Rani's biography

Rani Mukerji
Bengali: রাণী মুখার্জী, Hindi: रानी मुखर्जी
born on March 21, 1978

Cousin of Kajol, Sharbani Mukherji, Mohnish Bahl and Tanisha. Niece of Joy Mukherjee and Deb Mukherjee.
She is the first actor to ever win both the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress trophies in a single year (2005) at the Filmfare.
She has won well over 60 awards to date.
She did playback singing in the movie Hey! Ram

Mukerji has three homes in Mumbai, including her childhood home. She bought a bungalow in Juhu for herself and her parents in mid-2005. The house went through a two year renovation with the interiors done by Twinkle Khanna and Sussanne Roshan.

Rani Mukherjee’s Home Address
Snehlata,404,Shakti,B Wing , Kalyan Complex,Yari Road ,Andheri west ,Mumbai 61 .
Rani Mukherjee’s School : Maneckjee Cooper High School in Juhu.
Rani Mukherjee’s College: She enrolled in Mithibai College, Mumbai .

Filmography:


While in school at the age of 14, Mukerji did a cameo role in her father's Bengali film Biyar Phool

(1992).

In 1994, Salim Akhtar, a family friend, offered her a film called Aa Gale Lag Jaa (1994)

but her father was against it as she was too young. Mukerji turned down the offer and Urmila

Matondkar was cast instead.Two years later, Salim Akhtar came up with another offer and insisted on her playing the

protagonist of Raja Ki Ayegi Baraat (1997). After a long discussion with her father, she agreed to

do the film. When the film was unsuccessful at the box office, Mukerji returned to college to

complete her education.
Mukerji had her first commercial success with Karan Johar's romance Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), her biggest hit so far, and won a Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award for her performance in the film. She later starred in many films, most of which fared below expectations. She re-invented her image with Saathiya (2002), which was commercially and critically successful.
In 2004, her performances in the hit Hum Tum and the critically acclaimed Yuva earned her the Best Actress and the Best Supporting Actress awards at the Filmfare, making her the first actress to win two major awards in the same year. She received unanimous praise for her role as a deaf-blind girl in the film Black (2005),
Mukerji comes from a film-oriented family of Bengali origin. Her father Ram Mukherjee is a retired director 'Leader' and 'Hum````` Hindustani' and one of the founders of Filmalaya Studios while her mother Krishna was a playback singer. Her brother Raja Mukherjee is a film producer, now turned director. Her maternal aunt, Debashree Roy, is a national award-winning Bengali film actress and her cousin, Kajol, is a popular Bollywood actress.
Mukerji is a trained Odissi dancer, and began learning the dance in the tenth grade. Mukerji studied at Maneckji Cooper High School in Juhu, and later enrolled at Mithibai College in Mumbai.
Acting career
Prior work and breakthrough, 1996-2002
Mukerji as Tina Malhotra in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998). Pictured with Shahrukh Khan.
Mukerji returned to films in 1998. Her first release that year was Ghulam, opposite Aamir Khan; the film did well at the box office. Karan Johar's directorial debut, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, co-starring Shahrukh Khan and Kajol, followed for her that year. The movie was a blockbuster, and she received her first Filmfare Award in the Best Supporting Actress category.
She followed her career by signing on several projects. Unfortunately, most of them did not do well at the box office. Although Badal was one of the highest grossing films of 2000, she still didn't succeed to establish her status in the industry at that point of time.
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. Mukerji's role was that of Priya Malhotra, a woman who is unable to conceive after a miscarriage, 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."
In 2002, Mukerji played the lead role in Kunal Kohli's romance Mujhse Dosti Karoge!, co-starring alongside Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor. Although the movie did not do well in India, it generated great business overseas, and marked her entry into India's biggest production house: Yash Raj Films. Later that year, Mukerji starred in Shaad Ali's critically acclaimed Saathiya opposite Vivek Oberoi. The film was a moderate success and became one of the highest grossing movies of the year. Essaying the role of Suhani Sharma, a medical student who deals with the tensions and discontent of married life, she won a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance, and among several other nominations, received her first Best Actress nomination at the Filmfare. Manish Gajjar from BBC noted, "...Rani Mukerjee...plays the character of a middle class girl with great conviction."
Success, 2003-present
Mukerji's first 2003 release was Aziz Mirza's drama Chalte Chalte opposite Shahrukh Khan. The film saw her play a similar role to that of Saathiya, and she received her second nomination for Filmfare Best Actress Award. Among another three releases that year, Mukerji starred in Chori Chori, where she portrayed her first comic role. Although the film did not do well at the box office, Mukerji's comic timing was praised.
In 2004, her performance as a Bengali housewife in Mani Ratnam's Yuva won Mukerji her second Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award. Though the film failed to do well, her performance was critically acclaimed with one critic writing, "the role demanded an actress of substance and Rani more than lives up to the expectations". She followed through by playing the leading role in the romantic comedy Hum Tum, which became one of the biggest hits of the year. The film, based on the 1989 film When Harry Met Sally..., was directed by Kunal Kohli. Mukerji's portrayal of Rhea Sharma, a woman of today's generation, won her several awards, including her first Filmfare Best Actress Award. BBC wrote about her performance:
Yash Chopra's love saga Veer-Zaara, co-starring alongside Shahrukh Khan and Preity Zinta. The film, which emerged as the top grossing movie of the year in India and abroad, tells the love story of an Indian officer, Veer Pratap Singh, played by Khan, and a Pakistani woman, Zaara, played by Zinta. Mukerji played the supporting role of Saamiya Siddiqui, a Pakistani lawyer who takes it upon herself to find the truth about Veer Pratap Singh.

Mukerji in her critically acclaimed performance as the blind, deaf and mute Michelle McNally in Black (2005), which earned her the Filmfare Best Actress Award for the second consecutive year.
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 came to Mukerji with the offer, she turned it down and stated that she was not confident enough to play a deaf-blind girl. Once the director put faith in her, she agreed to do it and intensely studied sign language with professionals at the Helen Keller Institute in Mumbai. Mukerji received much critical acclaim for her performance and collected numerous trophies in the category of Best Actress at various award ceremonies. IndiaFM noted, "There's no denying that Rani delivers her best performance to date. With no dialogues in her lap, the actress conveys through expressions solely and what a terrific impact she makes. Here's a performance that should act as a reference guide for all aspiring actors". Her next release, Bunty Aur Babli, surfaced as one of the biggest hits of the year. The film, though successful at the box office, opened to mixed reviews, and so did Mukerji's performance, with one critic writing, "Rani has done a great job most of the time, though she does tend to go a little over the top in the crying scenes. Nevertheless, Mukerji received Best Actress nominations from the IIFA Awards and Filmfare Awards.
Mukerji was offered the lead role in Mira Nair's Hollywood film, The Namesake (2007) but owing to clashing dates with Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, she could not commit to the project. Her first release in 2006 was Karan Johar's drama Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, which consisted of a multi-starrer that included Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Preity Zinta and Kirron Kher. The film opened to mixed reviews but emerged as the most successful movie ever overseas. The film tells the story of two unhappily married couples in New York, which 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. Rajeev Masand from CNN-IBN concluded, "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." She received several nominations for Best Actress, and won her third IIFA Best Actress Award for the third consecutive year. Mukerji's next release was B.R. Chopra's Baabul. The movie did not do well at the box office in India, though proved to be a hit overseas. Her role as a widow met with mixed reviews.
Mukerji's first 2007 release, Ta Ra Rum Pum, where she played a pianist turned housewife and a mother for the first time on celluloid, was a semi-hit. Her performance was generally well received, with one critic noting, "Rani enacts the role of the mother/wife proficiently." Her last two releases of the year, Pradeep Sarkar's drama Laaga Chunari Mein Daag and Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Saawariya, were critical and commercial failures in India.

Year Film Role Notes
1990s
1996 _ Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat _ Mala
1998 _ Ghulam _ Alisha
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai _ Tina Malhotra _ Winner, Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award
Mehndi_Pooja

1999
Mann_Special appearance in the song Kaali Naagin Ke
Hello Brother_Rani

2000s
2000
Badal_Rani

Hey Ram_Aparna Ram_India's official entry to the OscarsSimultaneously made in Tamil as Hey Ram
Hadh Kar Di Aapne_Anjali Khanna

Bichhoo_Kiran Bali

Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega_Pooja Oberoi_Nominated, Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award
Kahin Pyaar Na Ho Jaaye_Priya Sharma

2001
Chori Chori Chupke Chupke_Priya Malhotra

Bas Itna Sa Khwaab Hai_Pooja Shrivastav

Nayak: The Real Hero_Manjari

Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham_Naina Kapoor_Cameo
2002
Pyaar Diwana Hota Hai_Payal Khuranna

Mujhse Dosti Karoge!_Pooja Sahani

Saathiya_Dr. Suhani Sharma/Saigol_Winner, Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance & Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award
Chalo Ishq Ladaaye_Sapna

2003
Chalte Chalte_Priya Chopra_Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award
Chori Chori_Khushi Malhotra

Calcutta Mail_Reema/Bulbul

Kal Ho Naa Ho_Special appearance (song)
LOC Kargil_Hema

2004
Yuva_Sashi Biswas_Winner, Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award
Hum Tum_Rhea Sharma_Winner, Filmfare Best Actress Award
Veer-Zaara_Saamiya Siddiqui_Nominated, Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award
2005
Black_Michelle McNally-Double-Winner, Filmfare Best Actress Award & Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance
Bunty Aur Babli_Vimmi Saluja (Babli)_Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award
Paheli_Lachchi Bhanwarlal_India's official entry to the Oscars
The Rising_Heera

2006
Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna_Maya Talwar_Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award
Baabul_Malvika "Milli" Talwar/Kapoor

2007
Ta Ra Rum Pum_Radhika Shekar Rai Banerjee (Shona)

Laaga Chunari Mein Daag_Vibhavari Sahay (Badki)/Natasha_Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award
Saawariya_Gulabji_Nominated, Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award
Om Shanti Om_Herself_Special appearance in the song Deewangi Deewangi
2008
Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic_Geeta (Angel)

2009
Untitled Anurag Singh Project

Pre-production