"Woman-empowerment challenging lead roles have always been my passion-priority," 'Mardaani-3 heroine Rani Mukerji had told me in the past !! By Sr. Journalist Chaitanya Padukone

As an eminent senior film-journalist, I have known modest, friendly-nature Rani Mukerji right from the initial phase of her acting career! Right from her debut movie 'Raja Ki Aayegi Baarat'--1996 ). I had interviewed her. Initially, Rani did not wish to wish to step into acting career but wished to pursue a different dynamic creative career. But her family, close relatives and well-wishers felt that with her photogenic beauty and in-born talents ( Rani is also a trained Odissi dancer), she should pursue acting on an experimental basis on a trial-basis.

That's how Rani  Mukerji accepted leading roles in the social drama Raja Ki Aayegi Baaraat Khan's second offer to her, and her film-maker-director father Ram Mukherjee's Bengali film Biyer Phool( Wedding Flowers) both of which were released on the same day on 18th October 1996!

Before she began work as an actress, Rani Mukerji trained at iconic acting-guru Roshan Taneja's acting institute. In bold-social thriller Raja Ki Aayegi Baaraat, the talented portrayed a rape victim who is compelled to marry her rapist in the film. Although the film was not a box-office hit, Rani Mukerji's intense, volatile performance earned her recognition at various Awards Ceremonies.. Undaunted by the Baaraat flop setback, but inspired by her cousin Kajol's success in Hindi films, the bubbly, zestful Rani decided to pursue a full-time despite her short height!

After the release of 'Black' Rani had told me that her "priority, preference and passion will always be for well-defined, versatile, challenging lead roles which have woman-empowerment themes."

The "Aati Kya Khandala" song bubbly girl (Rani) and the Kuch Kuch Hota Hai actress, who has this sweet husky tone in her voice, has dared to act convincingly in versatile, image-defying varied lead roles! As in National Film Awards-winning Black (2005), where Rani plays the blind-deaf-mute girl, that too with mega-icon Amitabh Bachchan as her co-star.Or in Hichki (2018), where her school-teacher character has a retarding disability due to Tourette syndrome. Rani's gut-wrenching, emotional, sensitive performance as the distressed yet daring rebel-Mother in Mrs.Chatterjee vs.Norway ( 2023) thriller-social drama movie won her the coveted National Award.

While in 2026 January movie Mardaani-3, Rani plays a pretty tough yet de-glam fierce, and fearless cop Shivani Shivaji Roy in Mardaani 3, scheduled to release in theatres on January 30, 2026. Directed by Abhiraj Minawala, this third instalment in the popular Yash Raj Films franchise promises to be a hard-hitting thriller, focusing on critical social crimes against women and the "missing girls" crisis in India. A "Darker" Case: The film Mardaani-3  is described as emotionally and physically demanding, featuring one of Shivani’s toughest, "traumatizing" cases yet.

Dignified RANI the YRF Studios Maharani of Manoranjan--winner of 08 Filmfare Awards and a prestige National Award, will always continue to reign in showbiz with more such kaafi hatke woman-empowerment lead roles!

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