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“I’ve never gone on a self-promotion trip and never will”.
Rani Mukheerji |
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| We have barely seen much of Rani Mukheerji this year. But now, the actress has two big releases coming up: Pradeep Sarkar's Laaga Chunari Mein Daag and Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Saawariya. Ironically, both movies see her playing a sex worker. Of late, she has taken plenty of flak. That she’s played her media cards wrong in recent months is obvious. During the shoot of 'Laaga Chunari Mein Daag' she infuriated the press in Varanasi where she was shooting, with her high-handed behavior and rude remarks and now she has been taunting the media, “I have five kids, go find them and I will give you a reward.” |
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It would be insightful to find out what has made her the Rani Mukheerji of today. Once, she seemed to be a sweet tempered, friendly girl eager to make an impression but now? So, it’s only fair that she should give her side of the story and despite some tricky questions; she remains cool, calm and collected. We caught up with Rani to know more about her movies, working with the Bachchans and her equation with Aishwarya Rai. Just five days away from the release of 'Laaga Chunari Mein Daag’, here’s Rani Mukherji in conversation.
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For over a year, you have been silent despite a blitz of rumours. So what has prompted you to talk now? Publcity for 'Laaga...'?
As an actress, I do owe a certain amount of responsibility to my fans and filmmakers. So here I am, obviously because my film is just a few days away from its release. I have to talk about my work, clear all queries and doubts.
Your silence could have been misunderstood. Are you okay with that?
It’s not about being silent. I’m quite a chatterbox. It’s just that, I prefer talking to my family and friends. I am not the sort who picks up the phone to inform the press about what I wore to a party last night, what food I ate, how long I played with my niece and where I plan to take the family for a vacation. I’ve never gone on a self-promotion trip and never will. If it is felt I’ve been silent for a while, let it be perceived any which way.
There are two images of you right now one of a family girl and the other of a girl involved with Aditya Chopra who is still to get his formal divorce your comment?
(Without flinching) I am what I am. Such rumours excite a few people; let them believe what they want to. Mercifully, there are many more people and so many of my fans who are busy with their respective lives and give a damn about the rumours. I have not reached that stage in my life where I have to give clarifications for the rubbish written about me week after week in the press. I am not accountable to rumors mongers; I am only accountable to my fans, family and the filmmakers I work with. Why are you asking me all this? I will only talk about my film.
You had quite an eventful shooting schedule in Varanasi.
You are hinting at the incident with the media that’s part of life. On the whole, the trip to Varanasi was excellent. My family is great followers of Lord Shiva going to the Kashi Vishwanath temple means a lot to us. We were shooting there in November; the birthdays of my parents are during that month. So my entire family including the most special member, my niece Mayasha, were with me. I could actually spend some time with Mayasha, simply sitting on the ghats of the Ganga.
Apparently there were bad vibes between Jaya Bachchan and you during the shoot.
Please, that is so unfair. I don’t know where that’s coming from. In fact, the haveli where we shot was like one big adda, there was wonderful Bengali food around. Dada (director Pradeep Sarkar) Jayaji, Konkona and I would be chattering away in Bengali. Dada can teach anyone to speak in Bengali everyone on the set was speaking in half-Hindi, half-Bengali. It was so much fun. Jaya aunty is wonderful! She is playing my mother onscreen and during the shoot, she took care of me like a mother. I had worked with Amit uncle, Abhishek but never with her. Now that too is accomplished. I remember once when I was unwell, Jayaji actually made barley water for me. It was really touching. We irritated Kunal Kapoor and Abhishek by speaking in Bengali.
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What made you accept Laaga Chunari Mein Daag?
For me, two things were important -- Laaga Chunari Mein Daag is a Yash Raj film and Pradeep Sarkar was directing it. A good producer is a must because he will not compromise in the making of the film. With Yash Raj, one is confident that the film will be made well. Plus, it will be promoted very well too. As for Pradeep, I have known him for five or six years now. We have done so many ad films together and share a good working relation. When he offered me this film, I couldn't refuse.
This is Abhishek's first film after marriage to Aishwarya Rai. How much has he changed post marriage?
He is the same prankster he used to be. He did everything he used to do before marriage on sets. We share a fantastic relation as actors. I have seen him grow as an actor as most of his films were with me. I am comfortable working with him and so is he. It helps a lot when two actors know each other well.
What about Aishwarya?
We share a cordial relationship. I don't know why the media has spread the rumour that we don't gel together. Just because two people don't meet or talk to each other doesn't mean that they are having problems. Sometimes, we laugh at these reports.
The film has been surrounded by a lot of controversy.
People will do anything for publicity. Whatever happened with us in Benaras is a classic example. We were shooting at the ghats and had arranged a press conference for the local media in the evening. But some photographers insisted on taking pictures while we were shooting. We requested them not to but they persisted. It became difficult for me and Konkona to walk back to our vans. Our security had to escort us. After that, I heard reports that Rani Mukerji's guards had misbehaved with the media. I even apologized at the press conference but things just went out of hand.
Recently, you said you have five kids at a function. Where are they?
(Laughs) The media loves me; that's why they are eager to get me married off. Unki manokamna hai ki meri shaadi ho jaye. But for marriage, you need a man! If I get married, I will not hide it. There was a time when actresses would hide their marriages. But times have changed and more and more married actresses are working. Sometimes, I feel the media has married me off so many times that marriage has lost its charm.
There was a report that you've started smoking.
That's all rubbish! Some people would write anything. They think Rani doesn't give us interviews so lets write something nasty about her so that she might react or reply. But I'm not going to do that. I am talking now because I have a film releasing and it's better to talk about the film than clarifying things.
Tell us about Saawariya.
It's a special film for me because Sanjay Leela Bhansali is a dear friend. After Black, he came to me with this film. There was not a single reason to refuse a film by Sanjay. Right now, I can only say this much about the film.
Won’t 'Black' be a tough act to follow?
Is that performance a constriction or an advantage? If I sit and analyse ‘Black’, I wouldn’t be able to do any other movie ever. Every actor or a director has one magical film in his or her career, which they can never repeat. Still, every film has its own value; its own quality and that should be respected.
What next?
I have a film directed by Kunal Kohli starring Saif Ali Khan. I'm doing one film at a time so that's about it. |
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