Rani Mukherjee turns 30!
Noreen Aslam

BOMBAY—On March 21, Rani Mukherjee is turning 30! She is undisputed and also the ‘literal’ Queen of Bollywood. There was a time when her husky voice was considered as ‘non-saleable’ and hence, was dubbed. But today, it’s the same voice that has replaced the sound of her fans’ heartbeats! Starting her Bollywood journey with ‘Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat’ though a non-starter, she not only survived but turned Queen B in such a short span time in Bollywood. With her sheer hard work, she got noticed by Bhatt Brothers, and with her second film ‘Ghulam’ opposite Aamir Khan with them, placed herself among top Hindi actresses. Then, in her second hit Karan Johar’s directorial debut, ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ , she played a college bomb-shell with Shah Rukh to bag her first Filmfare Award in the Best Supporting Actress category. Later, she starred in Abbas Mustan’s romantic ‘Chori Chori Chupke Chupke’ opposite Salman Khan. Aziz Mirza’s drama ‘Chalte Chalte’ opposite Shahrukh Khan added another feather to her cap.
Her performance as a Bengali housewife in Mani Ratnam’s ‘Yuva’ won her critical acclaim. And, her leading role in ‘Hum Tum’ portraying a woman of today’s generation, won her several awards. Yash Chopra’s love saga ‘Veer-Zaara’, with Shahrukh Khan emerged as the top grosser. Her ‘Black’, ‘Bunty Aur Babli’, ‘Paheli’ and ‘The Rising’ brought her more laurels. Her performance in ‘Black’ altogether changed critics’ mind. Then, followed ‘Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna’ starring Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Preity Zinta and Kirron Kher. Her next ,B.R. Chopra’s ‘Baabul’ met with mixed reviews. In ‘Ta Ra Rum Pum’, she enacted the role of the mother/wife proficiently. Her much-hyped ‘Laaga Chunari Mein Daag’ failed to compete with contemporary commercials. She is now banking heavily on Yash Raj production, her only release this year. The most significant is, however, any girl’s wish to tie a knot and this birthday might lead to her marriage with Aditya Chopra.
We may recall that over the last few years, Rani has been seen in quite a few films made by Yash Raj Films, being handled by Aditya. She featured in his ‘Hum Tum’, ‘Veer-Zaara’, ‘Ta Ra Rum Pum’ and ‘Laaga Chunari Mein Daag’. But, the fact remains that in deference to the reputation of Yash Raj Films, especially the position filmmaker Yash Chopra holds in Bollywood, none dare comment one way or the other on the “impending” Aditya-Rani marriage, which, without confirmation, is still considered a rumor even in the wake of Aditya reportedly having given an engagement ring to Rani.
Gopal Pandey, long-time publicist of Yash Raj Films, denies any such knowledge , claiming that he need not have any clue about his client’s private affairs. The families of both Aditya and Rani don’t seem to be happy with the impending marriage of their son and daughter. However, the petition of Aditya Chopra seeking a divorce from his present wife in the court clearly establishes that Aditya is determined to marry with Rani as soon as the court’s formality of six months’ separation is over. Hopefully, this will be Rani’s 2008 gift!