Every time Rani Mukerji took to the big screen, she captivated audiences across borders. The actress has wowed cinemagoers with a diverse range of roles and today, even as she comes back to the screen since her last release Mardaani (2014), fans across the country await her eagerly.
With Hichki, Rani brought to life a story about a teacher with Tourette Syndrome, who is eager prove her self beyond the hindrances of her impairment, and dedicated to teaching a class full of rowdy students. While both critics and audience have given thumbs up to Hichki, box office numbers say a different story.
“Box office number definitely matters to me, because for an actor it’s important to know what is your audience thinking on that particular Friday. Are they wanting to watch you?” she questions.
She says that for an actor, the relevance of Friday nevers die. “The day you stop getting the jitters of Friday, is the day you stop understanding the relevance of the day — you should pack your bags and go! Because if that doesn’t matter to you anymore then why are you an actor?”
Bringing to light a rare neuropsychiatric disorder, Hichki has managed to mint around 20 crore by far and continues to go stronger. The story explores the struggle of someone with Tourette Sundrome and she overcomes it.
Rani, who is basking on the glory of Hichki’s success, seems to be stumped by the kind of reaction that she is receiving from the industry.
“Javed sir said I have surpassed my performance in Black with Hichki. I personally think I can never surpass my work in Black. Even Aamir said the same thing to me when he saw the film. He said you look like such a cute buddhi (old woman) towards the end,” says the 40-year-old.
The Aiyyaa actress has all the praise for actors whose work she looks upto. “I think when somebody like Aamir, Rekha ji or Madhuri (Dixit Nene) praise my work, I just feel blessed. They are artists who understand the medium so well,” she added.
Rani often comes across as a very fearless person, and she give all the credit to her mother Krishna Mukherjee.
“I think fearlessness is in our blood. It’s good for people to have a fearless attitude because in life you have to live for yourself. You can’t live by somebody else’s value,” she says.
“All of us have our own do’s and don’t’s so it’s better to live your life the way you want it. Being fearless is about living by your own principles and rules,” she adds.
Always a doting daughter, the actress lost her father Ram Mukerji in October last year and this would be only film of his daughter that he didn’t watch. “He is not there to see my film. It is my first film that he has not watched. But he is seeing it from up there,” she says.
