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Latest Rani News & Articles
Topic Started: Sep 12 2009, 08:22 AM (35,826 Views)
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Rani and Aditya Chopra bond over yoga

Buzz is that Rani Mukerji and her rumoured beau are now also sharing the same yoga guru

Looks like hush-hush lovers Aditya Chopra and Rani Mukerji are finally taking a deep breath and appear to be gradually settling down into being seen as a couple.

After buzz that Rani met up with the Chopra family in London, even going out for dinner with Adi and others on her birthday, we now learn that the two are even sharing a yoga teacher.

A source close to the fiercely private couple reveals, “It was Rani who convinced Aditya to take yoga lessons. Rani had started doing yoga a few years ago and has been hooked on to it ever since. She could see the changes it brought about in her life. She feels much more healthier and calmer.”

The source adds, “Rani was looking for a teacher to come home to teach her. A close friend introduced her to Mahesh a few years ago. Since then, he has been going to her place thrice a week. Rani loved the results and convinced Aditya to start as well. She felt with his high-pressure job and erratic lifestyle, Adi would benefit from it.”

Mahesh, an Andheri Lokhandwala resident, confirmed our story. However, he was hesitant about divulging any more details. He promised us that he would get back to us after taking permission from Rani. What happened thereafter is anyone’s guess, as Mahesh didn’t return our calls.

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Kareena to replace Rani in Tigmanshu Dhulia’s next?

She may replace Rani Mukerji in Tigmanshu Dhulia’s next periodic film on Begum Samru

Tigmanshu Dhulia struck gold with his 2012 release Paan Singh Tomar. The Irrfan Khan starrer not only got the filmmaker critical acclaim but also set the cash registers ringing. And now, Dhulia has decided to move on to his next project – a periodic film based on the life of Begum Joanna Nobilis Sombre aka Begum Samru. And though it was reported that Rani Mukerji was all set to play the protagonist in the venture, Mirror has learnt that Kareena Kapoor may replace her.

Begam Samru was a nautch girl of 18th century India. She later became an influential figure on the political canvas of 18th and 19th century India. A strong and powerful woman, Begum Samru married a European and became the ruler of a principality near Meerut. According to a source close to Kareena, Rani was taking her own sweet time to get back on Dhulia’s offer. And thus, the filmmaker chose to move on to Kareena. We have learnt that Dhulia has even made a few changes for the character to suit Kareena.

The source revealed, “Tigmanshu met Kareena. She was quite excited about being a part of this film.” The modalities are fast being worked out. The film is expected to go on floors by September or October this year.

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Rah rah Rani

The Taj Express got a celebrity cheerleader when Bollywood actress Rani Mukherjee attended the musical's world premiere on June 7 at the Esplanade Theatre.

The petite actress was in town to show support for her close friend Vaibhavi Merchant, the show's director of choreography and co-producer and was on the stage after the show to present flowers to director Shruti Merchant, Vaibhavi and the rest of the cast.

When tabla! managed to catch up with her for a quick chat, she said she enjoyed watching every bit of the musical.

"I have done a lot of stage shows, this is unique in its format, as it is talking about India," she said, adding: "India is not only about songs and dances, not just about Bollywood and cricket. It is much more than that. Taj Express is a very nice way to tell the world about India, what India has and the colours of India."

She went on to state that she felt "so proud to be an Indian" while she was watching the show: "There are so many forms of dance, to have such diverse cultures, diverse religions... woven into one garland."

Rani wasn't all praise though. She revealed that it was a very different show from the preview the Merchant sisters held for their friends last year in Mumbai. But in a good way.

Apparently Rani was very critical of the first showing and Vaibhavi confirmed that her friend had been blunt in her appraisal. "She has been very honest with me," said Vaibhavi.

The Merchant siblings took the words of their friend seriously and, in Rani's words, "completely transformed the show from last year".

"I would say that what they presented here is in a true sense a world premiere. It's more true to the soul of the Taj Express," she added.

Rani also liked the fact that the all-Indian production made its debut in Singapore.

"People around the world know about the warmth this country exudes and it is a very correct platform to have the Taj Express' world premiere here. There are a lot of Indians here and there are lot of non-Indians who enjoy songs and dances," she said.

The actress who has two films coming out later this year also told tabla! that she would like to be part of a musical like the Taj Express.

"I would love to because it's like the Bollywood film on stage and it has all the drama and romance... it's got songs and dancing," she said.

And you really can't have an Indian musical without the songs and dances, added Rani. "We Indians are basically very colourful...we have a livewire energy. We are very unique. The songs and dances... it is a part of our culture. You cannot remove songs and dances from an Indian. It is interwoven from the time of our birth."

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Forever Rani Mukherjee
She has made many a heart beat at her tunes. She symbolizes Beauty with Brains, that too with consummate ease and comfort. When it comes to a punch of fun, masti, intelligence and intellectuality, no one comes even close to her. She might have just gone in for a short hibernation before she banged the box office charts yet another time. She proudly retorts that she never took a break, so there was no point of having a comeback!!!
From a shy girl next door to a loving wife to a confident blind girl, she has done it all. Now, with her high octane performance as the fearless Meera Gaiti in No One Killed Jessica, she has climbed back the ladder and now is resting at the position which belongs completely to her. And Rani ko hatana looks impossible at the moment.
Undoubtedly, the most versatile actress that Bollywood has ever produced, she is an absolute charmer. When many people felt she is gone, she outdid herself with her criminal journalist act in NOKJ. That definitely did put her critics to a long term silence.
She rose like a phoenix and proved the world what she is actually made up of. And with Reema Kangti’s “Talaash” and another movie coming up later this year, she is on a high! People who don’t know her personally might feel she is such a snob, thanks to the baseless media reports that need to be quashed then and there. Trust us, she is completely vivacious and bubbly just like we see her while she lights up the silver screen with her enigmatic presence and immense acting prowess. So, here we bring you the many shades of Rani Mukherjee, completely Unplugged..

Passion, glamour, glitz, hard work, ability and expressions. A blend of which of the characteristics do you see in a potential actress?
I think it has to be an amalgamation of all the things that you have said, all the lovely words and expressions that you have used. I believe that an actor has to have the ability to perform because that is the most important thing for an actor. Obviously expression comes with that. It’s another part of your ability because we actors have to express a lot of things with your dialogue, with your eyes, with your body language. Its even the way you are that expresses a lot in terms of the character that you are portraying. Now, passion is definitely a very very integral ingredient in anything that you do in life. Passion is something that you can’t do without. Whatever you do in life, passion is the most important thing. So, yes definitely for an actress, if she is not passionate about her work, she will not be able to be there for the longer run. Probably passion sums up the whole aspect. And glamorous definitely, because a lot of people aspire to be an actor, so when you go to watch an actress on the big screen, which is also called the silver screen, everybody wants to see the actress in a glamorous avatar. Its like how we say, “Larger than Life”. So every actress also has to be larger than life in terms of glamour. So obviously, she has to be glamorous as well. You can get nowhere without hard work. So, hard work is also a very important ingredient. You have to work really hard to achieve anything that you want in life. Nothing comes easy. So, I guess it definitely has to be an amalgamation of everything.

There was a time, when you rocked the entire nation with movies like Black, Hum Tum and others. But right at the peak of your career, you decided to take a break. Why did you take such a big risk?
I did not take any break as such. I was working round the clock. It’s only that I chose to do few films: films that I really believed in. And unfortunately those films did not click at the box office. So people put that as a break of mine (Laughs). But I have actually not taken a break since a very long time. Since the age of 17, I don’t think I have taken a break at all. I am still working and I am still on. People’s perception is obviously different because everybody perceives an actor in a different way. Today when I get a hit, for example, with Jessica, people changed their perceptions and so again when I will have my releases next year, people will again change their perceptions. So it is all about different perceptions at different times of your career. But, I am okay with anything, as long they are lovely and they support me.

Its 15 years that you have been acting in this industry. How did everything start in your life? How did your first movie happen?
Actually I never wanted to be an actor. It is something that my mother wished for me. She felt I should become an actress and my first movie was just fulfilling her wish. That was Raja ki Ayegi Baraat. And that started my journey into films. Then it just became a part of me and there was no looking back.

And then Kuch Kuch hota Hai came and took you to new heights.
Ya, first I think it was Ghulam. Ghulam basically paved the pathway for me and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai gave me the ladder.

So in these 15 years that you have spent in the industry, how much of a change could you see?
Change is always a constant in every sphere, in every place in every person’s life. In every person’s career, change is a constant. Obviously, Bollywood has also changed with each passing year, specially the way the people and the audiences have perceived cinema. The films that have been made in these 15 years have had a lot of changes. In terms of the characters that women play in Hindi cinema, it is kind of evolving each day. There has been a lot of change and with every year, the kind of audience keeps changing. The youth keeps changing every year. When I started off as an actress, the people who were the youth brigade then have become adults now. They have grown out of the youth thing. So every generation gives these thumbs up for a certain kind of a movie.

But do you feel with time, people are becoming more and more professional and relationships are turning fragile?
I wouldn’t say that. I think professionalism has always been a constant in the film industry. Yes, there will be exceptions probably, who don’t follow the professional route but in a larger picture, I feel professionalism has always been an integral part of Bollywood. So, I wouldn’t say that has changed. I would rather put it this way: It has become more corporate these days. And I feel it is because of the corporations getting into the picture, relationships are better now. Nowadays, everything is very open. In the beginning they weren’t open and that was the main reason of certain unhealthy things happening. But now the relationships are crystal clear.

You came back with Dil bole Hadippa after tenure of around 1 and half years where you kind of made yourself ready. So did you feel any pressure then?
I don’t really agree with the word ‘You came back’! I don’t understand why an actor always should keep coming back with each film that he comes with. Why doesn’t this term be used with an actor who comes after a year? Why does everyone have to call it a comeback? Its never a comeback. It is just the next film. I have a problem with the question and the terminology used in the question stating ‘comeback’!!! It is always used for an actress. But it is okay when an actor takes out time from a particular project and comes with a release. You never make a comeback with each film of yours na? When you take a break, that break is for a physical reason. You might be getting married or having children. For an actress, the break is only during that time, because you cant physically put your self through the strain of shooting when you are pregnant. But, in Bollywood those norms also break because there have been so many women who worked even during their pregnancy. So ‘come back’ is for people who live films for 4-5 years and then you know they are coming back. But in my case, I have been working every year.

Playing Meera Gaiti was tough but you pulled it off with perfection…
For me, any role that excites me and is new for me is equally like a dream role. I don’t plan and decide ki ok next yeh karna hai ya this is next on my agenda. I think I have been very fortunate that time and again, people or directors and filmmakers have come to me with roles which have given me a lot of opportunity to challenge myself as an actor. So that way, I have been quite lucky. I got the roles sitting at home.

The Media has always tried to portray you as a very arrogant, snobbish actress. But in reality, you are exactly the opposite. Do these rumours affect you anyhow?
What like happens is, when you are going to go out there in the public view, there will be people who will try and pull you down. They will say things about you because there always will be a kind of distraction always. There will be people who will detract people because there will be questions as to how can she be so nice, why is she so loved and all. It has to have an end to it. When people come with that kind of a mentality, they try to search for them. And when they don’t get something they start making their own stories. They are coming with a set mind. The journalists who have met me or those who meet me even now; my journey and my interactions with them have been very nice. I think most of them are very happy. They are even satisfied meeting with me or whatever. Then the ones who don’t get an opportunity to meet me or to talk to me, obviously they will spread kind of malicious rumours. Their anger is for a different reason: that arrey we didn’t get her interview or she didn’t talk to us or why isn’t she talking to us and talking to that person. So all these things happen but I don’t blame them. Their entire earning of bread and butter is through that field. So, they will try and make as much as they can. There is no reason to grudge because God has given so much. You have to see the positive side and go on with that. We can’t get bogged down by these little little rumours that keep jumping from here to there. We can’t react to everything.

You have been one of those few actresses who have been great friends with all the three Khans. How do you do it?
My equations with all three of them are on different levels. They love me dearly. So, on my end I think that is a very simple thing because they all have a lot of love for me and affection for me from the beginning. I have worked with them at a very nascent age, at a very nascent time in my career when I was just starting off. So they have a lot of admiration and love for me. That has continued over a decade. And I am sure it will remain forever. Its from both the sides. Even I absolutely love them and adore them.

But still, if you were asked to pick any one of them to whom you are the closest, who would you choose and why?
I would never choose. When I have all three, why should I choose? I am close to them on a different level. You don’t define closeness-with whom its more or less. Its either you are close to a person or you are not close to a person. I am close to all of them.

You have also signed another film besides ‘Talaash’.
Yes and I started shooting for it in October last year. It is called Aiyya and it is a quirky love story produced by Anurag Kashyap and Viacom. The director is Sachin Kundalkar, who is a Marathi film maker. He is making his first Hindi film. And Prithwiraj is this actor from Malayalam films who is working opposite me in the film.

With actresses like Juhi, Madhuri, Karisma, Raveena, Sridevi leaving the scenario, there was a void in the industry. Then you, Kajol, Priety tried to fill it up.But since you are doing limited films and Priety has completely resorted into a shell, there is again a void. Do you agree?
No, I don’t think so. I think Kajol came at the same time of Raveena and all. Even Karisma, Juhi: they all were in the same league. They were the contemporaries. I think Aish, sushmita, Priety and me: We were contemporaries. And coming to that void part, I am assuring you something. I am doing more films. Don’t worry I am there. There is not going to be any void from my side. I am going to be forever. ‘Forever Rani’ that is the headline.

Have you really decided to do just one film per year following Aamir’s footsteps?
Of course it will increase. The minute I get a role that excites me; I will work back to back. See, the difference is I will only take up a job when I am completely passionate about it. As I had told you, for being an actress, you have to have everything. It has to be an amalgamation. So, if I am not passionate about the role that I am playing, then there is no point doing the role. Because somewhere down the line, the audience will catch it. So I have to always do a film or a role which really excites me.

You and Shah Rukh have been the most favourite on screen couple for the decade now. So when do we get to see you both together again?
I would like to work with him tomorrow only. Maybe even today itself!!! But again, when me and Shah Rukh work, it has to be the correct script, the correct kind of a thing. Hopefully soon because as I said, I have completed a full circle since I am working with Aamir again. The circle will start amalgamating once when Shah Rukh and Salman come into the picture. It will become my trio of Ghulam, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Hello Brother. Again the same thing will be repeated even here, I am sure. I am actually very very excited about Aiyya. You know after very long, I am doing a kind of a comedy and a musical. So there will be lot of dances, lot of comedy in Aiyya. So I am really looking forward to this film and it reaches my fans as quickly as possible.

Rapid fire with Rani:
A role that you wish you had done: Probably I would like to play Chulbuli Pandey from Dabanngg
A tagline that best describes you: Can’t think of anything.. (Pauses and replies) Queen of Hearts
One character you played that is similar to what you are in real life: Babli from Bunty aur Babli.
Something about Rani that the world is unaware of: I can bake very good cakes.
Your favourite cuisine: Indian
Rani goes bananas over: Food
A thing/ a body part in you that according to you makes you look better: My smile. My mouth.
A trait in you that you want to change: None
Something that you are obsessed about: Food, again!!!
Five words that best describes you: Baap re baap!!! (Laughs and then continues) Charming, intelligent, comedian, hot and passionate.
One actor/ actress who you think is better than you: Amitabh Bachchan and Madhuri Dixit
Last phone call you made was to: Vaibhavi (Merchant).
If you were given a chance where you had to be born as someone else, who would that be and why?: I would like to be the male version of myself. Born as myself as a man. The traits would be different. I wont be Rani. I will be the male version of myself. So it wont be like me.
A question that you wish people asked you: When are you going to get an Oscar
And the answer to that would be: As soon as destiny places me at the right place.

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I won't like to sit at home and rear kids forever: Rani

When Rani Mukerji invites you home for a cup of tea and indulges you in a conversation on topics other than matters of her heart, you know there is an agenda. Having said that, it is still a pleasure to chat with this firebrand actress. Over to Rani.
You are at the crossroads of your career but you will not accept ornamental roles. there are not many roles of substance written for actresses like yourself. Right?
I do not think that Bollywood actors have a short shelf life. Look at Amitabh Bachchan. He has been around for four decades and is still going strong. He still has films that revolve around him and the reason for this is simple. Amitji has kept himself abreast of the times and he is open to doing roles that suit his age. Likewise, I think actresses too can continue working all their lives if they are willing to change with the times. Today if I am doing fewer films, it's because I choose to do less. My audience understands the kind of cinema I do and they follow my work closely. Nothing in the world can tempt me to do inconsequential films because if I do that I will only be offered those. I choose my films carefully and I repeat that's the reason why my audience gets excited with the cinema I associate myself with.
So you are saying that there is no shelf life for the Bollywood film heroine?
Listen I will change that. I wouldn't like to sit at home and rear kids forever. Someday my kids will grow up and have a life of their own and then what? I think they (the kids) should always know who they are born to so I will never give up. I do not wish to deprive my fans of my work nor do I wish to deprive myself of acting. Yes, if I lose the plot someday then I will pack my bags and leave. But for as long as the director behind the camera says: 'Rani, that was good' or 'Rani, I loved that shot'... I will go on.
Would a Dirty Picture or Heroine excite you?
Frankly, no. Both these films revolve around the film industry. When I am playing a character that is based on the film industry, I would want to project it the way I have seen things. Even when Zoya Akhtar offered me Luck By Chance, I refused because of the same reason. There is a tendency to sensationalise films that are based on our industry. But it isn't just about controversy and sensationalism. There is also hard work, focus, dedication, too. I know no one wants to see this side because it is boring. But I would like to do a film keeping this other side in mind. Coming back to The Dirty Picture, Vidya Balan was brilliant in it and I know Kareena will rock it with Heroine.
When you are not working you are rarely seen or heard. Is that a deliberate thing?
I do not feel the need to be seen and heard everyday. I'm happy that despite being out of sight, I still manage to occupy the mind space of my fans. I subscribe to the view that if you are an exciting actor, then the fans' last memory of you is the last film that you have done.
There were reports of you planning to turn director.
I have no plans to become a director in the near future. The role is one of humungous responsibility. He/she is the one who takes people from one shore to the other. The shore could be choppy or calm. But as the captain of the ship, he still has to land it safe. A director has to get the best out of the talented crew he has without upsetting anyone. I do not have the kind of temperament to take on that responsibility.
Digressing here, but one hears that you make the most amazing Tiramisu in Bollywood...
I discovered baking way back in college because I'm a Home Science student. However I didn't pursue my culinary skills because my father had a phobia about me being around fire. Three years ago, quite by accident, I tried baking. My first attempt was disastrous. But I did it over and over again, till I excelled. Also my father was a little more lenient because it did not involve a direct fire. So here I am...baking some amazing cakes, cookies and making the most sought after Tiramisu in town.

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Yash Chopra retirement will be a loss, says Rani Mukherjee

Actress Rani Mukherjee says actors will lose out on working with a great director like Yash Chopra, who recently announced his retirement plans.
"He gets everybody to participate, gives everyone lot of love and every actor on his sets is pampered. So obviously actors will lose out on working with a great director like him. I am lucky to have got the opportunity to work with him," Rani said.
Rani's first film with Chopra was 'Mujhse Dosti Karoge' which he had produced, and later she did half-a-dozen films produced by him including 'Saathiya', 'Hum Tum', 'Bunty Aur Babli' and 'Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic'.
Yash Chopra also directed Rani in 'Veer Zaara'.
On his 80th birthday recently, Chopra, who has given several golden hits to Indian cinema including 'Waqt', 'Deewar', 'Silsila', 'Dil Toh Pagal Hai' and 'Veer Zaara', announced that he will end his directorial innings with the upcoming Shah Rukh Khan-Katrina Kaif starrer 'Jab Tak Hai Jaan' (releasing on November 13).
"I think it will be a huge loss but it is a personal decision and everybody should respect it. He has been a legend. He has given us films like 'Deewar', 'Trishul', 'Daag', 'Waqt', 'Chandni', 'Lamhe' and 'Silsila', it is amazing," she said.
On her experience of working with the veteran director-producer, Rani said, "My association with him has been wonderful. I think Yash Chopra is a legend; he is one person who we all look up to not only for the kind of movies he has made but also because he is a great human being. He is a very passionate person." The Bengali beauty could not stop heaping praises on the legendary director.
"I have seen him interacting with other actors and they just love him. He does not put any pressure. He makes his actors be spontaneous and act from the heart. Today directors mostly watch monitors and not the actors. But he comes from the time where he used to connect with actors and he follows that. He watches them (actors) behind the camera and not in the monitor," she said.
"There are times when you feel that you could have done better and he is like I have seen, I have got the shot I wanted. The confidence that he brings on sets, it is very natural," she added.
Meanwhile, Rani is looking forward to the release of Anurag Kashyap's next home production 'Aiyyaa'.
'Aiyyaa' is the story of a woman who finds a man desirable because he smells good. The film is slated to release on October 12.
"If girls see this film, they will identify with my character - Meenakshi. I don't think I ever do any character which I feel is away from reality," Rani said.
Directed by Sachin Kundalkar, 'Aiyyaa' also marks the arrival of Malayalam superstar Prithviraj Sukumaran in Bollywood.
Rani said though she has done many romantic films, but when Sachin came to her with this different film idea, she decided to give it a go.

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The Front Row: ‘I Would Really Like to Be the Meryl Streep of India’

Over a year after co-starring in “No One Killed Jessica,” Rani Mukherji is back, this time as the lead role in “Aiyyaa,” a romantic comedy set in south India.
Ms. Mukerji spoke to Anupama Chopra about the film, Meryl Streep and what aging means for Bollywood actresses.
Here’s an edited transcript of their conversation on “The Front Row.”

Anupama Chopra: Rani, you’ve been very clear that “Aiyyaa” is not your comeback film. But why haven’t we seen you in a movie in more than a year?
Rani Mukerji: I keep telling people that on the last day of “No One Killed Jessica,” Aiyyaa came into my lap and I had already signed “Talaash.” So in a year and a half, I completed shooting for both my films. Yes, “Talaash” was supposed to come out much earlier but due to whatever reasons it’s releasing in November now. But I’m glad that both my films are ready to release and I’m really excited about it.

Anupama: So this long break wasn’t planned?
Rani: No, it wasn’t planned. I was working all the time. I was not in Miami on the beach or I wasn’t in a spa and getting massages done. I was working on both my films and Aiyyaa’s been a film where I have been involved right from when Sachin (Kundalkar) came to me with just a one line and developed that into a script.

Anupama: Sachin Kundalkar, the director of Aiyyaa, said that you weren’t just the first choice for the film, you were in fact the only choice for the film. So what is it about Meenakshi in Aiyyaa that makes it such a perfect fit for you?
Rani: I think the way Meenakshi is mad. She is a wakda character and wakda means tedha-medha (crooked). And she is a very strong character in her own way. She is a dreamer in spite of living in a society where women are not supposed to dream and women are not supposed to ask for more than they are given. In that scenario there is this Meenakshi Deshpande who lives her life on her own terms, though not rebelling openly but she rebels in her head. She does everything possible which she would not be allowed to do in her real life.

Anupama: The promos of the film especially the songs “Dreamum Wakeupum,” “Aga Bai” seem mad in the best sense of the word. Did you have any inhibitions when you were shooting them?
Rani: No. I just went out and did it because that is me. I think my last outing of being whacked out was in “Bunty aur Babli” and then, after that, especially because of “Black,” I think the entire scenario became a “serious actress.” But I’m actually quite non-serious in that sense.

Anupama: I asked Kareena Kapoor why viewers are so willing to watch the same heroes over twenty years but they want new heroines every decade. She said it isn’t so much the viewers as it is an industry-view that “fresh pairing honi chaiye” (the pairing should be fresh). Do you agree?
Rani: My father and mother have been married to each other for forty three years and there is an age gap between them of 20 years. So in our country people do accept that a woman is always younger than the man but it becomes difficult for people to accept a woman being older than the man. You will seldom find any couple where the woman is much older and the man is younger. They will always say “Arre yeh toh isne phansaa liya iss ladke ko.” (She has entrapped the young man). I think that kind of cliché exists in our society. So how much can you change that in films? I don’t think any filmmaker or any actor has any agenda against any actress. They want the best for their movie. Look at the success of somebody like a Meryl Streep, who has balanced out her career.

Anupama: But is there room in Bollywood for a Meryl Streep?
Rani: Of course there is. It’s just that we Indian woman get too carried away with our personal lives and with rearing our children. We feel that we are the only mothers on the planet, but if you can kind of balance the two, it’s great. I think you need to be the person who is the front-runner to change that benchmark. I would really like to be the Meryl Streep of India. I would like to balance the work. I would like to see what my life will be like when I get married and, if I can balance it, great. If there are takers and if I’m looking good and looking correct for my age than why won’t anybody watch that film?

Anupama: But Rani, are there enough filmmakers today who want to tell stories like Aiyyaa, which are centered around women?
Rani: I think there are, it’s just they need to be given the opportunity. Today, the audience is just fantastic because the kind of films that they are watching and the kind of films that are become successful show that the youth in our country is ready for this kind of cinema. I always say that change is constant. The kid who watched “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai” when he was nine is no longer nine years old, he has also grown up. So I think the generation keeps changing. There is a new kind of youth that comes into the picture and they are seeing different films. Like I never thought that after 17 years in my career I would do a love story called Aiyyaa which is about a woman who falls in love with a man because of his smell.

Anupama: Does it bother you that heroes in Bollywood seem impervious to age? Shah Rukh, Aamir, Salman are being paired with younger girls but equally talented women don’t get these opportunities?
Rani: I don’t mind because I’m working with Prithviraj and I’m working with Shahid (Kapoor). I’m doing fine so I’ve no complaints. I’m just looking very young (laughs) and I’m taking full advantage of being short. I’m loving it. Normally they say when you are short you look younger for longer. I’ve taken up yoga because they say that after you do yoga you look ten years younger (laughs). So I’m trying to take the clock back. I’m fully prepared.

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If Aamir can take a break, why can't I, asks Rani Mukerji

Rani Mukerji gets miffed with the word ‘comeback’ when she asserts she had gone for a short break and also, gets upset about the fact that superstar like Aamir Khan is never questioned when they disappear for a short while.
“I fail to understand, why is an actress always associated with the word ‘Comeback’ when she intentionally takes a break to prepare for her character. I have two films lined up this year, 'Aiyyaa' and 'Talaash' which showcase in two poles-apart characters. I took nearly a one year to understand these characters, research so that to get into the skin of them,” exclaims Rani.
She draws comparisons with Aamir Khan and further adds, “If Aamir Khan takes a break to prepare for his character and does one film in one or two years, that’s acceptable. But, Rani Mukerji can’t take a break.”
She goes on to add, “Likewise, people ask me why I have done three item numbers in the film. They are not item numbers. I am just dancing in the film. Did anybody ask Mithun or Madhuri why they did item numbers in their films when they just danced? No! Then why me? I could always dance, Rani Mukerji bahut kuch kar sakti hain, but it’s just that people are noticing this after my being in Bollywood for 17 years! For 17 years my focus was only acting. Now comes the Oh My God!, moment that Rani can dance as well.”
Point taken Ms. Mukerji, we are sure everyone will be careful henceforth before calling any of your film a comeback vehicle.

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Prithvi is a better dancer than Shahid: Rani Mukerji
Published: Monday, Oct 8, 2012, 12:53 IST
By Chaya Unnikrishnan | Place: Mumbai | Agency: DNA
Prithviraj

Actress Rani Mukerji is currently on a promotional tour across the country for her upcoming film. At one of the events she apparently confessed that Prithviraj is a better co-star and way better dancer than Shahid. “She said that she had far more fun on Aiyyaa as compared to working with Shahid in Dil Bole Hadippa,” says the source.

Rani is seen doing two dance numbers with Prithvi — one is a belly dance and another one is inspired by a Kamal Haasan song from the 1980s. In all her interviews, the actress has been praising her co-star. However, when the shooting had just begun, Rani had no expectations from Prithvi.

“He being a South Indian and not acquainted with Bollywood, she was not sure how Prithvi would manage Bolly dancing, especially because he came across as a shy and reserved person. It was only later that she realised he was a good dancer,” says the source.

After Aiyya, Rani’s next release will be Talaash, a thriller with actors Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor. Rani is one of the few actresses to have done two heroine films since the beginning of her career. She has acted with actors Kajol, Kareena, Preity Zinta and Vidya Balan. When asked about it, Rani had said, “We are here to act and more the merrier.”

In her career spanning over a decade the actress has done a variety of roles including that of a hearing impaired and blind girl in Black, but so far the National Award has eluded her. She, however is not perturbed.

“So many films come for review at the national level, we are not people to comment on that. I am just a worker, doing my best to make the product good. I am sure people there know what they are doing and it is better left to them!” she declares.

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Nothing new happening in films today: Rani Mukherjee

Actress Rani Mukherjee feels nothing new is happening in the films today and it is all about revisiting the past.
"Our industry comes from an era where Shammi Kapoorji, Raj Kapoorji and all of them were icons in terms of looks. I don't think anything new is happening today. It is all about revisiting of what happened in the past," Rani said.
"Even this whole thing about trying to say that women oriented films have taken over today, I think it is a myth. What about films like 'Bandini', 'Sujata' and 'Mother India', it has all been happening. It is just that those things are coming back," the actress said .
"So I don't feel that there is anything unique happening, but yes in terms of audience changes have taken place," she said.
Rani is happy that today the audience have changed, who are ready to accept 'good' films.
"The youth today...the kind of films that are being accepted is because they are the ones who go and see it. Today they are ready to accept a different genre," she said.
"Today people are reacting to different genre of films, reacting to good films regardless of what they are," she added. Rani's last film was 'No One Killed Jessica' in January 2011 and now 'Aiyyaa' releases this Friday.
"Everybody goes through a phase in their career where they decide that every film that is offered to you, you can't do it. You have to choose; especially I like to choose the best out of the lot," she said.
"There are certain criteria on which I choose a film. I don't categorise films as women or men-centric or author backed roles. I don't choose films with some agenda. If I like the script I will accept it. The film should be something that the audience like as I don't want to disappoint them," she added.
Produced jointly by Anurag Kashyap and Viacom 18 Motion Pictures, 'Aiyyaa' marks the Bollywood debut of Marathi director Sachin Kundalkar. South actor Prithviraj Sukumaran plays the lead opposite Rani.
The song 'Dreamum Wakeupm' and the promos of 'Aiyyaa' give a feel of south Indian touch.

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I feel I am daughter of the country: Rani Mukherjee

Actress Rani Mukerji is happy with the fact that everyone is talking about her marriage and says that people's concern makes her feel like being the daughter of the country.
"I feel very lucky that the entire country thinks about my marriage. In that sense I am the daughter of the country because they are so concerned about my marriage," Rani said.
"I am extremely happy that they are thinking about my marriage and not of anything else but such an auspicious thing. So for me, it is a very sweet thing," added the 34-year-old, who is said to be dating filmmaker Aditya Chopra.
Interestingly, her forthcoming film "Aiyyaa" revolves around marriage. Directed by National Award winning director Sachin Kundalkar, it sees Rani as a Pune-based Marathi girl Meenakshi Deshpande whose parents want to her to get married. But she falls in love with a Tamil painter as she is attracted by his body odour.
Rani admits the film is a risk as audiences are not used to this kind of cinema.
" 'Aiyyaa' is one such risk that I have taken because not only the script is whacked-out, but also the filmmaking style that Sachin has adapted is very different to what our Hindi audience is used to watching," she said.
But she is confident that from young girls to grandmothers all will relate to the movie.
"I am not talking about just a section of people in the city. When you see pan India, every girl wants to be independent and make her choice in terms of a life partner. Unfortunately, some girls don't have the liberty to make that choice because they are burdened with the thought that this is what they have to follow," she said.
"Not only young girls, but mothers and grandmothers, who have been through this situation in their lives, will relate to my character," she added.
After actors like Katrina Kaif, Vidya Balan and Chitrangada Singh, Rani has done a sensuous Lavani number in the film.
"I don't think those were (a Lavani dance) in true sense but what I have done in the film is an authentic Lavani," she said.
"Aiyyaa" will introduce southern star Prithviraj Sukumaran when it releases on Oct 12.(IANS)

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Adi wants Rani to be asocial

Film promotion on social networking sites is but a norm in Bollywood these days. Even actors like Madhuri Dixit and Sridevi who are making a comeback after a long sabbatical have taken to it rather gracefully but a much younger Rani Mukherji doesn’t seem to have warmed up to the concept yet.

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“YES, I’M IN LOVE!”
Movies, Smells, Aditya & More

http://www.thefilmstreetjournal.com/%28S%283sfv0o55cxw5drmjt5jtbd55%29%29/generalarticle.aspx?id=499

Rishi Kapoor is not alone in naming his sprawling Pali Hill bungalow ‘Krishna Raj’ as an ode to his parents. In a quiet part of Juhu bang opposite Aditya Chopra’s private abode stands Rani Mukherjee’s imposing ‘Krishna Ram’, her way of honouring both her parents.

Inside the well-secured bungalow which is off limits to most is a garden full of greenery and two dogs that bark their heads off. Rani greets you full of smiles, shuts the door to drown out the canine welcome, and settles down in a cosy den (obviously this one’s for visitors). On a corner table are a host of framed photographs and she happily introduces you to her family. “That’s Maisha my niece, this is Viaan my nephew, this is me and my dad, my parents, my niece again, my brother, bhabhi.” The whole Mukherjee clan is present on the table.


On another table is a box of sohan papdi and Rani has been tucking into it out of sheer relief and joy.

“I lost my appetite this morning because, oh God, the trailer of Aiyyaa was coming out and I was tense wondering how people would react to it. But the kind of response I’ve got from the media as well as on the net, they’ve all been ecstatic, speaking in superlatives and I was like wow!”

“I also get attracted to smells. I have always said, what really
attracts me to a man is his smell”

She’s dressed in a mango colour sari with green and gold border and looking pretty ecstatic herself. For more reasons than just Aiyyaa as we shall soon discover.

It’s often said, you’re the architect of your life. Rani sure has been the architect of her career, making choices that don’t strictly fall into the conventional. Last seen in No One Killed Jessica where she spewed abuse and was more ballsy than all her male colleagues, in Aiyyaa, her latest, she’s happily teamed up with Prithviraj, a testosterone-oozing celebrity from Kerala but untested and untried in Hindi cinema.

“Aiyyaa is not unconventional. It has five lip sync songs and one
background number”

Was it Black that really gave her a taste for the unconventional?

“Not really,” she posts her reply in a jiffy. “I think Hey!Ram started it, then I did Yuva. So, yes, I did have a taste for the unconventional from the beginning. I did Black, then Paheli. So I have done my bit of unconventional stuff. But Aiyyaa is actually not unconventional. It has lip sync songs, it’s full-on Bollywood. When you define a Hindi film as a film with songs and dances and an emotional storyline, Aiyyaa has all of that. It has five lip sync songs and one background number. It’s a first for an Anurag Kashyap film. He hasn’t even produced anything like this before.”

Rani describes Meenakshi, her character in Aiyyaa, as a simple Maharashtrian girl depicting today’s sensibilities. But isn’t Meenakshi also a vague girl who falls in love with a guy because she likes the way he smells?

“Yeah, but for me it’s not vague because I also get attracted to smells! Yes, I really do because if you go back and check my interviews done probably 10 years back, you will see that I have always said, what really attracts me to a man is his smell.”

We’ll have to take her word for it because honestly, we haven’t dug into any archives to check out that statement.

Rani prattles on chirpily, “It’s quite strange that after so many years my life has come a full circle where I am doing a film depicting that.”

From the scent of a man to swear words in a man’s world, how did Rani gather the guts to use the ear-singeing language she did in NOKJ?

She is blasé about the effs and gaan...s that she nonchalantly sprinkled all over NOKJ.
“The thing with swearing is,” she explains the art, “you have to be completely comfortable with it. Jessica was made today, at a time when you hear people using those words in their daily lingo.”
You use them too?

“Sometimes,” she replies like a sport, dispensing with the goody-goody veneer of most heroines. “Occasionally we all do. Today when you use those kind of expletives, nobody raises an eyebrow, it’s not really a shocker anymore. It was done (in Jessica) with the intention that we are depicting a real life journo and she would use these words even if she was a person from a different profession. When we shot for it, we just did it because it would look natural. But I guess when it came out in the promo it made a huge impact and people caught on to it.”

“One quality which I really, really like is that Adi has respect for
everybody. He is just a great guy. Like, how do I sum him up?”

In the unforgettable promo was the shot on the plane where a guy asks her about Kargil and she turns around and says the ‘g’ word without missing a beat.

It didn’t perturb Rani one bit while shooting it. “See, I think that’s my job,” she explains. “I can’t be going on the set and telling my director, I am not comfortable doing it. He is paying me for that job, I see it like that. If I am even one per cent uncomfortable with what I have to do, I won’t do that film. I would rather say ‘no’ to it at the script level than go on the set and tell my director, I am chickening out now. It doesn’t make sense to me.”

Nopes, she didn’t blink an eye even while reading and approving the script.
“The cuss words were not something that were highlighted in red,” she laughs, “it was a part of the script. If you are an actor who wants to go with the times, you have to see what’s working today.”
Jessica was warmly welcomed, for Rani did do a splendid job of playing the hard-nosed TV reporter. But was it disheartening that she was overlooked for every major award, there were not even any nominations for her that year?

“No, that’s really not my headache, that’s not my lookout,” she volleys without a twitch.
“If (a part of) the audience has not lapped up my work to that degree, it means somewhere down the line I have probably not delivered as much as they think I needed to, to get that recognition. In our industry we also talk of the luck factor or, now your time is really going to be good, so things just fall into place. Many a time you’ll also see actors getting nominated when they don’t really deserve to be.

“The day people stop wanting to know about me, I’ll be
worried that they have no interest in me anymore”

“So I guess it’s the kind of zone or phase you are in. Sometimes a really great performance of yours might get sidelined but that’s part of the game,” she shrugs. “I’m more than okay with it.”
Okay about all that comes with the territory, including the curiosity over her personal life?
“Today if I am popular, people will want to talk about me, they’ll want to know me, they’ll want to know about my personal life,” she rationalises and even accepts, “That keeps me going. Even if I don’t answer those questions, the fact that they still want to know about me is a plus. The day they stop wanting to know about my personal life, I’ll be worried that they have no interest in me anymore.”

“Today when you use those kind of expletives, nobody raises
an eyebrow. Jessica was made today, at a time when you hear
people using those words in their daily lingo”


After Jessica, Rani has the solo show Aiyyaa coming up in October and will wind up the year with Talaash, once again a two-heroine film. Any difference noted in the Kareena she starred with years ago in Mujhse Dosti Karoge?

“You know, I have loved Bebo right from day one because of who she is,” she smartly answers. “I have always had a wonderful time whenever I’ve met her. She meets me with a lot of love and respect. As an actor, she has been a spontaneous actor from day one. She has honed her skills day after day, a good actor always does that.”

And no, she didn’t meet Kareena all through the filming of Talaash simply because they don’t have a single scene together in it.

Although Rani has tested her skills in the smorgasbord of roles she’s done, no film has really done justice to the little known fact that she is a damn good dancer, a classically trained one too.
“Aiyyaa will make up for it. You will be very happy with Aiyyaa,” she announces perkily, “because I am doing three different dance forms in it. One is belly dancing, there is a lavani and the third is a completely south Indian film dance with raunchy steps and moves.”

After all that excitement, Rani hasn’t really thought of what she’d like to do after Aiyyaa and Talaash. In fact she merrily accepts that she has no film on hand right now!

“I have loved Bebo right from day one
because of who she is”

“It’s important to do the film that you are really excited about. Till I don’t get really excited about a project, I don’t do it. It took me a year to get excited for Aiyyaa in the sense of wanting to start it. I don’t feel the need to sign a film immediately or sign a film because, arre abhi interviews dena hai, so I have to be ready with some film on hand to talk about. For me it’s more important that I do films where I am excited, where I am raring to go because that way I know my input and my output will be better.”

Rani has come a mighty long way because when she began her acting career (in 1997 with Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat), she came in with two stark shortcomings – her height and her voice.
“I feel those are my two assets because I can fit in with any hero,” she shoots it down with relish. “With a taller hero I look very endearing and with a shorter hero I look absolutely on par! I reach everybody’s heart with my height (she indicates the chest level she reaches with most guys) and my voice is completely distinct. If people don’t recognise me from my face they would recognise me from my voice. So for me these two are my assets. I wouldn’t see them as my shortcomings at all.”

It isn’t the cockiness of success that’s saying it because, as she points out, “Even when I had not signed any film, there was a producer who came and said, ‘Oh my God, you sound like a toad.’ He is nowhere in the reckoning today and he’s been dead and gone for years. So I guess that’s what life is. You don’t be so opinionated about people before you see what the audience has to say about the person.

“That producer was trying to be honest, that was his opinion. But it’s not as if I went home and did some gargling to make it better,” she says in a ‘this is my voice, take it or leave it attitude.’
The world took it. The success accounts in part for that robust glow on her face. But ahem, apart from a naturally lovely skin, one thinks it’s love showing up too.

Rani laughs in response. “It’s my inner beauty, my inner self, my inner peace which is also connected to love obviously!”
You said it, Rani.
“You wanted it, I gave it to you,” she repartees with a grin.
So you are saying you are in love?

“With a taller hero I look very endearing and with a shorter hero
I look absolutely on par. I reach everybody’s heart with my height!”

“Absolutely,” she reiterates. “There is no harm in mentioning it and telling the world that.”
Rani is ready to be more candid than she has ever been in any interview, applying her own set of brakes where she wants. With her status on the net being, unofficially married, she remarks, “I think marriage is something very personal to everybody’s life. For me it’s important to let my fans know that yes, I do experience the wonderful feeling of love. But beyond that I would not like to discuss or talk about my personal life.”

“It’s important to let my fans know that yes, I do experience
the wonderful feeling of love!”

Does Rani have a deadline for marriage?
“No, I don’t think there can be any deadlines for marriage. You can marry at 80 also,” she teases.
Hopefully you won’t keep everybody waiting that long?

“You never know. I am a mad Bengali, I can do anything,” she warns with a laugh.
She pauses and asks, “Are you happy with the interview, you want anything more? Please ask me whatever you feel like because I always like to keep my journalists happy.”

Well, here goes. Let’s ask a direct question about the man whose name everybody’s been pussyfooting around for years.
What’s Rani’s opinion on Aditya Chopra and all the rumours about the two of them?

“Adi is one of the most fabulous producers that we as an industry have today. The way he meticulously functions and the way he works on his projects is very, very admirable. Because I have worked in his films I know the way he nurtures all his people who work for him. One quality which I really, really like is that he has respect for everybody, from the lowest person working there to the highest of people, there is no distinction. As a person I think he is just a great guy. Like, how do I sum him up?” she ponders. “He is a no-nonsense person, he is very direct. He is honest and he is very, very talented.”

What does Rani have to say about stories that the two of them are together and are probably already married?

“The good part,” she says cheekily, “is that the rumour has been constant. In this industry few things are constant. So what makes me happy is that at least it’s constant.”

Thank you, Rani. It’s been an illuminating experience. Because what has always been known about reclusive Adi is that he has an uncanny nose for the right script and cast and the acumen to turn Yashraj into the empire it is today. But with Rani disarmingly disclosing that she’s in love, now we additionally know: Aditya Chopra also smells swell for sure!

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Rani Mukerji: My Marriage Has Become a Joke

You’re a warm, social person. Why have you been keeping such a low profile?
I haven’t deliberately maintained a low profile. That’s just perception. Today, everyone is on social networking sites and in the news. But I’m old-fashioned. Till four-five years ago, we gave interviews only when our films were about to release or when we had something important to say. I follow the same pattern. I’m more interested in the making of my films. I’m not into Twitter, Facebook or writing blogs. Maybe, that’s why people think I maintain a low profile.

But even the Prime Minister is on a social networking site !
Well, it’s important for the PM to be on it. But what’s there for me to say? People who have much to share like to be on such networking sites. I’m happy in my circle. I spend most of my time at home.

Do you look on them as a waste of time?
No, it’s an individual viewpoint. Some like to keep in touch and let everyone know what they’re up to. My outlook is different. I’m not saying, I’ll never be on Twitter or Facebook. I might be tomorrow. But till now, I haven’t felt the need to do so. I believe each time I come in front of the audience, I should come with a film. I’m not interested in talking about my personal life. I’m more interested in my work. Perhaps, I’m wrong in not giving enough importance to social networking sites. Maybe, I should.

Don’t your friends like Karan Johar advise you to be on social media?
Oh yes, they do. But you don’t need to follow everything that your friends say. Some ask me to be on Twitter just before the release of my film, saying it would be good publicity for the film. But I believe that’s a misuse of the medium.

But this is something which even Aamir Khan resorts to…
Many actors have others handling their account when they are busy. The fewer people around me, the happier I am.

Every film of yours creates anticipation…
Every actor is alive because of his/her fans. I’m glad that my fans love me so much. I have an immense responsibility towards them. That’s why I’m careful while signing a film. What is also important is to judge whether I would like to watch the film as an audience or not. Audience tastes change every year. You should keep that in mind. You need to choose directors and writers who move with the times.

Films today are doing good business, with many making it to the 100 crore club. Would you want to be part of such a film?
No one can come to you with a script and claim that it will be a success!

But recently, director Sajid Khan claimed that his remake of Himmatwala will make that kind of money.
Maybe God has been kind to him till now. But as far as I know, there’s no one who can say, ‘Do this film; it will win you an award’ or ‘it will do a 100 crore business’. If anyone can predict this, all filmmakers would rush to that person and stop going to temples and mosques. My way of working is content driven. Without content, nothing can work.

In Aiyyaa, your character Meenakshi is attracted to a person by his smell. Does that apply to you in real life too?
Of course! In my earlier interviews, I was often asked, ‘What attracts you to a man?’ And I’d reply, ‘Smell! A man should smell really good’.

Which of your co-stars smells best?
Shah Rukh Khan. He always wears wonderful perfumes. I’d often check his perfume collection. I’d even ask him, ‘What perfume are you wearing today?’

Reportedly, you went shopping for your costumes for Aiyyaa. Was this a first?
I’ve done it ever since I worked in Saathiya. Even for Bunty Aur Babli, I went shopping with Akki Narula (costume designer).

How did you react when it was reported that 10 lakhs was spent on your make-up?
How would you react to a lie? If I talk about this, I’d only be giving importance to a journalist who doesn’t deserve it.

Is it true that you’re helping Prithviraj Sukumaran to bag roles in Hindi films?
Really? I didn’t know that! There’s nothing like that. If you ask me about Prithvi today, I’ll only say good things about him. You work with some people, you see a spark in them and you can’t help praising them. But everyone has their own destiny. No one can make anyone. Who reaches where and when, is all written. You shouldn’t give credit to someone else for this.

Who else would you like to work with?
I’d like to work with Zoya Akhtar. Zoya’s been wanting to work with me for years. I’m sure working with her will add to my performance. I also like Imtiaz Ali, Vishal Bhardwaj, Anurag Basu, Anurag Kashyap, Maneesh Sharma and Abhishek Chaubey. I never got a chance to work with Adi (filmmaker Aditya Chopra). I’d love it if he directs me.

The directors you named make meaningful films. Are you on such a trip now?
No. Imtiaz Ali’s films are highly commercial. Zoya also makes commercial films. I’d also be happy to work with those directors with whom I’ve already worked, like Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Shaad Ali. Then, there is Karan Johar. If Reema Kagti and Sachin Kundalkar approach me again, I’d work with them too.

One actor you’d like to work with…
Rajnikanth. I’d like to work with him.

What’s your relationship with Aditya Chopra?
He has been my producer and is a friend.

Allegedly, you got married to Aditya Chopra eight months ago...
Who said so? Some tabloid? What can I do about people who believe in lies? It’s a world full of liars. I only pray that the truthful are able to survive in this world so that people can finally know the truth. My marriage has become a joke, which is absolutely wrong. But when you’re part of the industry, people have a right to write about you. You cannot stop them.

Reportedly, he gifted you a car worth one-and-half crore…
Yet another lie! What can I do about lies? People think only a man can give lavish gifts on a woman, a woman can never gift a man. This is cheap mentality. I sometimes feel sorry to hear what people say.

After Salman Khan’s, it’s your marriage which is most speculated about. Why don’t you end these speculations?
Marriage is not something to be rushed into. While doing Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, I realised that if you marry, it should be for the right reasons. It’s important that you make it work and not take it as a joke.

What’s stopping you from getting married? Haven’t you still found the right guy?
I’ve heard that we come on earth in pairs, get separated only to meet once again through marriage. So whoever is there on this earth for me, will eventually get paired with me. Till then, I’ll enjoy my singlehood.

Are you aware that you are referred to as ‘the boss’ of Yash Raj Films?
I’m not bothered about what people say behind my back. I don’t need to know about it. I believe in living my life and doing my work. God will give you success. And even if he doesn’t, there’s a lesson to be learnt.

You worked with Kareena Kapoor in Talaash after a decade. Share some special moments with her.
During the shooting of Mujhse Dosti Karoge (MDK), Kareena and I had great fun. We cherish those memories. We are fond of each other. During the shoot of MDK in London, we’d often go to Hyde Park for a walk. We had our meals together. When we were in Switzerland, I remember having strawberries and ice cream with her. Whilst shooting in the Lake District, the entire unit travelled in the same bus and played antakshari on the way. Today, times have changed. Now, every actor travels in a different car. Kareena and I share a common trait — we are both frank, we hold nothing in our hearts. In Talaash we didn’t have any scenes together. But we shot together for a promotional video.

You’ve worked with Aamir Khan again. What has remained unchanged about him?
His passion for work. Actually, it’s increasing every day. His dedication towards a project has doubled. There used to be a sense of fun earlier, which is less today.

Who among the new actresses has impressed you?
I loved Deepika Padukone’s work in Cocktail; Parineeti Chopra’s in Ishaqzaade, Anushka Sharma’s in Band Baaja Baaraat, Sonakshi Sinha’s in Dabangg. Anushka and Parineeti are natural and act straight from the heart.

Do the new actresses need to be ‘intimidated’ of established actresses like you?
No, new actresses just need to be respectful towards their seniors. I’ve always respected the work of my seniors and loved them.

Forty-plus actors continue to rule, while it’s not the same with actresses…
If you choose scripts according to your age then the audience will accept you. Of course, male actors continue to play the hero even after 40, while heroines don’t. But if you maintain yourself and present yourself well, people will want to see you. Finally, content is king. For example, Meryl Streep won the Best Actress award at the Oscars (for The Iron Lady) in 2011. Slowly, the trend here is also changing.

Actors like Kajol and Madhuri Dixit are somewhere redefining this…
Yes. Even Sridevi is doing so. Slowly, the age barrier will disappear too.

When you are the biggest star in a project, do you try to take advantage of the fact?
No. When you are a team player, the words ‘advantage’ and ‘disadvantage’ hold no meaning. Today, the nature of film units has changed. You find people fresh out of film schools, working. The atmosphere on the sets is informal. You can’t even try to take advantage as this generation is the smartest ever. But you have to keep telling them the right way to do things.

If you decide to quit acting...
No actor is big enough to decide when to stop working. It’s the audiences who decide whether or not they want to see an actor. The day the audience wants me to quit, I’ll quit.

You’re close to your niece Mayesha. Would you like her to follow in your footsteps?
Who am I to wish that? I pray that she has a great life. I want her to be happy and healthy. The rest is up to the Almighty. When she grows up, she’ll decide what she wants to do.

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রানির মার্কিনি সম্মান
Update: January 22, 2013 20:39 IST

বারাক ওবামার শপথ গ্রহণের দিনই রানির মুকুটেও যুক্ত হল মার্কিনি পালক। গতকাল মুম্বইতে মার্কিন প্রেসিডেন্টের শপথ গ্রহণ উপলক্ষে বল পার্টির আয়োজন করেছিল ভারতের মার্কিন দূতাবাস ও এনজিও নমস্তে আমেরিকা। সেই অনুষ্ঠানেই ভারতীয় চলচ্চিত্রে অবদানের জন্য রানিকে বিশেষ সম্মানে ভূষিত করল ভারতের মার্কিন দূতাবাস।

এদিনে অনুষ্ঠানের জন্য কালোর ওপর সোনালি জরির কাজ করা ট্রাডিশনাল শাড়ি বেছে নিয়েছিলেন রানি মুখার্জি। বললেন, মার্কিন প্রেসিডেন্টের শপথ গ্রহণের দিনই এই মার্কিনি সম্মান পেয়ে তিনি সত্যিই খুশি। নিজের কাজের জন্য সম্মানিত হওয়া, বিশেষে করে যেই কাজকে তিনি ভালবাসেন, তাঁর কাছে সত্যিই আনন্দের।

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Rani Mukherjee felicitated by US Embassy in Mumbai

Rani Mukherjee was felicitated by the US Embassy at an Inaugural ball in honour of the 44th President of The United States of America, Barack Obama in Mumbai.

The 34-year-old actress, who graced the occasion, which was co-hosted by NGO 'Namaste America' along with US Emabssy, said that it was an honour for her to be there, especially because President Barack

Obama's swearing ceremony was being held on the same day in Washington.

Mukherjee looked gorgeous as ever in black traditional sari with gold embroidery embossed on it.

The 'Black' actress, who was appreciated by the US Embassy for her contribution to the Indian Cinema, also said that getting respected for one's work, especially the work that she loves doing which is acting, makes her heart goes absolutely crazy.

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Rani Mukerji takes a You-Turn

Our films may be formula-led but there's no single equation to a healthy, happy you. Rani Mukerji believes in exploring what works for her and setting her own goals.

You can't put Rani in a box. The little woman of Bollywood has managed to step out of every stereotype or slot created for the female leads of tinseltown. In an industry where most leading ladies gingerly step out of the safe zones-playing the hero's 'love interest' or a size-zero damsel-in-distress-to be cast in an occasional 'power performance' role; Rani's choices have been bold, different, risky even.

Re-invent Yourself
Try to tag her as one kind, and you can't find one that fits. Barely 20, the Aati kya Khandala girl quickly morphed into a playful Bengali wife who meets a traumatic end in Kamal Haasan's Hey Ram. From being coy or chirpy as a Karan Johar extravaganza demanded to a no makeup role in Black, Rani has made change a habit.

You don't have to look too far back. Think 'Aiyyaa' and you see her playing a young woman flitting between the real and a dream world, caught between her OTT Bollywood aspirations and a real life rooted in middle-class Mumbai. Watch Talaash and you see the stoic wife of a cop fighting her inner demons, clutching on to a disturbed husband, deliciously draped in saris that reveal her curvy waist. If the film generated a buzz at the Box Office, so did Rani's midriff. After Talaash hit the screens, women came up to her to ask how she could make cotton saris appear so sexy, she says breaking into her wonderfully raspy laughter!

It's somewhere between the chatter about waist and weight that we catch our cover girl forking a chocolate muffin with her tea. "This will stop. I will focus on getting even healthier," she grins, catching us spying on the gooey muffin.

Renew Your Vows
Rani's 'You'-turn; the turning point that set her firmly on the path to healthy living-happened at 16, when she watched her father going for his second bypass surgery. She realised the impact of food choices, exercise and lifestyle on our health. Yet, her 20s were spent giving more time to work than paying attention to her body, a habit she's now trying to reverse. "When you're young, your metabolism is high, your body can achieve a lot. Then there comes a time when the same goals keep getting more difficult to achieve," she says, talking about how the 30s are a time when the mind is more sorted and you know what you can pull off.

We're sitting in the vanity van in Mumbai's Mehboob Studios, discussing why Prevention cover girls are real women, not pin-ups. Though Rani has never aspired for the pin-up body, her roles have challenged her body-from the toned look for Dil Bole Hadippa to the ampleness of a belly dancer in Aiyya, they've demanded both skills and drills. "It's important to be fit, not just thin," Rani says casually.

Fitness First
Fitness is a way of life, so the plan you choose should be sustainable. Rani has found this in yoga, which she diligently practises for over an hour every day, six days a week. "Find your path, one that keeps you both happy and healthy. There are so many theories about the kind of exercise and food that is good for you. But only you know what works and what does not, when you looked good and what you did right," she says, debunking diet plans and torturous exercise regimes. Nevertheless, staying fit is important, looking your best does wonders for your self-esteem. So keep setting goals, and reset them when you get complacent."
The topmost thing on her mind is taking her fitness to the next level. She admits to have allowed her fitness schedules to slacken a little in the last couple of months, as she travelled extensively promoting Aiyya and Talaash. So Rani's New Year resolution is to go swimming "because it's the only aerobic exercise that is gentle on the body, especially with problems areas like the knee and ankle". Rigorous workouts for Hadippa (2009) have left a few scars-she hurt her knee running up and down the stairs after a yoga instructor informed her it was a great workout. It taught her an important lesson-stay informed about what you're getting into and don't overdo it.

Foodie at Heart

The conversation veers around her love for food, diabetic genes she has managed to suppress so far with her healthy lifestyle and the small love handles she's inherited from her mother. "Sometimes I wish I could snip them off," she says, unmindful of a loaded statement she just made. "So have you thought about doing it?"
"Doing what?"
"Snipping them off? What do you think of cosmetic surgery?" It's great for whoever it works for, she says, unflinching. "I wouldn't do it simply because I'm too scared to go under the knife for no reason. And the best thing is, people love me the way I am!" And, it seems, she does too. That's a wonderful space to be in.

Rani's Mantras

Staying fit is important, losing weight is not.
We must eat in moderation and not starve our body.
Yoga benefits mind and body, keeps you young.
Staying happy is a big part of fitness.

A day in Rani's Life

She starts the day with green tea, aloe vera juice and juice of bitter gourd.
Breakfast comprises toast and eggs, a bowl of papaya, and a glass of tea with milk.
Lunch is brown rice with veggies and dal or fish curry.
She snacks on bhel, brown bread sandwiches stuffed with vegetables, sips on green tea, and munches on fruit.
Dinner is similar to lunch, brown rice with veggies or fish curry.
Curd with banana to end on a sweet note.

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BollywoodLife anniversary special: Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Parineeti Chopra, Ranveer Singh – Will these stars change the definition of ‘acting’ forever?

The business of acting – just like so much else that is evolving in the glorious world of Indian cinema – is changing radically. There are stars who are getting better at their craft with every film and transforming themselves into powerful actors, true performers, in the process. Will these individuals change movies for the better with their calculated moves and commendable characters? You tell us…
There are actors and then there are stars. Actors are those who become the characters they play. The likes of Boman Irani, Paresh Rawal, Aamir Khan, Naseeruddin Shah and now Rishi Kapoor come instantly to mind when you think of performers who slip into the skin of the role they play, effortlessly and convincingly. The performer takes a back seat and the character – with all his or her hopes, worst fears, insecurities, mistakes, triumphs and human frailties – comes to the fore.

Stars, on the other hand, convert the characters they play into blown-up versions of themselves, becoming larger than life figures with an impossible to breach aura and that incredible swagger. Shahrukh Khan, Salman Khan – and dare we say it! – Amitabh Bachchan are synonymous with characters like Rahul, Prem and Vijay respectively. For the indelible impressions they have left on our collective consciousness with both their on- and off-screen personalities, these actors are demi-gods.

Today, with the changing dynamics of Hindi movies, these million-buck babies want more; they now aspire to being actors rather than just stars. Going by Ranbir Kapoor’s performance in Rockstar and Barfi! or Priyanka Chopra’s act in Kaminey and Saat Khoon Maaf or, for that matter, Rani Mukerji’s roles in Talaash and Bombay Talkies, one can sense that the definition of ‘acting’ is changing…and fast. And audiences today are far more than accepting of this evolution. Take a look at the list of star performers who will rock it with their talent in the days to come….

Rani Mukerji: Watch the petite babe’s heart-wrenching performances in recent movies like Talaash and Bombay Talkies, and you will realise how the mainstream diva can work equally well when she channelises her energy into challenging endeavours that tap into her amazing acting potential.


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Is YRF grooming Sasheh to be the next Rani Mukerji?

Is Sasheh being groomed as the next Rani Mukerji by Yash Raj Films? If her off-screen demeanor as well as on-screens are anything to go by, this could well be the case. To begin with, the way she speaks is totally like Rani. Not just is her voice strikingly similar to that of Rani, even her tone, diction, pitch and flow is an exact replica.
Moreover, the way she laughs is also just the same as Rani does, something which is quite characteristic to the lady.
When contacted, surprisingly Sasheh didn't make any attempt to conceal the similarities and did admit that she has got this compliment, especially about the voice and the laughter being similar to that of Rani, in the past as well.
"Quite a few people have made that mention and it is just a coincidence and nothing else," says Sasheh while passing on a giggle that is again quintessentially Rani.
These observations started becoming all the more apparent when Sasheh began her public appearances for Yash Raj's AURANGZEB. With her interactions starting to become a lot more visible, there were many who caught the point. In fact in the film too she is playing a free spirited girl, a kind of character that has come quite naturally for Rani over the years. No wonder, many believe that won't be a surprise if she is also cast in a few roles down the line where she fits in the shoes that Rani had worn during her earlier years in the industry.
"The way I sound is my natural self and no one has groomed me to come across as her," says Sasheh, "Having said that, I just love Rani. She is a great actress and one of those whom I love watching on screen."

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Exclusive: Rani's fitness formula

From playing a sexy news reporter to doing belly dancing, Rani Mukerji has always worked hard to be in shape...
The girl-next-door beauty surprised us with her wicked, wakda ways in Aiyyaa. There was serious body crunching behind that hourglass figure. Rani has shown that she still got it in her making her younger colleagues go green with envy. She totally rocks.

Trainer speak- Satyajit Chaurasiya
A couple of weeks before beginning Aiyyaa, Rani told me that she wanted to achieve a curvy look. She got into a vigorous mode preparing for the film. She had to show off her midriff and back in some scenes and also do some elaborate dance steps for which she needed to look toned. Her regime comprised yoga on alternate days and circuit training. She did 50 to 100 surya namaskars per day and ate every two to three hours.I advised her to drink 2-3 litres of water and avoid carbs and maida completely with no more than a spoonful of oil in her food. Rani loves mishti doi and chocolate pastries and she often binges on that. It can be a task keeping her away from them but she’s dedicated.

Diet Plan

l Morning: 60 ml of Aloe Vera juice early morning
A bowl of papaya and half an apple.
Then work out for two hours
l Breakfast: Muesli/oats with skimmed milk
l Lunch: Two multigrain atta rotis and dal.
l Evening: Sprouts, two egg whites with multi-grain bread.
l Dinner: 1 roti, grilled veggies, 150 gm of tandoori fish.

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