Rani Mukherjee, born March 21, 1978 in Bengal, India) is an Indian film actress. She is a 6 time Filmfare Award Winner. She is one of the most popular actresses in the industry. Since her first break on celluloid in 1996, the actress has appeared in nearly 40 films. Today, she has emerged as one of the finest and most successful actresses of the country.

Background

Mukherjee comes from a film-oriented family of Bengali origin: Her father Ram Mukherjee is a retired director and her mother Krishna formerly worked as a playback singer. Her brother Raja Mukherjee is also a film producer. Her maternal aunt, Debashree Roy, was a popular Bengali actress and her cousin Kajol is another successful Bollywood actress. Sharbani Mukherjee is her cousin.

She graduated from Maneckjee Cooper High School in Juhu. Soon afterwards, Rani received a few film offers and thus, set her foot on the Indian film-industry capital, Mumbai. From there onwards, she pursued a high-profile career in acting and became an integral part of the world’s largest film-industry.

Career

Her first Hindi film was Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat (1996), which did not do well at the box office. However, her next two releases – Ghulam and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) – were hits. For the latter she received her first Filmfare Award in the Best Supporting Actress category.

Mukherjee was in great demand after sudden stardom and signed contracts to work in many promising projects. Unfortunately, most of the movies didn’t do well at the box office. Though Badal was the sixth highest grossing film of the year 2000, her most quantitative year in terms of movies released, she was still producing more average movies than expected from her. In 2002, she re-established her fame in Saathiya which was critically and commercially successful.

In 2003, she starred in Chalte Chalte opposite Shah Rukh Khan; the film was a semi-hit. 2004 was the most significant year in her career. Her performances in Yuva and the commercially successful Hum Tum earned her even more awards – the Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award for the former, and the Filmfare Best Actress Award for the latter. Her performance as a Pakistani lawyer in Veer-Zaara was also acclaimed and earned her many award nominations. She then became a major part of the Yash Raj Films, the biggest Bollywood production house.

In 2005, Mukherjee starred in four high-profile films. Bunty Aur Babli and The Rising were among the biggest grossers of the year. She received critical acclaim for every film, especially her performance in Black. She also won all the major awards for Black that year. These successes established Mukherjee as one of the industry’s most bankable stars.

Mukherjee had two releases in 2006: Karan Johar’s Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, which was one of the most successful movie of the year and B.R. Chopra’s Baabul. The poignant story of a widow did not shape up well with the audiences and the much hyped-movie performed poorly at the box office.

The actress has been an active stage performer and participated in numerous world tours. Temptations 2004 was her most successful concert, in which she performed alongside Shah Rukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Preity Zinta, Arjun Rampal and Priyanka Chopra. She also appeared along with various other Bollywood actors at the Closing Ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, as part of a performance showcasing Indian culture, on behalf of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, to be held in Delhi. For her one-and-a-half-minute dance act alongside Saif Ali Khan, she was reportedly paid 1.5 crore rupees, the equivalent of about 300,000 U.S. dollars.

Personal life

Gossip columnists have linked Mukherjee to many industry figures, but she has strongly denied every single rumor of romance. Gossip columns have also claimed that she is feuding with one or another Bollywood actor or actress, but she strongly denies these rumors as well.
Mukherjee seems to lead a hard-working life, totally focused on her career. She appears in the news only for appearances at movie premieres, special events, film festivals, award ceremonies, film promotion-related proceedings, or charity work. Home is important to her: in 2006, the actress bought a new house for herself in Juhu, the interior design for which was done by Twinkle Khanna.

She is very close to her niece, Mayesha whom she lovingly calls ‘Mishti’ (which means “sweet” in Bengali).

Controversies

In June 2005, Mukherjee was widely criticized following the publication of an interview with British newspaper Desi Xpress. Mukherjee was asked to name her idol and she replied, “Adolf Hitler”. However, in an interview with TimesNow a year later, she denied ever mentioning Hitler’s name.

In November 2006, Mukherjee was shooting a film in Varanasi when avid fans crowded the set. Security personnel beat the crowd back with sticks. A media storm followed as various groups insisted that Mukherjee should have stopped the security guards. Mukherjee later issued a guarded apology.

Commitments

Besides acting in films, Mukherjee contributes to charitable causes: The Temptations 2005 show in New Delhi helped to raise funds for the National Centre For Promotional of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP), a leading disabled rights’ group. Shahrukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra were also amongst the many who contributed to this cause.

In 2006, Mukherjee celebrated her birthday with the students of The Helen Keller Institute for the Deaf and Blind, whom she had befriended while doing research for her role as a blind and deaf girl in Black. She has also given credit for her award-winning performance in that movie to the students.

Ms. Mukherjee donated her prize money, her half-share of 50 lakh rupees from her 2007 appearance on Kaun Banega Crorepati with Preity Zinta, to the Holy Family Hospital. She said that this institution looks after children with heart problems which is a major setback in India.

Awards and honours

~Popular~
Filmfare Awards

1999, Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
2003, Critics Award Best Performance, Saathiya
2005, Filmfare Best Actress Award, Hum Tum
2005, Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award, Yuva
2006, Filmfare Best Actress Award, Black
2006, Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance, Black
She has received six nominations for Best Actress at the Filmfare Awards, and has won twice. She has been nominated as Best Supporting Actress four times, twice in one year, making her win twice also. She is the first and only actor to win both the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress trophies in a single year (2004) at the Filmfare.

Star Screen Awards

1997, Star Screen Awards Best Fresh Talent, Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat
2003, Star Screen Awards Special Jury Award, Saathiya
2005, Star Screen Award Best Actress, Hum Tum
2005, Star Screen Award Best Supporting Actress, Yuva
2006, Star Screen Award Best Actress, Black

Zee Cine Awards

1999, Zee Cine Award Best Actor in a Supporting Role- Female for Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
1999, Zee Cine Awards, Lux Face of the Year, Ghulam & Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
2005, Zee Cine Award Best Actor- Female, Hum Tum
2006, Zee Cine Award Best Actor- Female, Black

International Indian Film Academy Awards

2005, IIFA Best Actress Award for Hum Tum
2005, IIFA Best Supporting Actress Award for Veer-Zaara
2006, IIFA Best Actress Award for Black

Stardust Awards

2006, Stardust Star of the Year Award – Female, Black[38]

Bollywood Awards

2003, Bollywood Awards Most Sensational Actress, Saathiya
2005, Bollywood Awards Best Actress, Hum Tum
2005, Bollywood Awards Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Yuva
2006, Bollywood Awards Best Actress, Black

Cinegoers Awards

2005, Cinegoers Awards Best Actress, Hum Tum
2005, Cinegoers Awards Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Veer-Zaara

Sansui Awards

2003, Sansui Awards Jury’s Choice Best Actress, Saathiya

GIFA Awards

2005, 1st GIFA Awards Best Actress, Hum Tum

Bengal Film Journalists’ Association Awards

2003, Bengal Film Journalists’ Association Awards, Best Actress (Hindi Movies), Saathiya
Other Awards

2007, Star’s Sabsey Favourite Heroine, KANK
2007, Star Screen Award Jodi No. 1 (Rani & Shahrukh Khan) for KANK
2006, Bollywood People’s Choice Best Actress, Black
2006, 2nd Edition Pogo Voice Awards Most Amazing Actress, Bunty Aur Babli
2006, Sony Viewers Choice Best Actress, Black
2006, Sony Film Jury Best Actress of the Year, Black
2006, Rediff Movie Awards Best Actress, Black
2006, 2nd Apsara Awards Best Actress, Black
2006, Star Screen Award Jodi No. 1 (Rani & Abhishek Bachchan) for Bunty Aur Babli
2006, Star’s Sabsey Favourite Heroine, Black
2006, Idea Zee Fashion Awards Celebrity Model of the Year
2006, BBC Film Cafe Best Actress, Black
2005, Anandolok Puroshkar Awards Best Actress, Black
2005, Sports World Awards Best Actress, Hum Tum
2005, Sports World Awards Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Veer-Zaara
2005, Sports World Jodi of the Year (Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukerji) for Hum Tum
2005, Star’s Sabsey Favourite Heroine, Hum Tum & Veer-Zaara
2005, Bollywood Fashion Awards Celebrity Style Female Award
2005, The Lycra® MTV Style Awards Most Stylish in Films
2005, Lion Awards Achievement in Cinema
2004, Rajiv Gandhi Award
2004, BBC Film Cafe Best Actress, Chalte Chalte
2003, Anandolok Puroshkar Awards Best Actress, Saathiya
2001, Aashirwaad Awards Best Female Performance Of The Year, Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega

Facts

Rani Mukerji topped the Top Ten Bollywood Actresses’ Listing for a third year in a row (2005-2007).
In February 2006, Filmfare Magazine placed her at eighth position among the “Ten Most Powerful Names of Bollywood”, an achievement she repeated from the previous year. In 2007 she was again on the list but ranked at number five.
The actress was honored by a largely foreign audience of 50,000 at the Casablanca Film Festival (2005) in Morocco where four of her movies were presented.
She was invited to the Toronto International Film Festival to promote her movie Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna. Due to her schedule shooting of Tara Rum Pum in New York City, she opted not to go.
Mukherjee was a guest of honour at a state dinner to greet General Pervez Musharraf along with the Indian prime minister.
Recently, on Women’s International Day, a special article was released to pay tribute to Bollywood Heroines. Mukerji came in the fourth position on the Best Bollywood Actresses Ever Listing.
Her first name means Queen in Hindi and Bengali.

Trivia

Her close friends in the industry include Shahrukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Karan Johar and Rekha.
Her trademark is her green eyes and voice.
She has worked six times with Shahrukh Khan, five times with Amitabh Bachchan and Salman Khan, and four times with Abhishek Bachchan and Preity Zinta.
The actress changed the English transliteration of her surname from Mukherjee to Mukerji several years ago. At the time, it was reported that she did this for numerological reasons. Recently, she has stated that numerology was not a concern; her name had been put down as Mukerji on her passport, and she wanted to be consistent.
Filmography

Films

Year Film Role Other notes

2007 Laaga Chunari Mein Daag  Releasing on 12 October 2007
2007 Saawariya  Filming
2007 Tara Rum Pum Shona Releasing on 27 April 2007
2006 Baabul Malvika “Milli” Talwar/Kapoor
2006 Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna Maya Talwar Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award. Screened at the Toronto International Film Festival & the prestigious Tokyo International Film Festival.
2005 The Rising Heera Screened at the Locarno Film Festival
2005 Paheli Lachchi Bhanwarlal India’s official entry to the Oscars, also opened the ninth Zimbabwe International Film Festival
2005 Bunty Aur Babli Vimmi Saluja (Babli) Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award
2005 Black Michelle McNally Double-Winner, Filmfare Best Actress Award & Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance. Screened at the Casablanca Film Festival. Also, Time Magazine’s selection of the Best Movies of the Year 2005, positioned at number 5.
2004 Veer-Zaara Saamiya Siddiqui Nominated, Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award. Screened at the Berlin Film Festival & the Casablanca Film Festival.
2004 Hum Tum Rhea Prakash Sharma Winner, Filmfare Best Actress Award
2004 Yuva Sashi Biswas Winner, Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award
2003 LOC Kargil Hema
2003 Kal Ho Naa Ho  Special Appearance (song)
2003 Calcutta Mail Reema/Bulbul
2003 Chori Chori Khushi Malhotra
2003 Chalte Chalte Priya Chopra Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award. Also, screened at the Casablanca Film Festival.
2002 Chalo Ishq Ladaaye Sapna
2002 Saathiya Dr. Suhani Sharma/Saigol Winner, Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance
& Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award. Also, screened at the Casablanca Film Festival.
2002 Mujhse Dosti Karoge! Pooja Sahani
2002 Pyaar Diwana Hota Hai Payal Khuranna
2001 Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham Naina Kapoor Cameo, also the 1st Bollywood feature to have a theatrical release in Germany
2001 Nayak: The Real Hero Manjari
2001 Bas Itna Sa Khwaab Hai Pooja Shrivastav
2001 Chori Chori Chupke Chupke Priya Malhotra
2000 Kahin Pyaar Na Ho Jaaye Priya Sharma
2000 Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega Pooja Oberoi Nominated, Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award
2000 Bichhoo Kiran Bali
2000 Hadh Kar Di Aapne Anjali Khanna
2000 Hey Ram Aparna Ram India’s official entry to the Oscars
2000 Badal Rani
1999 Hello Brother Rani
1999 Mann  Special Appearance (item number)
1998 Mehndi Pooja
1998 Kuch Kuch Hota Hai Tina Malhotra Winner, Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award
1998 Ghulam Alisha
1996 Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat Mala