Rani Mukerji, formerly Rani Mukherjee, born March 21, 1978) is one of the most popular Bollywood actresses at present.

Family background

She comes from a film-clan family of Bengali origin: Her father, Ram Mukherjee is a retired director. her mother Krishna used to be a playback singer, while her brother Raja Mukherjee is a film producer. Her maternal aunt is Debashree Roy. The popular bollywood actress, Kajol, is her second cousin.

Career

She began her film career with the Bengali film Biyer Phool. Her first Hindi film was Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat (1996), which did not do well at the box office. However, her next two releases - Ghulam and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) - were hits. For the latter she received her first Filmfare Award in the Best Supporting Actress category.

Mukerji shot to instant stardom after these successes, and was signed on for a great many movies immediately afterwards. Unfortunately, most of them did average business at the box office. It was only after the release of Saathiya in 2002, directed by Shaad Ali, that she regained her reputation. The film was critically and commercially successful and Rani was recognised as one of the leading commercial actresses of the day.

In 2004, her performances in Yuva and the commercially successful Hum Tum earned her more awards - the Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award for the former, and the Filmfare Best Actress Award for the latter, the next year. Her performance as an activist lawyer in Veer-Zaara, the year's biggest hit, was also praised, and earned her yet another Filmfare nomination. These successes have established Mukerji as one of the industry's most bankable stars.

In 2005, she starred in four big banner films. Among them, Bunty Aur Babli was a smash hit and her performances in all the others, particularly in Black were generally appreciated. Adding another feather to her cap, Paheli, in which she starred, got the honour of opening the ninth Zimbabwe International Film Festival in Harare a year later.

Mukerji has been an active stage performer and participated in numerous world tours. Temptations 2004 was her most successful concert, in which she performed alongside Shahrukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Preity Zinta, Arjun Rampal and Priyanka Chopra.[8] She also appeared at the Closing Ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, as part of a performance showcasing Indian culture, on behalf of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, to be held in Delhi.

Mukerji's success has continued into 2006, with her most recent release,Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, finishing with the highest opening gross of any Bollywood movie to date. Ms. Mukerji has been a top actress for three years now according to many reputed polls. Filmfare Magazine, the most prestigious Bollywood journal, slotted her the number one position on the Top Ten Actresses' List for two consecutive years. Other magazines have shared the same philosophy similarly.

Personal life

Mukerji has been romantically linked with actors such as Govinda , Aamir Khan, Abhishek Bachchan and most recently, director Aditya Chopra. All parties have, however, strongly denied these rumours.

Mukerji's popularity as an actress has often matched that of her contemporary, Preity Zinta. The two actresses have also appeared together in a number of movies. As a result, they are often compared to each other, and there has been a great deal of speculation about their personal relationship. Both actresses have always maintained that they share a healthy professional relationship, and have expressed mutual respect.

Besides acting in films, Mukerji does her bit for charitable causes. Her show, Temptations 2005 in New Delhi, helped to raise funds for the National Centre For Promotional of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP), a leading disabled rights' group. Shahrukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra were also amongst the many who contributed to this cause.

In 2006, Mukerji celebrated her birthday with the students of The Helen Keller Institute for the Deaf and Blind, whom she had befriended while doing research for her role as a blind and deaf girl in Black. She has also given credit for her award-winning performance in that movie to the students.

Awards

Popular

1999, Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
1999, Zee Cine Awards, Lux Face of the Year, Ghulam & Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
1999, Zee Cine Award Best Actor in a Supporting Role- Female for Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
2003, Star Screen Awards Special Jury Award, Saathiya
2003, Filmfare, Critics Award Best Performance, Saathiya
2003, Sansui Awards Best Performance of the Year, Saathiya
2003, Bollywood Awards Most Sensational Actress, Saathiya
2003, Rajiv Gandhi Award
2004, BBC Film Cafe Best Actress, Chalte Chalte
2005, Filmfare Best Actress Award, Hum Tum
2005, Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award, Yuva
2005, Zee Cine Award Best Actor- Female, Hum Tum
2005, 1st GIFA Awards Best Actress, Hum Tum
2005, Star Screen Award Best Actress, Hum Tum
2005, Star Screen Award Best Supporting Actress, Yuva
2005, Cinegoers Awards Best Actress, Hum Tum
2005, Cinegoers Awards Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Veer-Zaara
2005, IIFA Best Actress Award for Hum Tum
2005, IIFA Best Supporting Actress Award for Veer-Zaara
2005, Bollywood Awards Best Actress, Hum Tum
2005, Bollywood Awards Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Yuva
2006, Rediff Movie Awards Best Actress, Black
2006, Star Screen Award Best Actress, Black
2006, Stardust Star of the Year Award - Female, Black
2006, Filmfare Best Actress Award, Black
2006, Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance, Black
2006, Zee Cine Award Best Actor- Female, Black
2006, BBC Film Cafe Best Actress, Black
2006, IIFA Best Actress Award for Black
She is the first actor to ever win both the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress trophies in a single year (2005) at the Filmfare.

Other

2001, Aashirwaad Awards Best Actress, Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega
2003, Anandolok Puroshkar Awards Best Actress, Saathiya
2005, Sports World Awards Best Actress, Hum Tum
2005, Sports World Awards Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Veer-Zaara
2005, Sports World Jodi of the Year (Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukerji) for Hum Tum
2005, Bollywood Fashion Awards Celebrity Style Female Award
2005, The Lycra® MTV Style Awards Most Stylish in Films
2005, Anandolok Puroshkar Awards Best Actress, Hum Tum
2005, Lion Awards Achievement in Cinema
2006, 2nd Edition Pogo Voice Awards Most Amazing Actress, Bunty Aur Babli
2006, Star Screen Award Jodi No. 1 (Abhishek Bachchan and Rani Mukerji) for Bunty Aur Babli
2006, 2nd Apsara Awards Best Actress, Black
2006, Star's Sabsey Favourite Heroine, Black
2006, Idea Zee F Awards Celebrity Model of the Year

Trivia

In February 2006, Filmfare Magazine placed her at eighth position among the "Ten Most Powerful Names of Bollywood", an achievement she repeated from the previous year. She was the only female on the male-dominated list.
Mukerji was honored by a largely foreign audience of 50,000 at the Casablanca Film Festival (2005) in Morocco where four of her movies were presented.
For her one-and-a-half-minute dance performance alongside Saif Ali Khan at the Closing Ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games, she was reportedly paid 1.5 crore rupees, the equivalent of about 300,000 U.S. dollars.
She changed the English transliteration of her surname from Mukherjee to Mukerji several years ago. At the time, it was reported that she did this for numerological reasons. Recently, she has stated that numerology was not a concern; her name had been put down as Mukerji on her passport, and she wanted to be consistent.
The actress was invited to the Toronto International Film Festival to promote her movie Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna.
She is rumoured to be one of the highest paid actresses in India.
In 2006, the actress bought a new house for herself in Juhu, the interior design for which, was done by Twinkle Khanna.

Filmography

Year Film Role Other notes

2008 The Mahabharata Draupadi
2007 Tara Rum Pum Filming
2007 Saawariya Filming
2006 Baabul Milli
2006 Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna Maya Talwar
2005 The Rising Heera
2005 Paheli Lachchi India's official entry to the Oscars
2005 Bunty Aur Babli Vimmi Saluja (Babli) Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award
2005 Black Michelle McNally Double-Winner, Filmfare Best Actress Award
& Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance
2004 Veer-Zaara Saamiya Siddiqui Nominated, Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award
2004 Hum Tum Rhea Prakash Winner, Filmfare Best Actress Award
2004 Yuva Sashi Biswas Winner, Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award
2003 LOC Kargil Hema
2003 Kal Ho Naa Ho Special Appearance (song)
2003 Calcutta Mail Bulbul/Reema
2003 Chori Chori Khushi
2003 Chalte Chalte Priya Chopra Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award
2002 Chalo Ishq Ladaaye Sapna
2002 Saathiya Dr. Suhani Sharma Winner, Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance
& Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award
2002 Mujhse Dosti Karoge! Pooja Sahani
2002 Pyaar Diwana Hota Hai Payal Khurana
2001 Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham Naina Cameo
2001 Nayak: The Real Hero Manjari
2001 Bas Itna Sa Khwaab Hai Pooja Shrivastav
2001 Chori Chori Chupke Chupke Priya Malhotra
2000 Kahin Pyaar Na Ho Jaaye Priya Sharma
2000 Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega Pooja Oberoi Nominated, Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award
2000 Bichhoo Kiran Bali
2000 Hadh Kar Di Aapne Anjali Khanna
2000 Hey Ram Aparna Ram India's official entry to the Oscars
2000 Badal Rani
1999 Hello Brother Rani
1999 Mann Special Appearance (song)
1998 Mehndi Pooja
1998 Kuch Kuch Hota Hai Tina Malhotra Winner, Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award
1998 Ghulam Alisha
1996 Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat Mala

Television appearances

The Manish Malhotra Show - 2005–2006 (appeared 2005)
Koffee with Karan - 2004–2005 (appeared February 9, 2005, in Episode #1.2 only)[23]
Jai Jawan (appeared March 5, 2004, in Rani Mukerji's day out with jawans only)[24]
Tinseltown TV (interviewed 28 February 2004)[25]
Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai - 2001–2003 (appeared 2001)
Kaun Banega Crorepati - 2000–2001 (appeared December 31, 2000, New Year Special)[26]