Born:- March 21, 1978 (1978-03-21) (age 29) Kolkata, West Bengal, India Years active :-1996 - present Spouse(s) :-None
''Filmfare Awards'
Best Actress:2004 Hum Tum
2005 Black Best Actress (Critics):2002 Saathiya
2005 Black Best Supporting Actress:
1998 Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
2004 Yuva Rani Mukerji, born on March 21, 1978, is a six-time Filmfare Award-winning Indian film actress. After appearing on celluloid for the first time in Biyar Phool (1992), Mukerji's career started four years later with Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat (1996) and first received commercial success with Ghulam (1998). Since then, she has been a part of several commercially successful films and delivered a myriad of critically acclaimed performances, establishing herself as one of the best known in Bollywood.[1] Mukerji has been consistently topping Filmfare's annual power list of Bollywood female stars for the last three consecutive years (2004-2006).
Career
Early work
While in school at the age of 14, Mukerji did a cameo role in her father's Bengali film Biyar Phool (1992).
In 1996 she played the protagonist of Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat (1996). When the film was unsuccessful at the box office, Mukerji returned to college to complete her education.
Success
Mukerji's first release in 1998 was Ghulam opposite Aamir Khan, which did very well at the box office.[3] After her initial success, she signed on several projects. Unfortunately, most of the movies did not do well at the box office.[4] However, Badal was one of the highest grossing films of 2000.[5] The year also had her in the lead role of Mujhse Dosti Karoge! opposite Hrithik Roshan which was her first film with India's biggest production house: Yash Raj Films. Although, the movie did not do well in India, it generated great business overseas, especially in the United Kingdom.[6] Mukerji's next release was again with the Yash Raj banner, playing the protagonist of a medical student in Saathiya. The movie was amongst the top five grossing movies of the year.[7] The film was critically appreciated.
Success
In 2003, her movie Chalte Chalte opposite Shah Rukh Khan was a hit.In 2004, Mukerji's performance in Yuva was critically acclaimed[9], and won her the Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award; the movie did not do well at the box office. Her next film was Hum Tum, which was commercially successful and also won her the Filmfare Best Actress Award that year. Her last film that year, Yash Chopra's Veer-Zaara, was the top grossing movie of the year.[10] Mukerji's performance as a Pakistani lawyer in the love saga was critically acclaimed[11] and earned her several awards.
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. Mukerji received critical acclaim for her performance in Black. When Bhansali first came to Mukerji with the offer, she turned it down. Mukerji stated that she was not confident enough to play such a role as she had no knowledge on the deaf and blind.[12] Once the director put faith in her, she agreed to do it and intensely studied sign language with professionals. To prepare for her role in Black, she had to go through six to seven months of training at the Hellen Keller Institute in Mumbai.[13] Her next release, Bunty Aur Babli, surfaced as one of the biggest hits of the year, simultaneously becoming her fourth successive hit. Undoubtedly, these successes established Mukerji as one of the industry's most bankable stars.
Mukerji had two releases in 2006. The first was Karan Johar's KANK with Shahrukh Khan. It was one of the most successful movies of the year.Mukerji's next release was B.R. Chopra's Baabul. Although much hyped, the movie did not do well at the box office in India[16] but proved to be a hit overseas.
Mukerji's first release in 2007 is Ta Ra Rum Pum where she played a mother for the first time on celluloid.[18] The movie was a semi-hit at the box office.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali offered Mukerji a role in his newest film Saawariya as a birthday gift in 2006.[19] The film is in production and will be released towards the end of 2007.
In recent times, Mukerji is collaborating with her brother to set up a Television studio.
Personal life
See also: Mukherjee-Samarth family
Mukerji comes from a film-oriented family of Bengali origin. Her father Ram Mukherjee is a retired director and one of the founders of Filmalaya Studios[citation needed]. Her mother Krishna was a playback singer[citation needed]. Her brother Raja Mukherjee is a film producer, now turned director[citation needed]. Her maternal aunt, Debashree Roy, is a national award winning Bengali film actress and her cousin Kajol is a Bollywood actress.
Mukerji is a trained Odissi dancer, and began learning the dance in the tenth grade.[21]. Mukerji studied at Maneckjee Cooper High School in Juhu, and later enrolled at Mithibai College in Mumbai.
Gossip columnists have linked Mukerji to many industry figures, but she has strongly denied every single rumor of romance.[22] Several gossip columns have also claimed that she is regularly in feud with some of the Bollywood actors and actresses, but Mukerji has denied this.
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. In 2006, Mukerji stated that numerology was not a concern; her name had been put down as Mukerji on her passport, and she wanted to be consistent.
In the media
Rani Mukerji was on the top slot of the Filmfare's 'Top Ten Bollywood Actresses' Listing for the last three years in a row (2004-2006).[45] She was also placed first on the Rediff's 'Top Bollywood Female Stars' Rankings again for a third consecutive year (2004-2006).
In February 2006, Filmfare Magazine placed her eighth among the "Ten Most Powerful Names of Bollywood", an achievement she repeated from the previous year.[49][50]. In 2007, she was again the only woman on the list but ranked higher at number five.
On Women's International Day 2007, a special article was released to pay tribute to Bollywood Heroines. Mukerji came in the fourth position on the All-Time Best Bollywood Actresses Ever Listing after Madhuri Dixit, Madhubala and Nargis.
She was placed at number #36 by UK magazine Eastern Eye as one of "Asia's Sexiest Women" (Sept/2006).[53] Mukerji was listed on the coveted Rediff's 'Bollywood's Most Beautiful Actresses' Listing along with Sonali Bendre and Aishwarya Rai.In 2007, she was featured in the list of Rediff's Best Dressed Actresses.
Mukerji appeared in the second episode of the first season of Karan Johar's talk show Koffee with Karan. She appeared with Kareena Kapoor in 2004. Her second appearance was during the first episode of the second season along with Shahrukh Khan and Kajol as a re-union after the making of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai ten years ago. She made her third appearance with Madhuri Dixit as a surprise guest.
Awards and Honors
Main article: List of Rani Mukerji's awards and nominations
Filmography
Year Film
1996 Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat Mala
1998 Ghulam Alisha
1998 Kuch Kuch Hota Hai Tina Malhotra Winner, Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award
1998 Mehndi Pooja
1999 Mann Special Appearance
1999 Hello Brother Rani
2000 Badal Rani
2000 Hey Ram Aparna Ram India's official entry to the Oscars
2000 Hadh Kar Di Aapne Anjali Khanna
2000 Bichhoo Kiran Bali
2000 Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega Pooja Oberoi Nominated, Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award
2000 Kahin Pyaar Na Ho Jaaye Priya Sharma
2001 Chori Chori Chupke Chupke Priya Malhotra
2001 Bas Itna Sa Khwaab Hai Pooja Shrivastav
2001 Nayak: The Real Hero Manjari
2001 Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham Naina Kapoor Cameo
2002 Pyaar Diwana Hota Hai Payal Khuranna
2002 Mujhse Dosti Karoge! Pooja Sahani
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 Chalo Ishq Ladaaye Sapna
2003 Chalte Chalte Priya Chopra Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award. Also, screened at the Casablanca Film Festival.
2003 Chori Chori Khushi Malhotra
2003 Calcutta Mail Reema/Bulbul
2003 Kal Ho Naa Ho Special Appearance (song)
2003 LOC Kargil Hema
2004 Yuva Sashi Biswas Winner, Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award
2004 Hum Tum Rhea Sharma Winner, Filmfare Best Actress Award
2004 Veer-Zaara Saamiya Siddiqui Nominated, Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award. Screened at the Berlin Film Festival[56] & the Casablanca Film Festival.
2005 Black Michelle McNally Double-Winner, Filmfare Best Actress Award & Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance. Screened at the Casablanca Film Festival & the International Film Festival of India.[57] Also, Time Magazine’s selection of the Best Movies of the Year 2005, positioned at number 5.
2005 Bunty Aur Babli Vimmi Saluja (Babli) Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award
2005 Paheli Lachchi Bhanwarlal India's official entry to the Oscars, also opened the ninth Zimbabwe International Film Festival
2005 The Rising Heera Screened at the Locarno Film Festival
2006 Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna Maya Talwar Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award. Screened at the Toronto International Film Festival[61] & the prestigious Tokyo International Film Festival.
2006 Baabul Malvika "Milli" Talwar/Kapoor
2007 Ta Ra Rum Pum Radhika Shekar Rai Banerjee (Shona)
2007 Laaga Chunari Mein Daag Releasing on 12 October 2007
2007 Saawariya Gulab Releasing on 9 November 2007
2007 Om Shanti Om Special Appearance
2008 Tsunami Announced
2008 Kunal Kohli's Next Announced