New Delhi: Rani Mukerji, who turns 45 today, on March 21, made her acting debut in 1996 but didn't get widespread recognition until 1998. In the Bengali film 'Biyer Phool', she was helmed by her father Ram Mukherjee, and she made her Hindi cinema debut in 'Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat'. Her performances in the films 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' and 'Ghulam' in 1998 made her one of the top female actors of the era, especially after the latter earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. Rani initially doubted her ability to become a heroine like her role models Sridevi and Rekha.
Her mother had the notion for her to work in cinema. The voice of the actor was initially overdubbed in Ghulam. She also believed that because of her small stature, she could have trouble landing future assignments. But, the actor ultimately received encouragement from her peers, like Aamir Khan and even Kamal Haasan, who urged her to continue advancing in her acting profession.
During an interview with India Today in 2021, Rani had shared, "I never thought I fit into the heroine category in the typical sense. I am actually the opposite of a heroine. I am quite short in height, my voice is not heroine-friendly, the complexion of my skin is wheatish. I think when I started, I never believed I could be an actor. I grew up watching Sridevi, Juhi, Madhuri and Rekha ji, who were these screen goddesses and I never imagined myself up there with them."
She further added, "As my journey began, I spoke to many stalwarts with whom I had the opportunity to work. One of them was Mr Kamal Haasan and actors like him told me that you can’t measure your success by the height of your physical standing, but by the heights of how much you can grow professionally. So I sort of broke all those stereotypical conventions that an actress was put into in my initial days of Bollywood journey."
In her latest release 'Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway', the actor portrays a foreign woman in the drama, which was based on actual events, who must fight for custody of her young children after the government takes them away.