For as long as she can remember, Rani Mukerji has been closely associated with her family puja, the North Bombay Sarbojanin Durga Puja Samiti. The fact that this year she has been busy with her shoot has been a dampener of sorts for her. Talking exclusively to Bombay Times she says, “I have been missing the usual fun and festive atmosphere that we have during these five days, as I am shooting for my next film, but I managed to visit the pandal one day. This year our Protima (Durga Maa idol) is beautiful and mesmerizing and the décor is probably one of the best we have seen.”

The actress has always loved the grand celebrations, but due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the festivities have been low-key, keeping in mind the protocols and restrictions. She says, “We wanted to have a full-fledged Durga Puja this time, but since the planning happens seven to eight months in advance, we had no idea how things would be. That’s why we decided to go ahead with a low-key celebration.”

Rani’s love for the festival is well-known and she has many fond memories of the puja. She shares, “Over the years, my favourite thing about Durga Puja is getting together with the entire family and all my friends during these five days when we enjoy the food, dressing up and connecting with each other.”

Rani says, “The other thing that we love doing, which we missed this year again, is serving food to the many people who visit our Puja. I think every Bengali, wherever they are in the world, waits for these five days to rejoice with their dear ones.”

Rani’s daughter Adira, too, has already had a few Durga Puja moments and for the actress, those have been precious times. “I think my fondest memories are of my daughter, Adira, attending the Puja in 2019 when she was old enough to enjoy herself and experience everything. Surprisingly, she was only three years old then, and it is amazing that till date, she remembers the kadak chai that she had from one of the stalls at the venue,” says the actress.

The ritual of Sindoor Khela that is held on the last day of the Puja, on Dashami, will be held today across pandals (virtually or socially-distanced). Talking about it, Rani says, “I want to be a part of Sindoor Khela, but I am not sure whether I will be able to attend it as I am shooting for my film.”

Shreya Mukherjee (HINDUSTAN TIMES; February 15, 2020)

Growing up in an artistic environment often inspires young minds. And it seems Adira, daughter of actor Rani Mukerji and filmmaker Aditya Chopra, is no different. The adorable four-year-old, according to Rani, has already started showing interest in the performing arts. And the doting mother can’t be happier. In fact, Rani eagerly hopes her child chooses a creative vocation when she grows up.

“Adira sings, dances and at times, pretends to be an actor… She loves it,” says the proud mum. Though it’s too early to predict what she’ll take up in future, Rani would love it if Adira chooses to be an actor. “I’d love her to be anywhere close to the creative side and that could be painting, singing, dancing, acting, directing, whatever she wants to. I feel creative people are just amazing, so I hope for my sake that she is creative,” she smiles.

Adira will undoubtedly be fortunate enough to witness both sides of showbiz — in front of and behind the arclights. So can we see her alongside Adira in a film helmed by Aditya? “OMG… That’s an ideal situation… Fingers crossed!” she laughs.

Talking about giving Adira the required space, Rani hopes she grows up to be a strong, opinionated individual who follows her heart. At the same time, she is also trying to hold back her overwhelming love and constant concern to keep a tab on the young one’s life.

“I do understand that very soon, she will want space, and she is going to tell me, ‘Mum I’m going to be with my friends’,” says Rani. “I’ve a husband who also believes we need to give our children the right space... Being a Bengali, I’m probably the other way round (laughs), completely hovering around my child… Even if she doesn’t need me I want to be there… I know it’s important to bring up your child independently. The one mistake we make is [we don’t understand] that we’re responsible for the child till it is in the womb, when the child arrives, it becomes a child of the world. It’s only when they’re alone and make mistakes that they will be able to learn and be responsible for their actions… It’s nice to have a healthy mother-and-child relationship. As mothers, we should not forget that we need to balance loving and smothering them,” Rani adds.

Rani Mukerji feels inspired by real-life female cops
Shreya Mukherjee (HINDUSTAN TIMES; December 7, 2019)

As a woman, mother and a public figure, the cause of women’s safety and empowerment is close to Rani Mukerji’s heart. Right from her maiden Bollywood film Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat (1996) to her upcoming drama Mardaani 2, the actor has portrayed strong women characters, and off the screen too doesn’t fear calling a spade a spade.

There is excitement about seeing her in a cop’s avatar again. And Rani says her character in the film is a tribute to all fearless women police officers who have dedicated their lives to their jobs. “When I was offered the script of Mardaani (2014), I had a lot of anger because of the Nirbhaya case. And the character of Shivani Shivaji Roy was giving me that outlet to channelise my energy and my anger,” she says. At the time, she interacted with several women cops and it made her “feel very inspired that here are these brave women who are doing so much for society”.

Her character in the film, she felt, put the focus on all the women police officers. “Today when you think of a cop, you do picture a lady cop as well. So I think that is something that has happened with Mardaani organically. It’s a film on women cops taking a stand on crime against women. The message is pretty clear that we all need to be aware of the growing threat in our society today and how we can protect ourselves from such incidents,” she explains.

In Rani’s words, her portrayal of Shivani is a culmination of extensive research and interviews with female cops. “We’ve put together everything… I would say it’s my observation, their stories, the way I understood them during our conversations, their body language… Whatever I have absorbed, I have put it in Shivani’s character,” she says.

The actor adds that in Mardaani 2, the audience will see many real-life instances, and that the film raises the issue of how to protect oneself. “Safety is a bigger concern. Today the most important topic is how do you protect yourself,” asks Rani.

She urges every woman to ‘identify the power within’ and face the world headstrong. This is also something she wants to pass on to her daughter Adira, who turns four on Monday (December 9).

That brings us to the question on what special plans she and filmmaker husband Aditya Chopra have for their daughter on the day. “The whole day is dedicated to her. It’s going to be a fun-filled day for all of us, we all are very excited. And I think I am going to get mental on that day,” Rani laughs.

What about the gifts for Adira? This time the mother in Rani comes to the fore. “The love that I give her is the biggest gift, the love that she gives me is my biggest gift. I make sure whatever she likes I make it happen on that day.” You can’t possibly miss the emotions in her voice.

Actor Rani Mukerji says her roles reflect her belief in how women should be perceived
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; December 3, 2019)

Right from Shashi in Yuva and Saamiya in Veer-Zaara (both 2004), to Naina Mathur in Hichki (2018), Rani Mukerji has always made sure that she plays powerful female protagonists in her films. Shivani Shivaji Roy, her cop act in Mardaani (2014), was also plotted on similar lines.

What makes Rani zero in on such brilliant characters all the time? “I have always looked to celebrate the strength of women through my films, whenever I got the opportunity,” she says, “No One Killed Jessica (2011), Black, Mardaani, Hichki, etc. are some of the favourite films of my career as they resonated with who I’m as a person in real life and my belief in how a woman should always be perceived. For me, a woman is a pillar of strength for her family, community, husband, child, and I do feel we don’t celebrate women enough.”

The actor is all set to reprise the role of the fearless and committed superintendent of police, Shivani Shivaji Roy in Mardaani 2, which is a sequel to the hugely acclaimed Mardaani, in which she took on the kingpin of a child trafficking racket. In the second part, Rani has been pitted against a young, yet dangerous villain, who can be called pure evil.

Opening up on why she thinks her character in Mardaani became so popular with masses, she says, “Mardaani 2, which releases on December 13, is another attempt to showcase what a fearless, self-made, self-believing woman can do despite being pitted against all odds. Shivani is someone who will never back down in the face of injustice, and I’m glad people have showered her with so much love and appreciation. She is one of my most favourite characters because she lives life her way and isn’t cowed down by judgements and stereotyping. A boss in a man’s world, she ensures her work speaks the loudest. She is the quintessential spirit of a woman and maybe that’s why this character resonates with so many people.”

What the versatile actor is thrilled with is the current, new generation of actors, who are choosing to pick scripts with female protagonists. “I can see the tides changing, and I can’t tell you how thrilled I am as a woman and as an artiste. I have silently tried to do my best to bring out powerful women on screen and impact the psyche of people through their life. I get so happy when I see the young actors choosing to do women-centric films that give out the correct message about women to society,” says Rani.

With Mardaani 2 tackling crimes against women, Rani Mukerji discusses why it was essential to adopt gory treatment for the thriller
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; November 24, 2019)

"I want Mardaani to evolve into a franchise where Shivani Shivaji Roy is tackling different crimes," begins Rani Mukerji, almost wishfully, as if to put the word out in the universe. One would assume that the franchise will be restricted to crimes against women, but the actor views it differently. "We don't have restrictions creatively. It depends on what the writers are able to carve out."

Led by Mukerji's cop character, who is in hot pursuit of a serial rapist, Mardaani 2 tackles the subject of violent crimes against women. In fact, the gruesome depiction of a crime in the trailer indicates that the film may not be for the faint-hearted. Knowing that the subject required one to walk the fine line between disturbing and delicate, Mukerji says director Gopi Puthran and she were constantly in discussion over the treatment of the sequences. "We, as creative people, chose to do the film aesthetically. A rape is not titillating in this film. When you are making a film like Mardaani, you can't shy away from reality. The audience should get a first-hand feel of what's happening around us. We live in dark times, and the sooner we accept it, the better it is for us."

The actor views the outing as an attempt to build a counter-narrative that will portray women in positions of power, thus inspiring a generation of girls to be part of the force. "During my research, I met many women cops and they are badass. They have to balance their family life with this job that requires them to be out on the field for 70 to 76 hours. They are at the station for five days at a stretch, without going home to change or shower. There's no difference between male and female cops. People from the outside see it differently, which is why films like Mardaani are essential to tell them that women officers are just as boisterous."

Madhureeta Mukherjee (BOMBAY TIMES; October 5, 2019)

You can hear the echoes of the conch. The waft of traditional Bengali khichudi is filling the air. And revellers are wrapped in fineries in reds, whites and all colours of celebration. It is Durga Puja, a time when all Bengalis in the city come out in large numbers to offer their prayers, bond with family, hop from one pandal to another, binge on their favourite delicacies, and keep binging as much as they can. Like Rani Mukerji rightly says, “For Bengalis, every celebration is about eating good food!”

Bombay Times met up with the actress, at the famous ‘Mukherjees’ puja pandal, which has changed by leaps since the time it started, 72 years ago. Yet, what remains the same is the love and commitment with which the family has kept the tradition alive through generations. Rani tells us, “For me, Durga pujo always brings back fond childhood memories. It is an important time for us, as this is one festival where Bengalis go all out and celebrate. We hang out with our families, eat our hearts out and soak in our culture. If you look beyond the festivities, in most pandals, you can see the kind of amazing art work and creativity that go into it. Even in the cultural events that happen on all days of pujo, we come together to perform dance dramas and plays. It’s a great cultural exchange for Bengalis, especially for probashi Bengalis like us (who live outside of West Bengal). I have been a part of the festivities since childhood, and luckily, we always had our family pujo (North Bombay Sarbojanin Durga Puja), so it was easier for our parents to make us feel closer to our tradition and culture.”

“In fact, I got to know and learn about Rabindra Sangeet through the various dance dramas and cultural performances that we would stage during our childhood days. Today, everything that I know about my culture, and my ‘Bengaliness’ is all because of Durga Puja.”

Festivals bring families together, and for the Mukherjee clan, who have been deeply involved in putting together such a large-scale sarvajanik celebration, it’s no different. “This is a great event for the entire family and during the five days of pujo, we are all under one roof. Everyone is usually busy with their own lives, and with time, our friend circle has also changed. So, Durga pujo is like a meeting ground for all of us, and this is the one place where we pick up from where we had left the previous year,” explains the actress.

Talking about her strong connect with her family puja, she adds, “I feel deeply rooted to this, and the participation of both my parents, along with Debu kaka (Deb Mukherjee) and all other kakus and kakimas (aunts and uncles) have made this pujo what it is today. There are people who are not part of the family, but yet, they have been an integral part of the celebrations and planning for years now. Earlier, it was more intimate and close-knit, and yes, I miss that, but from then to where we are now, it has been a huge leap. People from not just Mumbai, but even outside the city come to our pujo in large numbers. Ask her if she’s ever gone pandal hopping, before she became a movie star, and she reveals, “Of course, when we were younger, we would go pandal hopping every year. My strongest memories of pandal hopping are of going to the pandal at Shivaji Park, because there were so many food stalls spread across a huge area. At night, we would go there to eat machher chop (fish chops), mughlai rolls and more. For Bengalis, every celebration is about eating good food! I can’t go pandal hopping now, but I don’t miss it because our family pujo is quite large-scale and we have so many food stalls. I can binge right here! I often go online and watch how some of the pandals in Kolkata create the sets, décor and artistic themes. It’s a treat to watch them.”

Another essential part of the festival, as per their family tradition, is that they personally serve bhog to all the Durga puja revellers who visit the pandal. So, Rani chooses a day during the five-day festival, when she takes on the food-serving duties with pleasure. She excitedly says, “The bhog tastes divine during pujo, and if you try making it during some other time of the year, it does not taste the same. I think that it is the magic and miracle of the festival.” Ask her what her favourites are, and she’s quick to tell us, “Khichudi, paayesh (kheer), sandesh (mithai), beguni (batterfried brinjal) and cholaar dal (chana dal).”

Looking gorgeous in a pink silk sari, accessorised with light jewellery, the actress is soaking in the spirit of the festival. We go on to talk about how she handpicks her saris for each day of the festival. For Bengalis, flaunting their finest saris and jewellery on Durga puja is one of the highlights. Sharing some memories from her childhood, Rani says, “When we were younger, this was the only time of the year when we would buy clothes. My parents would buy us five-six sets of clothes, which we would wear all round the year. I don’t exactly shop before pujo, rather, I keep shopping for pujo throughout the year (laughs!). Whenever I see something that I like, I say, “Eta pujoi porbo.” (I will wear this during pujo).

Adira, her daughter, is gradually being introduced to the Bengali culture and festivities. “She is just about four and this year, I am trying to introduce her to the pujo. I’ve to request everyone to not click her pictures and I will have to try to bring her to the pandal at a time when the crowd is less,” she says. Does she see Adira perform on stage, just the way she used to perform as a child? “I think it is too early for her to be on stage. My brother’s (Raja) children are older and they participate in the cultural events,” she explains.

Durga puja festivities are incomplete without sindoor khela, an age-old tradition — which has seen a huge change over the years — that happens on dashami (the last day of the festival). “Even as a kid, I would play sindoor khela on dashami day, every year. Now, I participate as a married woman, the celebration has always been a lot of fun.”