Karan Johar calls Rani Mukerji's Mardaani 'a proud franchise of a solid star'
Mumbai, Jan 24
Actress Rani Mukerji sat down with filmmaker and her longtime friend Karan Johar for a heart-to-heart conversation as she marked 3 decades in the Indian film industry.
Celebrating the milestone moment, KJo took to the Stories section of his official Instagram handle and dropped a couple of photos with Rani, who looked as graceful as ever in a beautiful saree. Karan accompanied her in a blue velvet jacket, paired with black pants.
The 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' maker expressed his excitement for Rani's forthcoming crime drama, "Mardaani 3".
"With my dearest Rani!!! Celebrating her 30 years and hearing up for MARDAANI 3!!! A proud franchise of a solid star and artist!," read the text on one of the stills.
Directed by Abhiraj Minawala and written by Aayush Gupta of 'The Railway Men' fame, "Mardaani 3" will have Rani return to the screen in her beloved avatar as Shivani Shivaji Roy.
Backed by Aditya Chopra under the banner of Yash Raj Films, "Mardaani 3" delves deeper into the dark and brutal reality of our society after the initial two installments in the franchise talked about sensitive subjects such as human trafficking and a serial rapist.
"Mardaani 3" is expected to reach the cinema halls on January 30.
Meanwhile, during their conversation, Rani also expressed her gratitude to Karan for believing in her 'voice' even when others rejected it.
She recalled the time when they were shooting the teaser of their romantic entertainer "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai", and KJo asked her if her voice was being dubbed in "Ghulam".
After Rani said yes, Karan asked her if she would be okay dubbing for "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai" in her own voice.
"He told me, 'I love your voice, and you will dub for my film,'" revealed Rani.
She added that Karan decided to stand his ground despite facing the pressure of being a new filmmaker.
"Because of him, my voice became a part of my identity as an actor," she added.
Rani stated that if not for KJo, many of her films might not have carried her own voice.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Love their friendship. It's heartwarming to hear how Karan supported her voice when others didn't. In an industry obsessed with a certain 'type', that must have meant the world. More power to Rani!
Mardaani 1 and 2 were hard-hitting. Hope part 3 maintains that quality and doesn't become just another commercial potboiler. The subject needs sensitivity, not just star power.
She looks stunning in that saree! It's amazing to see a female-led action/thriller franchise thrive in Bollywood. We need more stories like this.
Solid star indeed! From a bubbly Tina to the fierce Shivani Roy, her range is incredible. Here's to many more years. January 30 is marked on my calendar.
Respectfully, while I admire Rani, I hope the film's marketing focuses more on the social message and the new director's vision, and less on the KJo-Rani mutual admiration club. The cause is bigger than any friendship.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.