Rani Mukerji: “I love to be a part of stories where the woman shatters the glass ceiling!”

Rani Mukerji's opens up on her vision for women in Indian cinema.

June 8, 2023 - 10:13 AM IST

Rani Mukerji, a renowned figure in the world of cinema, stands as an iconic symbol of our era. Throughout her career, she has deliberately selected films and roles that have contributed to the advancement of women's roles and their portrayal in society. According to Rani, our society is still a work in progress, as she believes there is much more to accomplish in order to establish a nation that truly celebrates women's achievements. With this in mind, Rani strives to make her own contribution by choosing characters that depict women challenging and triumphing over patriarchy.

Rani Mukerji: “I love to be a part of stories where the woman shatters the glass ceiling!”

Rani said, “I love to be a part of stories where the woman is the agent of change, where a woman is strong enough to take on a system and alter it for the good and where a woman dares to take on patriarchy, the so-called glass ceiling and smash it with her ambition and talent. These are the roles that I naturally gravitate to because I have always wanted to show women as fiercely independent builders of our nation.”

Rani disclosed that her all-time favourite film is the cult classic Mother India - a film that is classified as one of the best representations of the spirit of womanhood across world cinema. She said, “Ever since I was a child, my favourite film was and remains Mother India and that film showed the integrity of a woman despite her circumstances and the grinding pressures of our society on women at large. I have always been inspired to play such characters because women need to be celebrated for all the silent heroism that she does in everyday life.”

Rani’s last film, Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway (MCVN) became a hit in theatres and ended the narrative that audiences want to consume content films only on OTT. Rani says she was always sure that audiences would want to see the story of a courageous women in theatres. She said, “Look at MCVN, the courage of this girl is beyond imagination because she took on a whole country for her children and she won! That resonated with people intensely and the result is there for everyone to see! Socially relevant films like MCVN are made so that it can hopefully bring about a change in the society. We are aware of so many cases of Indian parents in foreign countries who have been separated from their children. If our film can aid these parents in any way to drive more awareness on this global issue, it will all be worth it.”

Rani added, “I want to tell stories of more such women on screen in my career. I feel good to tell the world to look out for Indian women. They are made of a rare substance that needs to be recognized.”

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