Rumours have ruined my career! - Rani

Rani Mukerji speaks up about movies and marriage as she awaits the release of 'Dil Bole Hadippa'

At last Rani Mukerji is out of her self-imposed hibernation. She has been away from the public eye for some time now which led to a lot of speculation and rumors about her. But the actress is all set to surprise her fans and capture their hearts once again with a new slim and stunning look in "Dil Bole Hadippa", releasing on Sept 18.

But first things first. What's unique about "Dil Bole Hadippa" is that it has her playing both a man and a woman's roles, which is a first for her.

"I am very excited about the film especially since I am playing both Veer and Veera, which is something I've never done before," gushes Rani, adding that playing a man, that too a Sardar, complete with a beard and a 'patka', was quite challenging for her.

"The beard was the only difficult part physically because putting on glue and sticking the beard was very tedious. The 'patka' was still easier because the hair was tied up so it was comfortable," she says.

Rani is not only cross-dressing as a man in the film but will also be seen hitting fours and sixes as she plays an ace cricketer in the movie. Being the dedicated actress that she is, Rani underwent six months of rigorous training to look convincing as a cricketer.

"I had to train for about six months for the game because I had to look like a professional cricket player and for that I needed professional training. I was trained by former Indian cricketer Anjali. She coached me right from the way to hold a bat to everything... she really educated me in the game," tells Rani.

And it was certainly not as easy as it sounds. The actress says the very fact that she had to learn cricket and lose weight as well to look the part was like a drill for her. "I had to wake up early everyday and work out for about two hours. I did yoga and weights alternately and lost about seven kilos. I did two hours of cricket training every day, that was drilling but I guess that is what charges me as an actor because for me it's important that every day when I go for work there is something new and exciting that I'm doing, something that's challenging to me as an actor. It was interesting but tough. But I guess there is no gain without pain," says Rani.

But why was there a long lull after "Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic"? Was it a conscious choice? "Yes, you could say it was kind of a conscious choice. 'Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic' came at a time when I wanted to do such roles and after that I got this offer, which was not only challenging but also demanding. Also, the other offers I got did not excite me. My fans were tired of seeing me cry in all my films so I decided to do this film for my fans," says Rani, adding that the roles that she does are as important as the people watching her.

Of late Rani has been doing films only under the Yash Raj Films banner. Are we not going to see her picking up films outside YRF?

"Definitely. I am waiting for a good offer. If I like the role, I will definitely do it," she says, clarifying any traces of doubt. "I would love to work with people like Vishal Bharadwaj, Imtiaz Ali or Anurag Basu," she adds.

What according to her is a good offer? What is it that she is looking at doing next? "I would love to do something different from what I've been doing. I would love to do an action film because it is something I've never done," she says.

Since Rani has been away from the public eye, there have been speculations and rumours galore doing the rounds about her marriage and other things…"The rumours have certainly not gone down well," interrupts the actress. "Especially the one about me being married which has ruined my career to a certain extent because people think twice before offering me a film. Then there were rumors that I have shifted back to my old house from my new house just because I felt the house was unlucky for me. How can anyone write something so bizarre? That was the house I made with my hard earned money, I have put in my blood and sweat to build that house. Why would I ever leave that house? I am not an insecure person at all," lashes out the actress.

Then why didn't she step out and clarify the rumours? "Three years back when the rumour about me getting married started, my dad even went to the extent of clarifying it on TV but it didn't help much. Such rumours are not important in my life anymore, I have a really loving family, I have good work, there are more positives in my life so the little negatives really don't matter to me. Also, I clarify while I promote my films. I've been like this and I can't change myself," she says firmly.

It's interesting to note that in the corporatised industry of today's, when most actors have got PRs handling their work, Rani Mukerji does not even have a secretary. Why?

"I have never had a PR or a secretary to handle my work because I never felt the need for one. I believe that my work should speak for me," is her pithy reply.

Till just a few years back, Rani was the reigning queen of Bollwood. But now she seems to have lost out on a lot of ground to the new set of actress who are currently ruling the roost. "I have never believed in numbers and neither have I strived to be number one," says the actress about the number game in Bollywood. "It's the roles that make me the actor I am. For me challenging roles are more important. Numbers are for the people who believe in that," she says matter-of-factly.

So what does she feel about the younger league of actresses? "I like the new league, I think the new actresses like Sonam and Deepika are very beautiful and they are doing well for themselves," is her brief reply.

While the likes of Sonam Kapoor and Deepika Padukone have just started out, Rani has a 12-year-long experience behind her. She had debuted with "Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat" in 1996 when she was still in college.

Talking about her evolution as an actress through the years, Rani says, "I have been fortunate to work with some of the best actors and directors like Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Mani Ratnam, Karan Johar and Sanjay Leela Bhansali to name a few. Working with all of them has been very enriching and I feel that it has made me a much better actress from when I started."

Let's hope "Dil Bole Hadippa!" ushers in a successful second innings for Rani… something which she so completely deserves.

https://www.masala.com/14762-rumours-have-ruined-my-career-to-a-certain-extent