Rani: Jessica marks beginning of a new phase PriyankaSinha Posted: Feb 26, 2011 at 1206 hrs IST
After the resounding success of No One Killed Jessica, Rani Mukerji is back for seconds. An update on movies she wants to make, enduring faith and more.
Rani Mukerji is quizzing a chef for a recipe to cook salmon at her office in Juhu one minute and planning dinner with friends the next.
“Aurus, Don Giovanni, Marriott?” She rattles off the options and in a jiffy, decisions are in place. Call her mercurial, someone who knows her mind or an adroit multi-tasker, the actor who was written off recently is having the last word. No One Killed Jessica with Rani in the role of the feisty television reporter Meera Gaiety has netted 30 crore in collections turning the widely held notion of heroine centered projects being poor box- office propositions. Siddharth Roy Kapoor, CEO, UTV Motion Pictures, which produced the film, says that the film has certainly put Mukerji, a classical beauty and wide ranging, one-of-a-kind actor, firmly back on Bollywood’s successful and most-wanted list.
Director Rajkumar Gupta, who helmed the film, describes her as a complete actress whose energy and spunk made her a perfect fit in the role while Kareena Kapoor, one of Bollywood’s leading ladies when asked of her closest competitor in Bollywood mentioned Rani Mukerji’s name! Clearly things are looking good for the actor readying for her next with Reema Kagti toplining Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor.
“I used to work like a dog when I was 17. Now it’s a little different. Luckily, I am at that stage when I can do one film at a time and really enjoy it. It gives me time to spend with the film I am working on,” avers the actor.
The quality time mantra has obviously worked in her favour. Between work and the aforementioned dinner plans, Rani Mukerji makes time to answer questions on success, failure and why she is here to stay.
After the success of No One Killed Jessica, what’s your take on the audience’s attitude towards heroines?I have a new perspective — our audience loves the heroines but they like to watch them with particular heroes. I guess that’s the only way to understand or define audience perspective on actresses. For example, My Name Is Khan had a large audience but Kajol had a following too because people want to watch her with Shah Rukh.
Heroines are taking risks and experimenting, so will they ever equal the might of the Hindi film heroes?
It’s entirely possible. Sridevi and Hemaji were heroes among heroines. These things are aspirational. We want it to happen. Julia Roberts can get as big a money as a big hero in Hollywood. In terms of talent we are not lacking. In terms of adding value to a film, it’s the same but we don’t have a Julia Roberts in India who can garner that sort of revenue for a film. Or Sandra Bullock — their films have garnered that kind of business. ...Jessica is a hit but it hasn’t done a business of 90-100 crore, which is basically what people expect of a big film to become a blockbuster. It has not happened here.
There is a lot of talk about Rani finally giving the nod to films outside the Yash Raj banner. Comment.
I have always said that an actor sits and chooses what he/she has at his/her disposal. He can’t sit and say, “Today I want to work with Sanjay Leela Bhansali,” and think it will happen. It is the director who chooses. If I were to get a great offer from outside, why would I not accept it? At that point the offers I got from Yash Raj were so great and good— those films were made around me. It’s my bad luck that they didn’t work but I can’t shy away from the fact that those were my choices. I felt that they were better for me. Yes, because it had become a pattern it just seemed that I was doing films only with one banner, but it wasn’t like that.
There is also talk of you teaming up once again with Sanjay Leela Bhansali, so do you feature in his next?
When Sanjay decides and chooses to work with me and if it’s worth my while, which I know it will be because it is Sanjay, then I will definitely do so.
Did failure make you rethink your work choices?
When a film doesn’t work, you realise that the story has not interested the audience enough. Just because a movie has not done well does not mean that I have not enjoyed doing it. I have enjoyed each and every film of mine and each and every character despite box-office success or failure. I do have the knowledge to understand that a certain film I have enjoyed has not gone down well with the people and because I have seen failure and success, it is not going to bog me down. It’s a phase that everyone goes through and if you are strong, you will get up and go on. So I find it very funny when certain people write me off. Film viewers make you a star and they are the ones who will decide you are not a star any more. As long as they want to see you, you can rock.
How tough is it to hold on to your confidence that through a rough patch?
Confidence comes from the fact that I know my job. Today I may have gone through a stint wherein my films failed but they can’t take away what I have. I started from a place where I was a nobody. After that I have reached a certain place so if people write me off, it doesn’t bother me because what I have achieved is a lot. I have no complaints because even with my failures, there are achievements. If people notice when you have failed it means you have achieved a certain degree of success. My films not doing well is also news, so I guess I am fine.
At this stage of your career, what kind of films would you like to work in?
I am trying to do all kinds of cinema keeping the entertainment aspect in the foreground. I want to do films that reach out to many people and within that I try to create a balance with movies like No one Killed Jessica. I have a body of work wherein I have played different characters and I want to continue with that. Whether it is Michelle McNelly in Black or Babli in Bunty Aur Babli or my Yuva character, they have been noticed and appreciated. Like the biggest high I got from No One Killed Jessica is the fact that I have played a modern Indian woman of today. I am not shying away from what today’s women are and I got appreciated for it. I like the fact that people liked my new avatar of Meera Gaiety. I think Meera will be one of the most remembered characters in Hindi cinema. There was an elderly couple who met me recently at an event and the nicest thing they said to me was, “We are big fans of your films but the thing we like most about you is the manner in which you have portrayed Indian women.”
I had never thought that my fans, that too a 60-year-old man, would make such an observation. It made me feel really nice.
Fortunately or unfortunately, I also love romantic films. As an audience I would also like to watch a love story but yes, a love story that is slightly edgy is better liked today.
In the era of adaptations and remakes, is there any Hollywood remake in which you would want to star?
I would have to be something along the lines of Erin Brokovich.
I shall ask you to play favourites and choose the character that you like most.
Meera Gaiety, because she is rocking and gets things done, Michelle of Black and there is a tie between my Hum Tum character Riya Prakash and Babli.
Babli was a lot of fun but she began robbing. She was a simple girl with big dreams but was not ready to compromise. When that guy in the Miss India tells her to compromise, she slaps him. Riya Prakash is a strong, simple girl who loses her husband at a young age and yet carries on with her life. To be working, independent and successful is really hard so it was nice to play these characters.
Who would you say is the closest to the modern Indian woman as we know her?
Suhaani from Saathiya, I would say. She is a doctor and travels by train. A girl who won’t compromise her personal life and chooses the person that she wants to marry.
Why not Maya from Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna?
Maya is not really born and brought up in India, so I can’t call her the modern Indian woman. In terms of a modern Indian women, I would say Suhaani. She comes from a middle-class family where she is expected to settle with what her parents bring to the table for her, but she does her own thing. There are more Suhaanis in India than Riya or Maya.
Which of your characters is most similar to you?
In terms of attitude it would be Babli and Meera Gaiety mixed together and in terms of determination, unflinching faith that nothing is impossible, it would have to be Michelle.
Who are the directors with whom you wish to work?
For me it’s important to have comfort level with the director. I’d like to work with Anurag Kashyap though I am doing a film written by him. I would love to work with Imtiaz Ali because he makes great love stories and I am a sucker for them, and also Vishal Bhardwaj and Aditya Chopra. I have great chemistry with Adi so if I work in a film directed by him it would be fabulous. I’m also eager to work with Yash- uncle because I want to be directed by him in a love story, Zoya Akhtar (with whom my chemistry is kickass) and Farhan Akhtar too. And of course, Aamir Khan though I might enjoy working with Kiran Rao more. After I watched Dhobi Ghat, I asked Kiran, “When are you working with me?”
And then there is Mira Nair. I love her spirit, and the energy she brings to a movie. I have a long list, that is why I feel Jessica is just the beginning of a new phase in my life. I would also like to work with new directors because they have enthusiasm and energy.
The choice of leading men in your films would include...
I want to work with my favourite trio of Aamir, Salman and Shah Rukh.
Shah Rukh had said once that heroines are now looking to act with younger actors...
He certainly wasn’t talking of me (Laughs)!