MID-DAY (November 14,2014)

After playing a cop in Mardaani, Rani Mukerji was not only hailed for her performance but has also been in news for her efforts to reach out to the police department in various ways. After all, seldom do we come across a film featuring a policewoman who won’t give up. Looks like this role has certainly left a mark on the civic authorities for the actress was called for a prison event — something she had long promised to be part of.

She was invited by the Yerwada Central Jail authorities to launch a radio channel called Radio YCP for the prisoners as well as a brand named Maka for the products manufactured by jail interns.

Radio YCP is a radio-like facility for the prisoners where an hour of entertainment is provided with an inmate playing the role of radio jockey.

Rani visited the barracks, prison cells and even toured the jail where female prisoners intern. The actress was touched when the female prisoners told her about having watched her films. One of them even gifted her a crochet jacket.

As a token of her appreciation, Rani donated an ECG machine to the prison infirmary.

After the unveiling of the Maka, she shopped for some bakery products to take back home which were made by the prisoners.

The actress called it a humbling experience to visit the historic Yerawada prison where freedom fighters like Mahatma Gandhi, Motilal Nehru, Sardar Patel and others were lodged during the independence movement.
“I felt privileged to have gone to the cells where they spent many years of their life. I would thank Meeran (Borwankar) for inviting me to launch the brand Maka, which comprises a slew of products made by the prison inmates. It’s a great initiative aimed at their vocational training and also to keep them in a positive frame of mind,” she signed off.