: Padma Vibhushan

Nominated[link]

• 1951: Cannes Film Festival, Grand Prize: Amar Bhoopali (The Immortal Song) ^[19]
• 1959: Golden Globe Awards, Samuel Goldwyn Award: Do Aankhen Barah Haath ^[17]

Biographies[link]

• Shantaram, Kiran & Narwekar, Sanjit; V Shantaram: The Legacy of the Royal Lotus, 2003, Rupa & Co., ISBN 81-291-0218-8.
• Banerjee, Shampa; Profiles, five film-makers from India: V. Shantaram, Raj Kapoor, Mrinal Sen, Guru Dutt, Ritwik Ghatak Directorate of Film Festivals, National Film Development Corp, 1985.

Notes[link]

References[link]

• 'Well ahead of his times', Article on V.Shantaram in The Hindu dated 30 November 2001

External links[link]

• V. Shantaram at the Internet Movie Database

v t e Bollywood (Hindi cinema) Directors · Actors · Playback singers · Music Directors · Songs · Bibliography Hindi films A–Z—Highest-grossing Films by year: 1930s · 1940 · 1941 · 1942 · 1943 · 1944 · 1945 · 1946 · 1947 · 1948 · 1949 · 1950 · 1951 · 1952 · 1953 · 1954 · 1955 · 1956 · 1957 · 1958 · 1959 · 1960 · 1961 · 1962 · 1963 · 1964 · 1965 · 1966 · 1967 · 1968 · 1969 · 1970 · 1971 · 1972 · 1973 · 1974 · 1975 · 1976 · 1977 · 1978 · 1979 · 1980 · 1981 · 1982 · 1983 · 1984 · 1985 · 1986 · 1987 · 1988 · 1989 · 1990 · 1991 · 1992 · 1993 · 1994 · 1995 · 1996 · 1997 · 1998 · 1999 · 2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2004 · 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2009 · 2010 · 2011 · 2012

Rani Mukerji
Mukerji at the Lonely Planet Awards in Mumbai, May 2012
Born	Rani Mukherjee (1978-03-21) 21 March 1978 (age 34) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Other names	Rani Mukherji Rani Mukerjee
Occupation	Film actress
Years active	1997–present

Rani Mukerji (born Rani Mukherjee on 21 March 1978)^[1] is an Indian film actress who works in Hindi movies. Born to the Mukherjee-Samarth family, she made her acting debut with a cameo appearance in the Bengali film Biyer Phool (1996), on the insistence of her mother. The following year, Mukerji made her Hindi film debut with Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat, and subsequently had her first, and still biggest commercial success with Karan Johar's romance Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), which won her a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. She later starred in several films that fared below expectations, before featuring in the critically acclaimed drama Saathiya, for which she won her first Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress.^[2]

In 2004, her performances in the hit romantic comedy Hum Tum and the critically acclaimed Yuva earned her the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress awards, respectively, at the 50th Filmfare Awards. She later received unanimous praise for her portrayal of a blind, deaf and mute woman in Black (2005), for which she garnered two more Filmfare Awards: Best Actress and Actress - Critics.^[3] She went on to play leading roles in the comedy Bunty Aur Babli (2005) and the adult drama Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006), both of which emerged as major commercial successes in India as well as overseas.^[4] Mukerji thus established herself as a leading actress of Hindi cinema.^[5] She then played a series of roles, a majority of which were under the Yash Raj Films banner, that stereotyped her as a weepy, sacrificing woman. None of these films performed well at the box office. However, in 2011, she earned praise for her portrayal of a headstrong, independent woman in the semi-biographic thriller No One Killed Jessica.^[6]

In addition to acting in films, Mukerji has featured as a talent judge for Sony Entertainment Television's reality show Dance Premier League.^[7] She is a regular stage performer and has been involved in philanthropic endeavors related to women and children. Despite constant speculation, she remains guarded about her personal life and is sometimes labelled a recluse by members of the media. Mukerji currently lives in Juhu with her parents.

Early life and background[link]

Mukerji was born in Mumbai on 21 March 1978 to a film-oriented family of Bengali origin. Her father, Ram Mukherjee, is a retired director and one of the founders of Filmalaya Studios while her mother, Krishna, was a playback singer.^[8] Her brother, Raja Mukherjee, is a film producer turned director.^[9] Her maternal aunt, Debashree Roy, is a Bengali film actress and her cousin, Kajol, is a popular Bollywood actress.^[10] Another cousin of hers, Ayan Mukerji is the writer and director of Wake Up Sid (2009).^[11] As part of a tradition, the Mukherjee family celebrates the festival of Durga Puja at Santacruz every year. Mukerji, being a religious person, takes part in the festivities with her entire family.^[12][13]

Mukerji is a trained Odissi dancer and began learning the dance in the tenth grade.^[14] She was schooled at Maneckji Cooper High School in Juhu, and graduated from SNDT Women's University in the field of Home Science. Despite her family background, Mukerji was never interested in becoming an actress.^[15] In 1994, director Salim Khan approached her to be a part of his directorial, Aa Gale Lag Jaa. Her father was against her working in films and hence, she turned down the offer.^[16] However, she finally decided to take up acting on an experimental basis, on the insistence of her mother.^[17]

Acting career[link]

Early work and breakthrough (1997–2002)[link]

After doing a cameo appearance for the first time in her father's Bengali film Biyer Phool (1996), Mukerji made her Hindi film debut the following year, as the protagonist of Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat.^[18] Her performance as a rape victim was well-received, but the film failed to do well at the box office. Nevertheless, she received a Special Jury recognition at the Star Screen Awards.^[19] The film's commercial failure made her return to college to complete her education. However, she was inspired by her cousin Kajol, who had established herself as a successful actress in Bollywood, and thus decided to try films again.^[20]

Mukerji had a successful comeback in 1998 with Vikram Bhatt's Ghulam, opposite Aamir Khan. The film did moderately well at the box office, while the song "Aati Kya Khandala" earned her public recognition.^[21][22] Karan Johar's directorial debut, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, starring Shahrukh Khan and Kajol, was her next release. She played the supporting role of Tina Malhotra, a sophisticated girl in love with Khan's character. Of her performance, Rediff.com wrote, "Rani Mukherjee is a pleasant surprise — totally comfortable, clearly having suspended all disbelief".^[23] The movie was a blockbuster, with an adjusted worldwide gross of 182 crore (US$36.31 million),^[24] and Mukerji went on to receive her first Filmfare Award in the Best Supporting Actress category. Due to her slightly broken voice texture, her lines were dubbed by a dubbing artist in Ghulam. However, she dubbed for her own lines in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. She quoted, “When Karan Johar wanted my voice to be dubbed for Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, I really thought that it [my voice] was bad and very husky and rough, but slowly I worked to improve my diction, and am now quite comfortable with it."^[25]

She subsequently played leading roles in the films Mehndi (1998) and Hello Brother (1999), with the latter opposite Salman Khan.^[26] Both these films were critically and commercially unsuccessful.^[27]

Mukerji's first release of 2000 was Raj Kanwar's action drama Badal opposite Bobby Deol. The film emerged as one of the highest-grossing films of the year,^[28] but met with negative reviews from critics. She then essayed a brief role in Kamal Haasan's Hey Ram as the protagonist's first wife, Aparna Ram.^[29] The controversial film, based on Mahatma Gandhi's assassination, was a critical success and was chosen as India’s official entry to the Oscars that year.^[30] Mukerji next appeared in Bichhoo, an unofficial adaptation of Luc Besson's Leon, as the foul-mouthed, coarse daughter of a drug dealer.^[31] The film and her performance received negative reviews from critics.^[32] She also starred alongside Govinda, for the first time, in the comedy Hadh Kar Di Aapne.

Later that year, she teamed up with Salman Khan for two films, Raj Kanwar's Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega and Kahin Pyaar Na Ho Jaaye. While the former was inspired by the Sandra Bullock starrer While You Were Sleeping (1995), the later was a remake of Frank Coraci's The Wedding Singer (1998).^[33][34] She was appreciated for her performance in Har Dil Jo Pyaar Karega and received her second Filmfare nomination in the Supporting Actress category.^[35]

In 2001, Mukerji starred in Abbas Mustan's romantic drama Chori Chori Chupke Chupke, co-starring Salman Khan and Preity Zinta. The film was released after a one-year delay, and was one of the first Bollywood movies to handle the issue of surrogate childbirth.^[36] Mukerji's role was that of Priya Malhotra, a woman who is unable to conceive after a miscarriage and thus, hires a surrogate mother. Rediff.com wrote, "Rani Mukherji is handicapped with a role that doesn't give her much scope besides weeping and sobbing. To her credit, she manages to hold her own even while playing a stereotypical sacrificing bhartiya nari [Indian woman]."^[37] She next played the love-interests of Abhishek Bachchan and Anil Kapoor respectively, in two predominantly male-centric films: Bas Itna Sa Khwaab Hai and Nayak: The Real Hero. Upon release, both films under-performed at the box office.^[38]

Success (2002–06)[link]

In 2002, Mukerji essayed the lead role of Pooja Sahani in Kunal Kohli's romance Mujhse Dosti Karoge!, alongside Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor. The film marked the first of her many collaborations with one of India's largest production companies: Yash Raj Films.^[39] Although the movie flopped in India,^[40] it performed well overseas.^[41] That year, she acted opposite Govinda once again in two commercially unsuccessful films, Pyaar Diwana Hota Hai and Chalo Ishq Ladaaye.

Later that year, Mukerji starred in Shaad Ali's critically acclaimed Saathiya opposite Vivek Oberoi. Essaying the role of Suhani Sharma, a medical student who deals with the tensions and discontent of being married at a young age, she won a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress, and received her first Best Actress nomination at the same ceremony. BBC reviewed, "Mukerji plays the character of a middle class girl with great conviction",^[42] and Udita Jhunjhunwala writing for Mid Day added, "Her expressions and acting are understated in a role that fits her like a glove."^[43] The film, which earned a moderate domestic total of 18 crore (US$3.59 million), rejuvenated her fading career.^[40] In an interview with Hindustan Times, she said, "[Before Saathiya] nothing that was coming my way excited me... I knew Saathiya was a special film. I felt it while making it."^[44]

Mukerji's first release of 2003 was Aziz Mirza's box office hit Chalte Chalte opposite Shahrukh Khan.^[45] Though the film saw her play a role similar to the one she played in Saathiya, her new "tanned" look was appreciated and her portrayal earned her a second nomination for Best Actress at the Filmfare awards.^[46] She next featured as the protagonist in Milan Luthria's Chori Chori opposite Ajay Devgan, Sudhir Mishra's Calcutta Mail alongside Anil Kapoor and Manisha Koirala and J.P. Dutta's multi-starrer war film LOC Kargil.^[47] All three of them were critical as well as commercial failures.^[48]

Mukerji at the 6th International Indian Film Academy Awards in Amsterdam. She won both the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress awards, for Hum Tum and Veer-Zaara respectively, at the ceremony.

In 2004, she acted in Mani Ratnam's composite film Yuva alongside Ajay Devgan, Abhishek Bachchan, Vivek Oberoi, Kareena Kapoor and Esha Deol. The film, which narrated the story of three youngsters from different stratums of society, saw Mukerji play a Bengali housewife opposite Bachchan. Though the film failed to do well at the box office,^[49] the film by itself and her performance were critically acclaimed. Rediff.com, as part of a performance analysis noted, "Her inspiring work in Yuva as the devoted yet frustrated wife of a local goon came alive every time she flashed those big fire-filled eyes at her husband or broke down angrily at an unsuspecting onlooker."^[50] The film fetched Mukerji her second Best Supporting Actress award at the Filmfare ceremony. She received further success by playing the leading role in Yash Raj Films' romantic comedy Hum Tum, directed by Kunal Kohli, which became one of the biggest hits of the year with a lifetime nett of 30.5 crore (US$6.08 million).^[49] The film starred Mukerji along with Saif Ali Khan and followed the arcs of their characters at different stages of their lives. Mukerji's portrayal of Rhea Sharma, an independent woman, won her several Best Actress awards, including her first Filmfare Award for Best Actress. BBC observed, "Rani is fast becoming one of the more dependable and versatile actresses of her generation."^[51] She eventually became the first actor to have received both the Filmfare awards for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress in the same year.^[52]

Her last release of the year was Yash Chopra's love saga Veer-Zaara, in which she co-starred alongside Shahrukh Khan and Preity Zinta. The film, which emerged as a major commercial success, grossing 94 crore (US$18.75 million) worldwide,^[41][49] narrated the love story of the title characters, Veer Pratap Singh, played by Khan, and a Pakistani woman, Zaara Hayaat Khan, played by Zinta. Mukerji played the supporting role of Saamiya Siddiqui, a Pakistani lawyer who takes it upon herself to find the truth about Singh. The film, which was screened at the Berlin Film Festival met with positive reviews.^[53] A review carried by Rediff.com noted, "...Rani walks away with the best lines and a performance full of grit."^[54]

In 2005, Mukerji starred in four high-profile films: Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Black, Shaad Ali's Bunty Aur Babli, Amol Palekar's Paheli and Ketan Mehta's The Rising. She was primarily noted for her performance in Black. When Bhansali first offered the film to Mukerji, she turned it down^[3] as she was not confident enough to play a deaf-blind person.^[3] Once Bhansali reinforced his faith in her, she agreed and intensely studied sign language with professionals at the Helen Keller Institute in Mumbai.^[55] Black was a major critical success, and Mukerji received unanimous acclaim for her performance. Rediff.com noted, "The performer in Rani Mukerji must have turned more than a few mental cartwheels when she got Black. It is a pure, performance-driven role, and Rani does it with a fluid maturity that is great to watch.".^[56] She eventually won the Best Actress and the Best Actress - Critics at the Filmfare Awards ceremony.^[57] Filmfare included her performance in their list of the "80 Most Iconic performances", while commenting,

Her next release, Bunty Aur Babli, surfaced as one of the biggest hits of the year. She played the character of Vimmi "Babli" Saluja, a con woman, opposite Abhishek Bachchan. The film, which became a box office success with a gross of 77 crore (US$15.36 million), opened to mixed reviews, and so did Mukerji's performance. A review carried by Variety mentioned, "Three years ago, in Saathiya, helmer Shaad Ali managed to rediscover Mukerji's earlier vivacity, and he's done it again here in a role that the raspy-voiced diva-ette simply eats up" ^[59][60] Consequently, Mukerji received another nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for her work.

Her third release that year, Paheli, opposite Shahrukh Khan, was screened at the Sundance Film Festival and was chosen as India’s official entry to the Oscars for the 79th Academy Awards.^[61] The film was critically acclaimed, as was Mukerji's performance, which Raja Sen called "another perfectly played part".^[62] In her final release of the year, The Rising, she played a prostitute, Heera, who is the love interest of the protagonist Mangal Pandey, played by Aamir Khan.^[63] Derek Elley of Variety mentioned that she made "the most of her feisty nautch-girl," inpite of having "a small role for a star of her caliber."^[64]

In 2006 she starred in Karan Johar's drama Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, featuring Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Preity Zinta and Kirron Kher. The film opened to mixed reviews but emerged as a major international success with a worldwide gross of 113 crore (US$22.54 million).^[41] The film told the story of two unhappily married couples in New York, which later results in an extramarital affair. Mukerji played the role of Maya Talwar, a woman layered with self-doubt and question about the relationship between her and her husband, played by Abhishek Bachchan. Her performance was well-received with Rajeev Masand from CNN-IBN concluding, "Rani looks a million bucks and she dives under the skin of her character to make that part one that we will remember for a long time."^[65] She received several nominations for the role, including her fifth Filmfare Best Actress nomination, and won the IIFA Best Actress Award for the third consecutive year.

Mukerji's next release was B.R. Chopra's tearjerker Baabul alongside Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan and John Abraham. The movie did not do well at the box office in India,^[66] but proved to be a hit overseas.^[41] Her portrayal of Malvika, a young widow, met with mixed reviews from critics with Sarita Tanwar from Mid Day commenting, "Rani Mukerji breathes life into a somewhat confused character".^[67]

Professional setbacks and recent work (2007–present)[link]

From 2007 to 2009, Mukerji featured primarily in films produced by Yash Raj Films (with the exception of Saawariya).^[68] Her first release was Siddharth Anand's melodrama Ta Ra Rum Pum, where she played Radhika Rai Banerjee, a pianist turned housewife opposite Saif Ali Khan. The film performed decently at the box office,^[69] while her performance was generally well-received. Adarsh wrote, "Rani enacts the role of the mother/wife proficiently."^[70] Negative reviews, however were directed towards the film itself, with Rajeev Masand writing, "neither Saif Ali Khan nor Rani is able to make much of an impression because their characters are so unidimensional and boring."^[71] Her next release of the year was Pradeep Sarkar's drama Laaga Chunari Mein Daag alongside Jaya Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Konkana Sen Sharma and Kunal Kapoor. The film met with mixed reviews, while Mukerji was criticised for playing stereotypical roles that required her to cry often.^[72] A review carried by Indian Express noted, "Rani holds the film together, even if her part, both as the ingénue and the hooker, doesn’t have freshness."^[73] Her performance nonetheless fetched her yet another Best Actress nomination at the Filmfare ceremony. Her final release of the year was Sanjay Leela Bhansali's tragedy Saawariya, where she essayed a smaller part of a sex-worker. The film, which featured debutants Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor in lead roles, was a critical and commercial failure,^[69] but Mukerji's performance earned her a fifth Filmfare Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

In 2008, Mukerji was paired with Saif Ali Khan again for Kunal Kohli's Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic. This fantasy film had Mukerji play an angel who comes to Earth to help four troubled kids. The film, which flopped at the box office, met with generally positive reviews from critics.^[74] The box office failure of her recent films made Mukerji lose weight and undergo a makeover in her following release, Dil Bole Hadippa (2009). The project, co-starring Shahid Kapoor, saw Mukerji portray a cricket-obsessed Punjabi village girl masquerading as a man.^[75][76] The film, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival under performed at the Indian box office.^[77] A review carried by The Economic Times noted, "Mukerji's mock sob-whine-whimper do not amuse anymore. Also after a point you dislike visualizing the charming actress as the moustached male player."^[78]

Mukerji (right) along with co-star Vidya Balan while promoting No One Killed Jessica (2011). She won a third Filmfare Award in the Supporting Actress category for her performance in the film.

Though her performances in the films during this period were generally well-received, none of them performed well commercially, leading to major setbacks in her career.^[79][80][81] She was not seen in any 2010 releases. When questioned about working only under the Yash Raj Films banner, she said, "An actor is here to act and pick great roles and scripts. I was getting great roles from Yash Raj at that point, roles that any actor would give an arm to do. I stand by those films regardless of their fate".^[82]

In 2011, Mukerji starred in UTV Motion Pictures' semi-biographic thriller, No One Killed Jessica, based on the Jessica Lal murder case. She played the fictional character of a foul-mouthed television journalist, Meera Gaity, deeply involved with the case. In an interview with The Calcutta Telegraph she said, "It was such a different role to portray. It wasn’t a role that was typical of a Hindi film heroine. Meera was more like a hero. It was a character that actually took the story forward.... Meera made a lot of things happen. It wasn’t something that I had ever done before. I actually had to play a man! "^[83] Upon release, Mukerji's performance received mostly positive reviews. The Times of India wrote, "Rani's character being fictional and glamourized seems superficial to an extent but she packs in the punch required for her dynamic character."^[84] While other critics praised her performance, with Daily News and Analysis describing it as "one of her best performances till date,"^[85] several critics were less positive, including Anupama Chopra of NDTV, who called her role, "the fatal, false note in No One Killed Jessica," arguing that "The character is written superficially and Rani’s portrayal of her is equally banal. It’s all about externals. She argues a lot and proudly labels herself a bitch but her hair stays perfectly in place and in the end, she even gets to do a super-hero-like slow motion walk."^[86] The film eventually earned 49 crore (US$9.78 million) and was especially noted for being a commercial success, despite the absence of any prominent male actors.^[87] Consequently, Mukerji won her third Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.^[88]

As of March 2012, her upcoming films include Reema Kagti's suspense thriller Talaash co-starring Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor and Sachin Kundalkar's Aiyaa opposite Prithviraj.^[89][90]

Other work[link]

Television[link]

In 2009, Mukerji made her television debut as a talent judge with the reality show Dance Premier League on Sony Entertainment Television. She explained her stint with television, saying that it made her "more accessible" to the audience and helped her "gain visibility when [she was] not doing too many films."^[7] In 2011, she reprised her role of Meera Gaity on the TV series C.I.D. in a guest appearance to promote her film No One Killed Jessica.^[91]

Philanthropy and stage performances[link]

Involved with several social causes, Mukerji remarked, "It's my dream that every child in India is educated because the way India is growing I don't think without education, we can see a very bright future. So if we want a bright future for our country, I think education is foremost."^[92] Mukerji has stated that she feels strongly for causes that affect women, because, "it angers me to know that women are ill-treated".^[18] In March 2004, Mukerji visited the desert of Rajasthan, where she spent a day at the army training base to boost the morale of the jawan troops. The visit was conducted for a NDTV show, Jai Jawan, on which entertainers and actors visit Indian troops.^[93] In February 2005, Mukerji performed at the HELP! Telethon Concert to help raise money for the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake alongside several other Bollywood stars.^[94] In March 2006, Mukerji interacted with the physically challenged children of the Helen Keller Institute, during her birthday celebrations. She had previously worked with them while researching for her role in Black.^[95] In November 2010, she was part of a fund raising auction for the "Because I am a Girl" charity campaign.^[96]

Among her stage performances, Mukerji has participated in two world tours. Her first concert, Magnificent Five was in the year 1999 with actors Aamir Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Akshaye Khanna and Twinkle Khanna.^[97] Five years later, she was a part of the Temptations 2004 concert. Mukerji performed alongside Shahrukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Preity Zinta, Arjun Rampal and Priyanka Chopra in nineteen stage shows across the globe.^[98] Mukerji was also part of the Temptations 2005 concert in New Delhi. She helped to raise funds for the National Centre For Promotional of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP), a disabled rights' group, with the show which also featured Shah Rukh Khan, Fardeen Khan, Ameesha Patel and Malaika Arora Khan.^[99] In 2010, Mukerji joined Shahrukh Khan, Arjun Rampal, Ishaa Koppikar, among others for a concert at the Army Stadium, Dhaka, Bangladesh to a packed audience.^[100]

Personal life and media image[link]

Mukerji at the Sabsey Favourite Kaun award ceremony, 2007

Rani uses the English transliteration of "Mukerji" instead of the original "Mukherjee" for her surname. She has never clarified the reason for having done so.^[101] Mukerji has three homes in Mumbai, including her childhood home. She currently lives in Juhu with her parents.^[102]

Mukerji is extremely guarded about her personal life, and despite constant media speculation, has never spoken about her relationships.^[103] However, in an interview with Simi Garewal she claimed to have been "absolutely in love", without divulging the name of the person.^[104] As opposed to most of her contemporaries, Mukerji limits her media interactions and is often termed as a recluse. However in 2011, in an interview to Screen India she clarified, "Today actors have become more open with the media. But this has posed a problem for actors like me because if I don’t do that, then I end up being called reclusive. So now I have changed myself and am easily approachable." ^[105] She is additionally known for her friendly image and shares a close friendship with several Bollywood stars including Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan and Karan Johar.^[106][107]

In June 2005, Mukerji was widely criticized following the publication of an interview with British newspaper Desi Xpress. Mukerji was asked to name her idol and she replied, "Adolf Hitler".^[108] However, in an interview with Times Now a year later, she denied ever mentioning Hitler's name.^[108] In November 2006, Mukerji was shooting for the film Laaga Chunari Mein Daag in Varanasi when avid fans crowded the set. Security personnel beat the crowd back.^[109] A media storm followed as various groups insisted that Mukerji should have stopped the security guards. Mukerji later issued an apology.^[109]

Mukerji occupied the top slot of Box Office India's Top Actresses list for two years in a row (2005–2006).^[110] She was also placed number one on Rediff's Top Bollywood Female Stars Rankings for three consecutive years (2004–2006), while in 2007, she was ranked at number five.^[5] In February 2006, Filmfare placed her eighth amongst the "Ten Most Powerful Names of Bollywood", an achievement she repeated from the previous year, where she was ranked at number ten, the only woman on the list.^[111][112] In 2007, she was ranked at number five.^[113] On Women's International Day 2007, Mukerji came in fourth on the Best Bollywood Actresses Ever listing.^[114] She was placed at number 36 by the UK magazine, Eastern Eye, as one of Asia's Sexiest Women (2006).^[115] Mukerji is frequently featured in various lists by Rediff.com, including, Bollywood's Most Beautiful Actresses,^[116] Bollywood's Best Dressed Women^[117] and Women of Many Faces.^[118]

Filmography[link]

Films[link]

Television[link]

See also[link]

	Bollywood portal
	Film portal

• List of Indian film actresses
• List of Bengali actresses
• List of Bengalis
• List of Bollywood Clans: The Mukherjees

References[link]