NEW DELHI: Rani Mukerji on Monday looked back at her three decades in cinema that she says began with "curiosity, fear, and a deep love for stories" and evolved into a career where she still gets to live many lives.
In a long post shared by Yash Raj Films, ahead of the release of her new film "Mardaani 3", Mukerji said despite so many years and movies, she still feels like a newcomer, ready to take on new cinematic challenges.
Daughter of late filmmaker Ram Mukherjee and playback singer Krishna Mukherjee, she made her acting debut with the 1996 movie "Raja Ki Aayegi Baaraat".
"I believe actors are a vessel of ideas and creativity and I’m truly blessed that I could become an actor. As long as there are stories to tell and emotions to explore, I will remain a student of this beautiful, demanding art.
"Thank you for letting me live so many lives. Today, I’m still feeling like a newcomer, wanting to excel, to work harder, to take on new cinematic challenges and write a totally new chapter of my life starting right now," Mukerji said.
The 47-year-old actor said acting wasn't a dream that she chased, it was something that found her.
"A young girl, drawn into cinema almost by chance, hesitant at first… and yet, somewhere between instinct and vulnerability, I fell in love with the craft.
"Cinema has a strange way of freezing emotions. Somewhere inside me, I am still that nervous girl standing in front of the camera for the first time, hoping I wouldn’t forget my lines, hoping I belonged," she said.
Mukerji added that she didn’t come into films with a master plan as she was driven by "curiosity, fear, and a deep love for stories, for the exploration of the human mind through characters".
As an artiste, she said she has always been drawn to women who challenge the world around them.
"Whether it was the spirited small town girl with big dreams in 'Bunty Aur Babli', the fierce journalist in 'No One Killed Jessica', or the relentless police officer in 'Mardaani', I felt a deep connection to characters who refuse to back down, who want to shatter patriarchy and have a lot of grace while doing so."
According to Mukerji, marriage and motherhood changed her -- not by slowing her down, but by sharpening her focus.
"I became more selective, more protective of my energy, and more aware of the kind of legacy I wanted to build and the films that I want to lend my voice to," she said.
The actor said her 2023 movie "Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway" reaffirmed her belief that emotional truth transcends borders. The movie helped her win her first National Award for best actress.
"A mother fighting a system larger than herself is a story that needs no language. The response to that film told me something profound: audiences still want sincerity. They still want stories that come from the heart. Playing a mother gave me my first National Award and I’m a believer in signs. Maybe I was born to play this role, which is why the universe reserved the feeling of me winning this award for when I became a mother and understood what a woman can do for her offspring," she added.
Looking back, Mukerji said her journey in films has taught her that longevity is not about staying relevant – it is about staying honest.
"I have made choices that surprised people, sometimes even myself. I have taken breaks, returned on my own terms, and trusted my instincts even when they went against trends.
"I owe everything to the people who believed in me – directors who challenged me, co-actors who inspired me, technicians who worked tirelessly behind the scenes, and audiences who grew up with me, questioned me, and stood by me. Cinema is a collaboration, and I have never walked this path alone."