Post by Runa on May 21, 2007 8:56:12 GMT -5
In Pursuit of Happiness
We have an appointment for 4 pm but she postpones it by an hour. At 5.15 when Rani Mukerji’s car drives inside the narrow lanes of Juhu, she is almost unrecognisable behind the wheel. Clad in jeans and T-shirt, her hair clasped in a band, she tells you a bit sheepishly that she has forgotten the office keys. We drive to her under- construction home a few blocks away, walk up the three-floor building to check wires and carpentry. Rani locates her misplaced keys and we return to her plush office. Rani orders some bhelpuri and her mother Krishna brews us some aromatic tea. From the window facing the Juhu beach one can view the setting sun. It is a breathtaking skyline and a perfect ambience for a heart-to-heart conversation
Did you agree to do Ta Ra Rum Pum because you liked the script or because it is mandatory not to refuse a Yash Raj film?
I liked the film and like being part of the YRF banner. It is my privilege that since Mujhse Dosti Karoge! they have considered me for heroine-oriented roles that include my forthcoming film Laga Chunari Mein Daagh. What has to be appreciated is that they took a chance with me when I was not doing substantial roles. Let me confess that when I was offered Saathiya I was not very keen to do the role but Yashji insisted and I trusted his judgement. Saathiya proved to be a turning-point in my career and I owe it to YRF. As for Ta Ra Rum... I loved the story... I loved the idea of the family being together during their high and low moments of life. I saw a lot of my mother in my character. As a child I have watched my family go through many highs and lows and identified with the insecurities.
What is your thought process when you say ‘Yes’ to a film?
The producer is definitely important because all pertinent decisions are made by the banner. The director is very important as well. If I’m going to be spending 100 working days with a unit it is only logical that I enjoy the experience. It is always enriching to work with like-minded people because there is a greater give-and-take and lesser creative disagreements. As for Siddharth Anand, we have had a very old association. We were classmates at Maneckji Cooper High School. Growing up in Juhu we kept bumping into each other because both of us are connected to film families. Years later we met again during Mujhse Dosti.. and Hum Tum because he was assisting Kunal Kohli. Some time later he launched his own film Salaam Namaste and finally we worked together in Ta Ra Rum Pum.
To what extent do you prepare for a role? Or do you leave it to your director?
All roles, no matter how light-hearted they appear, need preparation. Some characters need more working upon, some need less. Similarly, sometimes the effort put in shows and sometimes it doesn’t. To give an example in Ta Ra Rum Pum, I was coached in piano lessons so that I get my posture and my finger movements accurate. The fact that nobody has mentioned this I take it as a compliment because it means I was convincing. The important factor always is to understand to what socio-economic background the character belongs. A simple exercise that works for me as an actor is I have known someone like that in my life. If not, is there a possibility of meeting him? Once I have these answers I also have my character.
Critics feel that you weep too frequently in your films. Do you agree?
I have heard that criticism earlier. It is true that I have been portraying highly emotional roles in all my recent films but there is another angle here. My directors like me to cry on screen because they feel that I cry very well. I don’t have a problem with that nor do my fans, but maybe I should think about this more seriously. I will now request my directors to offer me roles where I don’t weep but make my heroes weep instead.
There are stories that Saif Khan and you were not on talking terms during the shooting.
The stories are completely untrue. Saif and I came to know each other on the sets of Hum Tum... but during Ta Ra Rum Pum we were like a happy family shooting in New York. I seriously wonder where these stories originate from because any one in the unit will tell you that we share a great working rapport.
If you have to do a comparative study of your Khan co-stars how would you evaluate the other trio of Khans?
Aamir Khan is an intelligent actor with an eye for detail. He places the film above every individual or ego. He will make any compromise if it is for the betterment of the film. To cite an example, when Vikram Bhatt decided to dub my voice in Ghulam, I was upset and complained to Aamir but he reassured me that if the director has decided so it has to be for the betterment of the film. A year later Karan Johar released Kuch Kuch Hota Hai retaining my voice. Aamir saw the film and apologized to me for dubbing my voice in Ghulam.
Shah Rukh Khan is an extremely focused actor. His energy is infectious and his attachment with people he works with, admirable. In my early films with him when I was still young I used to feel distracted and he would hit me to make me concentrate. Shah Rukh taught me to romance on screen. I was very shy of looking into his eyes and would shift glance as soon as the shot was over but he trained me to linger my glance... To hang on to a scene even after ‘take’ because the effect shows on screen.
Salman Khan of course is the true-blue superstar. He is a combination of child and a man. He is extremely good-looking and extremely popular. Everyone just loves to love him.
What about your directors?
Karan Johar functions from the heart. He does not fake relationships and the reason his films are so popular is because he touches a human chord. Sanjay Leela Bhansali is both a painter and a poet. His images are breathtaking and his stories almost lyrical. How he conceives his scenes and what goes on in his head while shooting is something I don’t think he is even aware. Shaad Ali is crazy and wacko and this reflects in his films - Saathiya or Bunty Aur Babli. His characters are reckless and that is his magic.
And how does Rani Mukerji adjust to all these different temperaments?
I think I’m as competent as demanded by the script. Like most actors I’m like clay, moulded and nourished according to the sensibility of the director. That is why there is very little in common between my characters in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai... and Black... or Saathiya... or Paheli.
So what’s your mind-frame at the moment? Are you enjoying your success or feeling isolated at the top?
Yes, I think I’m quite chilled out. A decade ago when I started my career I was working with superstars Shah Rukh and Aamir. So much time has gone by but the superstars are still calling the shots. As a co-artiste I have grown up watching these actors and raised my own standards as a performer. I’m enjoying my success and don’t feel isolated. My directors have faith in my talent and my fans shower me with so much love. To ask for anything beyond this would be greedy.
What about all the negative stories that appear about you in the media? Don’t you feel persecuted?
Persecuted...? Why should I allow anyone, least of all the media, to make judgments about my character? They can write as many negative stories as they want but I will not be provoked and will not issue any clarifications. I have no desire to release personal bulletins explaining my every action or choice of films via the media.
You sound disillusioned.
On the contrary, I feel detached. Where is the time or the energy to get worked up over trivial matters like these? When I’m shooting the pace of working is all consuming and everything else has to put on hold... Much against my wishes it is not possible to be accessible to anyone except the immediate family. For a long time I was pre-occupied with my new office in my free time now I use that time to supervise my new home... I guess my priorities are different.
On a recent show on television Karan Johar described you as ‘politically correct’ and Jaya Bachchan rated you 5 out of 10 as an actor. How do you respond to their observations?
Karan likes to believe I’m politically correct but deep down he knows I’m not. He knows it’s not my nature to publicly hurt anyone. I wouldn’t like to be judgmental of anyone. As for Jaya aunty, I have not watched the episode but if that’s true I feel she has a right to her opinion.
The film fraternity at the moment is divided into two groups. One, who perceives you as a professional, the other, who describe you as power drunk. Have you sensed this?
Not at all. For a long time, I have only been working with friends and I find it hard to believe that my friends could say this about me. If the remarks are coming from strangers I don’t need to respond for it’s not my temperament to harbour negativity. Besides what people feel or say about me reflects on them, not on me! I don’t sense any hostility from people I interact with and I guess that’s all that matters.
Despite your denials the media keeps linking you with Aditya Chopra. Does it hurt that your success is attributed to a personal relationship rather than to merit?
How can I control someone else’s imagination? The fact is that YRF has been an important association in my career... Saathiya and later Veer-Zaara were significant films in my image as a performer. The rumours don’t affect me because my family and I know the truth. In the past too I have been linked with various names but that didn’t take away my credit as an actor. All I can therefore say is that this too shall pass.
Looking back were you disappointed that films likeMangal Pandey - The Rising and Paheli did not get you any accolades?
Not at all, for I’m realistic enough to know that when a film does not get accepted at the box-office everything related to the film goes unnoticed. Also if I can get credit for a film that is a success I should not resent a performance that goes unsung because the audience did not like the film. That’s the way the cookie crumbles.
How would you describe your growth as an actor from Yuva to now?
Every film is a learning experience. Every new director and co-star has something new to offer you. When you speak the lines created by the writers or the words penned by the lyricists... you are gaining something. Your horizon is expanding every day . We actors are an amalgamation of our thought processes and the thought processes of those involved with us and that includes the various characters we play on screen.
And what have you learnt from these various characters?
From Michele in Black I learnt that there should be dignity in deprivation. I became grateful for everything God has given me... From Heera the prostitute in Mangal Pandey - The Rising I learnt there is courage in conviction... From Laachi in Paheli I cherished my right to exercise my choice... From Maya in Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna that I should marry someone only if I want to spend the rest of my life with him...From Babli in Bunty aur Babli I learnt to listen to my heart and pursue my dream... From Millie in Babul to cherish relationships... and from Radhika in Ta Ra Rum Pum to never take success or money for granted.
And from life?
To not have any expectations of anyone... It is the best way to remain happy and baggage-free. To live life to the fullest without regrets because we don’t know what’s awaiting us tomorrow.
We have an appointment for 4 pm but she postpones it by an hour. At 5.15 when Rani Mukerji’s car drives inside the narrow lanes of Juhu, she is almost unrecognisable behind the wheel. Clad in jeans and T-shirt, her hair clasped in a band, she tells you a bit sheepishly that she has forgotten the office keys. We drive to her under- construction home a few blocks away, walk up the three-floor building to check wires and carpentry. Rani locates her misplaced keys and we return to her plush office. Rani orders some bhelpuri and her mother Krishna brews us some aromatic tea. From the window facing the Juhu beach one can view the setting sun. It is a breathtaking skyline and a perfect ambience for a heart-to-heart conversation
Did you agree to do Ta Ra Rum Pum because you liked the script or because it is mandatory not to refuse a Yash Raj film?
I liked the film and like being part of the YRF banner. It is my privilege that since Mujhse Dosti Karoge! they have considered me for heroine-oriented roles that include my forthcoming film Laga Chunari Mein Daagh. What has to be appreciated is that they took a chance with me when I was not doing substantial roles. Let me confess that when I was offered Saathiya I was not very keen to do the role but Yashji insisted and I trusted his judgement. Saathiya proved to be a turning-point in my career and I owe it to YRF. As for Ta Ra Rum... I loved the story... I loved the idea of the family being together during their high and low moments of life. I saw a lot of my mother in my character. As a child I have watched my family go through many highs and lows and identified with the insecurities.
What is your thought process when you say ‘Yes’ to a film?
The producer is definitely important because all pertinent decisions are made by the banner. The director is very important as well. If I’m going to be spending 100 working days with a unit it is only logical that I enjoy the experience. It is always enriching to work with like-minded people because there is a greater give-and-take and lesser creative disagreements. As for Siddharth Anand, we have had a very old association. We were classmates at Maneckji Cooper High School. Growing up in Juhu we kept bumping into each other because both of us are connected to film families. Years later we met again during Mujhse Dosti.. and Hum Tum because he was assisting Kunal Kohli. Some time later he launched his own film Salaam Namaste and finally we worked together in Ta Ra Rum Pum.
To what extent do you prepare for a role? Or do you leave it to your director?
All roles, no matter how light-hearted they appear, need preparation. Some characters need more working upon, some need less. Similarly, sometimes the effort put in shows and sometimes it doesn’t. To give an example in Ta Ra Rum Pum, I was coached in piano lessons so that I get my posture and my finger movements accurate. The fact that nobody has mentioned this I take it as a compliment because it means I was convincing. The important factor always is to understand to what socio-economic background the character belongs. A simple exercise that works for me as an actor is I have known someone like that in my life. If not, is there a possibility of meeting him? Once I have these answers I also have my character.
Critics feel that you weep too frequently in your films. Do you agree?
I have heard that criticism earlier. It is true that I have been portraying highly emotional roles in all my recent films but there is another angle here. My directors like me to cry on screen because they feel that I cry very well. I don’t have a problem with that nor do my fans, but maybe I should think about this more seriously. I will now request my directors to offer me roles where I don’t weep but make my heroes weep instead.
There are stories that Saif Khan and you were not on talking terms during the shooting.
The stories are completely untrue. Saif and I came to know each other on the sets of Hum Tum... but during Ta Ra Rum Pum we were like a happy family shooting in New York. I seriously wonder where these stories originate from because any one in the unit will tell you that we share a great working rapport.
If you have to do a comparative study of your Khan co-stars how would you evaluate the other trio of Khans?
Aamir Khan is an intelligent actor with an eye for detail. He places the film above every individual or ego. He will make any compromise if it is for the betterment of the film. To cite an example, when Vikram Bhatt decided to dub my voice in Ghulam, I was upset and complained to Aamir but he reassured me that if the director has decided so it has to be for the betterment of the film. A year later Karan Johar released Kuch Kuch Hota Hai retaining my voice. Aamir saw the film and apologized to me for dubbing my voice in Ghulam.
Shah Rukh Khan is an extremely focused actor. His energy is infectious and his attachment with people he works with, admirable. In my early films with him when I was still young I used to feel distracted and he would hit me to make me concentrate. Shah Rukh taught me to romance on screen. I was very shy of looking into his eyes and would shift glance as soon as the shot was over but he trained me to linger my glance... To hang on to a scene even after ‘take’ because the effect shows on screen.
Salman Khan of course is the true-blue superstar. He is a combination of child and a man. He is extremely good-looking and extremely popular. Everyone just loves to love him.
What about your directors?
Karan Johar functions from the heart. He does not fake relationships and the reason his films are so popular is because he touches a human chord. Sanjay Leela Bhansali is both a painter and a poet. His images are breathtaking and his stories almost lyrical. How he conceives his scenes and what goes on in his head while shooting is something I don’t think he is even aware. Shaad Ali is crazy and wacko and this reflects in his films - Saathiya or Bunty Aur Babli. His characters are reckless and that is his magic.
And how does Rani Mukerji adjust to all these different temperaments?
I think I’m as competent as demanded by the script. Like most actors I’m like clay, moulded and nourished according to the sensibility of the director. That is why there is very little in common between my characters in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai... and Black... or Saathiya... or Paheli.
So what’s your mind-frame at the moment? Are you enjoying your success or feeling isolated at the top?
Yes, I think I’m quite chilled out. A decade ago when I started my career I was working with superstars Shah Rukh and Aamir. So much time has gone by but the superstars are still calling the shots. As a co-artiste I have grown up watching these actors and raised my own standards as a performer. I’m enjoying my success and don’t feel isolated. My directors have faith in my talent and my fans shower me with so much love. To ask for anything beyond this would be greedy.
What about all the negative stories that appear about you in the media? Don’t you feel persecuted?
Persecuted...? Why should I allow anyone, least of all the media, to make judgments about my character? They can write as many negative stories as they want but I will not be provoked and will not issue any clarifications. I have no desire to release personal bulletins explaining my every action or choice of films via the media.
You sound disillusioned.
On the contrary, I feel detached. Where is the time or the energy to get worked up over trivial matters like these? When I’m shooting the pace of working is all consuming and everything else has to put on hold... Much against my wishes it is not possible to be accessible to anyone except the immediate family. For a long time I was pre-occupied with my new office in my free time now I use that time to supervise my new home... I guess my priorities are different.
On a recent show on television Karan Johar described you as ‘politically correct’ and Jaya Bachchan rated you 5 out of 10 as an actor. How do you respond to their observations?
Karan likes to believe I’m politically correct but deep down he knows I’m not. He knows it’s not my nature to publicly hurt anyone. I wouldn’t like to be judgmental of anyone. As for Jaya aunty, I have not watched the episode but if that’s true I feel she has a right to her opinion.
The film fraternity at the moment is divided into two groups. One, who perceives you as a professional, the other, who describe you as power drunk. Have you sensed this?
Not at all. For a long time, I have only been working with friends and I find it hard to believe that my friends could say this about me. If the remarks are coming from strangers I don’t need to respond for it’s not my temperament to harbour negativity. Besides what people feel or say about me reflects on them, not on me! I don’t sense any hostility from people I interact with and I guess that’s all that matters.
Despite your denials the media keeps linking you with Aditya Chopra. Does it hurt that your success is attributed to a personal relationship rather than to merit?
How can I control someone else’s imagination? The fact is that YRF has been an important association in my career... Saathiya and later Veer-Zaara were significant films in my image as a performer. The rumours don’t affect me because my family and I know the truth. In the past too I have been linked with various names but that didn’t take away my credit as an actor. All I can therefore say is that this too shall pass.
Looking back were you disappointed that films likeMangal Pandey - The Rising and Paheli did not get you any accolades?
Not at all, for I’m realistic enough to know that when a film does not get accepted at the box-office everything related to the film goes unnoticed. Also if I can get credit for a film that is a success I should not resent a performance that goes unsung because the audience did not like the film. That’s the way the cookie crumbles.
How would you describe your growth as an actor from Yuva to now?
Every film is a learning experience. Every new director and co-star has something new to offer you. When you speak the lines created by the writers or the words penned by the lyricists... you are gaining something. Your horizon is expanding every day . We actors are an amalgamation of our thought processes and the thought processes of those involved with us and that includes the various characters we play on screen.
And what have you learnt from these various characters?
From Michele in Black I learnt that there should be dignity in deprivation. I became grateful for everything God has given me... From Heera the prostitute in Mangal Pandey - The Rising I learnt there is courage in conviction... From Laachi in Paheli I cherished my right to exercise my choice... From Maya in Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna that I should marry someone only if I want to spend the rest of my life with him...From Babli in Bunty aur Babli I learnt to listen to my heart and pursue my dream... From Millie in Babul to cherish relationships... and from Radhika in Ta Ra Rum Pum to never take success or money for granted.
And from life?
To not have any expectations of anyone... It is the best way to remain happy and baggage-free. To live life to the fullest without regrets because we don’t know what’s awaiting us tomorrow.
