From her first film in 1997, Rani Mukerji has grown tremendously over the years. She started her career at the age of 14 with Raja Ki Ayegi Baraat and went on to bag hits like Ghulam, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Bunty Aur Babli and will now be seen in YRF’s Hichki, which will hit the theatres on March 23.
As she turns 40 today here is a list of amazing performances that she has given over the years in films like Yuva, No One Killed Jessica, and Black amongst others have won her noteworthy awards. However, among the many films she has acted in, here are a few impactful yet striking roles that we love:
1. Saathiya
It was a girl-next-door character and Rani played it with élan. She was natural and spontaneous while playing a middle-class Marathi girl caught in the cobwebs of love, marriage and the humdrum thereafter. What conflicts, ego hassles, and expectations could do to a marriage was beautifully depicted by Rani and Vivek in the movie. The movie was not only lapped up by the audiences but also won critical acclaim. Rani won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress for Saathiya.
2. Yuva
In a film with as many as 6-8 key characters, Rani still ended up winning the Filmfare award for best-supporting actress. While Yuva was much of a team effort held together by Mani Ratnam, the film was one of the most appreciated films back then. Remember the melodious Kabhi Neem Neem?
3. Black
The Sanjay Leela Bhansali movie starring Rani Mukerji and Amitabh Bachchan was about a deaf and blind girl and her relationship with her teacher. The film was inspired by Helen Kelle’s life and struggle and was the second highest grossing Indian film worldwide in 2005 and the highest-grossing 2005 Indian film overseas.
4. Laaga Chunari Mein Daag
The intense drama that put her to perform one of her toughest roles to date was a well-made affair. While the Pradeep Sarkar directorial couldn’t garner any success at box office, it did evoke a lot of emotions and how good was Rani!
5. No One Killed Jessica
In this film, based on the true story of Jessica Lal murder, Rani played the role of a fierce journalist with the F-word on the tip of her tongue. Rani superbly enacted the role of a meticulous journalist, who dared to challenge limits to unearth the real story behind headlines. She won the Filmfare award for the Best Supporting Actress; it came just when the naysayers were contemplating the end of her career.
6. Mardaani
Mardaani was a 2014 Indian crime thriller film that dealt with the problem of human trafficking in India. Rani played the role of a dedicated and brave police officer with Mumbai Police, that chases a Delhi-based kingpin, Karan Rastogi and hunt him down.
And Now, she’ll be seen playing yet another different avatar in her next Hichki where she plays a school teacher who is suffering from Tourette Syndrome.
It’ll be interesting to see Rani pull of yet another out of the box characters until then Happy Birthday Rani!
