Rani Mukerji

Biography

Rani Mukerji is a well-known Indian actress who has built a successful career in Hindi cinema for over twenty years. Born on March 21, 1978, in Mumbai, she comes from the prominent Mukherjee-Samarth family. She's won many awards, including a National Film Award and eight Filmfare Awards. Her father, Ram Mukherjee, was a film director and producer, introducing her early on to the film industry.

Mukerji began her acting career in her teens with her father's Bengali film Biyer Phool and the Hindi drama Raja Ki Aayegi Baaraat in 1996. She found commercial success with the action film Ghulam in 1998 and achieved significant recognition with her role in the romantic drama Kuch Kuch Hota Hai the same year. After a short slump in her career, 2002 became a turning point when she starred in the drama Saathiya by Yash Raj Films, leading to a long-term collaboration with them.

In the 2000s, Mukerji starred in several hit romantic films like Chalte Chalte (2003), Hum Tum, Veer-Zaara (2004), Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006), and the comedy Bunty Aur Babli (2005). She showed her range by taking on complex roles, such as an abused wife in the political drama Yuva (2004) and a deaf and blind woman in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Black (2005). Her work in Black is often seen as one of the best in Indian cinema.

After a series of less successful films between 2007 and 2010, Mukerji made a strong comeback with No One Killed Jessica (2011), playing a determined journalist. She continued choosing socially relevant projects, starring in thrillers like Talaash (2012) and the Mardaani series (2014, 2019, 2025), dealing with human trafficking and women's issues. Her role in Hichki (2018), where she played a teacher with Tourette syndrome, became her highest-grossing film. She recently won the National Film Award for Best Actress for her role in Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway (2023).

Outside of films, Mukerji is active in humanitarian work, advocating for women's and children's rights. She studied at SNDT Women's University and Mithibai College in Mumbai. Mukerji married filmmaker Aditya Chopra and keeps her personal life mostly private, choosing film projects carefully to highlight her acting skills.