Post by KhushiDreamz on Oct 14, 2006 19:34:02 GMT -5
Big surprises come in small packages! Tiny lil' Rani has taken the whole nation by storm. In a mega hit starring two superstars, Shah Rukh and Kajol, Rani has held her own and walked away with the accolades. Her phones haven"'t stopped ringing ever since. In a cosy chat session, Rani gushes over her stardom and how everyone around is reacting to it...
People talk of the similarities between Rani and Kajol, but I'm going to surprise you all. The one person Rani really reminds me of, is the late Divya Bharti. Years ago just before she had officially signed her first film, I had met Divya Bharti. She was meeting a media person for the first time and instead of answering my questions on how she got into the industry, she opened her box of trinklets and excitedly showed me things she had collected. Then she showed me her collection of posters of film stars and so many other 'Aunty see this! Aunty see that!' things.
Years later, I met Rani Mukherjee through a family friend even before Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat happened. Once again I became 'Aunty' to an actress. Rani, like Divya, is childlike, bold, bindaas, genuine and very transparent with her feelings. But unlike Divya, she is confident and not at all insecure.
When Ghulam happened, we celebrated her stardom. But she's no fool. She knew it could be a shot in the dark. Now that Kuch Kuch Hota Hai is a superhit, she allows herself to feel the elation and confidence of having her feet firmly planted in celluloid soil. Rani recently returned from a schedule in Switzerland, met me and screamed, 'Auntee, I've become a ishtaar!' It was the most honest thing I heard from a star! Otherwise, they are almost always on their guard.
But that's Rani! As we sat over endless cups of expresso, she gushed over how everything has changed for her, naturally for the better. Before we continue, let me make a point... Don't be in a hurry to dismiss her as a show-off, as a Jane-come-lately who's talking too much too soon. While every star is excited to hit the jackpot, very few are honest enough to admit it wholeheartedly! And what the hell! Rani is young and unashamedly ecstatic...
'I feel so confident and happy, but there is also a feeling of responsibility, a sense of insecurity. People, especially children, have given me so much love. I have to work harder now to live up to their expectations. In a nutshell, it's scary. Relatives tell Dad that I'm their son and the gem of the Mukherjee family. All that makes me so happy but I also feel weird because it's happened to me so early in life. It's as if I've grown up overnight. It's strange how a Friday night release can change your entire life. I feel very excited. There is a child in me that is reacting but very few people get to see this reaction. I'm quite level-headed otherwise and will not get carried away. If I talk too much, Dad laughs and says `Rani has not even come out of the egg and look at her talking!'
Which is the first thing she bought with her money?
'It's difficult to remember because whatever I've earned so far, I've first given to dad. So I'm confused about the first thing I've bought. Whenever I need money I just ask Dad. But if it's a major thing you're asking me then yes, I'm proud to have bought my cars. My first car was a Maruti van which I gifted to Dad. Then I bought an Opel Astra which Mom and Dad use. Now I've bought a Safari which I'm thinking of giving Mummy because she's more excited about it than I am! I prefer the Opel because I can drive it myself and I feel relaxed in it. The Safari is huge and I'm tiny, so when I get down I look like a pigmy!
'My world revolves around Dad, Mom and my brother. I want to make my family happy and secure .I think for the present and make no plans. Dad tells me to think of the future, but he is there, na! He takes care of savings, investments, income-tax and life policies. I basically don't know anything about finance. I'm totally dependant on Dad. He keeps telling me to take interest but my interest only in going for shootings, talking to my friends over the phone and having lunches with them.' Rani's friends Priya, Ameesha and Shubha are the dearest people in her life. In spite of being a busy star, she can drive MTNL crazy with her long conversations with her best gal pals.
'My friends are still getting used to my not being available all the time. They love me so much that they are willing to adjust. They are even more excited than I am about my success. They love to show off that Rani is their friend and it gives them a high. After Ghulam I'd taken them for a treat and they found it very funny when people came up to me for autographs and photographs. They started laughing and saying loudly, 'Ae! Apni friend toh ishtaar ho gayi re!' Everyone kept staring. I was so embarrassed but we all had great fun. The other day I went for Kalyanji's Little Wonders show. Kids and grown-ups went crazy when I danced with them and later I was mobbed. My friends Priya and Shweta, instead of getting into the car, just stood there to watch me getting mobbed and in the bargain got pushed around themselves. Finally when I got into the car I realized they were left outside, banging on the window! The whole scene was so funny.
'Priya came to the photo session I did with Govinda for CINE BLITZ. She was meeting him for the first time but that didn't stop her from interfering during the shoot. She wanted me to look stunning and kept telling me to wear this, look here and do my hair this way. She even had the cheek to tell Chi-Chi which suit suited him and which didn't! Priya was in full form. I was even more amused when she even started instructing the photographer which angles to take. If my mother had done that I'd have screamed but here I first kept quiet because I knew she was enjoying being a part of what I was doing. Later I told her, 'Baby, you were interfering!' She turned around and snarled humorously, `Thanks for telling me that, Rani!' But my friends don't care what others think. They will do with me what they feel is right and what gives them happiness. And I love them for it! With them, the animal in me comes alive. I let myself loose and we just freak out!'
Can she still go out and freak out with them?
'Of course! I don't care who sees me and who mobs me. I will go with them anywhere. I can go for walks on Yari Road just outside my house. I can handle people staring at me. I'm bold and bindaas! I regularly go to the theatres to watch movies.' Rani's friends ( a major part of her life) are also quite amused by her new found status. 'They get very ticklish when they see me doing romantic scenes and ask, 'How can you hold Shah Rukh like that?' or 'How could you kiss Aamir?' When Priya saw me posing and pouting with Chi-Chi, she was in splits. They find the whole thing very funny. When they saw Kuch Kuch Hota Hai with me, they nudged me and asked 'Acha? Kya ho raha hai?' It's strange but when I haven't given my best shot on screen and only I am aware of it, my friends catch me out - that's how well they know me.'
How does her brother Raja react to her popularity?
'Dada and I fight and argue over a hundred things but do you know that he has watched each film of mine 40 times? He is more nervous about my releases than I am. He goes to every theatre to see the results for himself. We were in Switzerland when Kuch Kuch Hota Hai was released. Raja actually came back early because he wanted to visit all the theatres to see how the film was doing and how people were reacting to my role. He forces all his friends to see my films, 'Ae! Rani ki film hai chalo dekh ke aao.' When my romantic scenes come on he gets up and walks out, but he laughs when I cry on screen. There is a scene in Mehndi where I cry violently. He says I was shaking like Shammi Kapoor does when he's dancing!'
'It is strange how a Friday night release can change your entire life... I've grown up overnight.'
Rani has literally won over a million hearts, besides catching the fancy of all the top heroes. If Shah Rukh and Aamir call up a dozen times to chat with her, Govinda is completely besotted by the little girl. It's to her credit that she has bagged films with the most saleable actors today - the three Khans, Govinda and Ajay Devgan.
'When I had signed Ghulam, do you know I wasn't even aware that I was going to work with Aamir? I wasn't well-versed with who's doing which film (today I am!). Much later, Mukeshji said, 'I won't keep the suspense any longer Rani, but Aamir Khan is your hero!' Karan Johar had seen me perform with Jugal Hansraj to 'Ek Main Ek Tu' at an awards nite. Later he met me and offered me Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. I loved the role and I signed the film. Things have just happened. I'm not one of those who only goes for big heroes or big banners. If my role is good and the subject is great, I'll do the film.'
How does she relate to the Khans?
'More than being good actors, they are first very good human beings. I don't know how to whistle but whenever I would watch them and Govinda on screen, I used to try desperately to whistle in the theatre! Today I'm working with the heroes who used to make me clap and cheer, but sadly, I still can't whistle!' Everyone is talking about what a good actress she is. What does she herself think? 'I think what I do is miles away from acting. I can't act. What you see on screen is what I am off screen'
What about those hot, romantic scenes with Aamir, Shah Rukh and now with Govinda in Hadh Kardi Aapne, her next release? 'Romantic scenes? Oh that's the only time I start acting! And believe me, that's the toughest thing to do.'
But apparently not for the actors who romance the lady on screen. They are simply bowled over by the Rani of hearts!
People talk of the similarities between Rani and Kajol, but I'm going to surprise you all. The one person Rani really reminds me of, is the late Divya Bharti. Years ago just before she had officially signed her first film, I had met Divya Bharti. She was meeting a media person for the first time and instead of answering my questions on how she got into the industry, she opened her box of trinklets and excitedly showed me things she had collected. Then she showed me her collection of posters of film stars and so many other 'Aunty see this! Aunty see that!' things.
Years later, I met Rani Mukherjee through a family friend even before Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat happened. Once again I became 'Aunty' to an actress. Rani, like Divya, is childlike, bold, bindaas, genuine and very transparent with her feelings. But unlike Divya, she is confident and not at all insecure.
When Ghulam happened, we celebrated her stardom. But she's no fool. She knew it could be a shot in the dark. Now that Kuch Kuch Hota Hai is a superhit, she allows herself to feel the elation and confidence of having her feet firmly planted in celluloid soil. Rani recently returned from a schedule in Switzerland, met me and screamed, 'Auntee, I've become a ishtaar!' It was the most honest thing I heard from a star! Otherwise, they are almost always on their guard.
But that's Rani! As we sat over endless cups of expresso, she gushed over how everything has changed for her, naturally for the better. Before we continue, let me make a point... Don't be in a hurry to dismiss her as a show-off, as a Jane-come-lately who's talking too much too soon. While every star is excited to hit the jackpot, very few are honest enough to admit it wholeheartedly! And what the hell! Rani is young and unashamedly ecstatic...
'I feel so confident and happy, but there is also a feeling of responsibility, a sense of insecurity. People, especially children, have given me so much love. I have to work harder now to live up to their expectations. In a nutshell, it's scary. Relatives tell Dad that I'm their son and the gem of the Mukherjee family. All that makes me so happy but I also feel weird because it's happened to me so early in life. It's as if I've grown up overnight. It's strange how a Friday night release can change your entire life. I feel very excited. There is a child in me that is reacting but very few people get to see this reaction. I'm quite level-headed otherwise and will not get carried away. If I talk too much, Dad laughs and says `Rani has not even come out of the egg and look at her talking!'
Which is the first thing she bought with her money?
'It's difficult to remember because whatever I've earned so far, I've first given to dad. So I'm confused about the first thing I've bought. Whenever I need money I just ask Dad. But if it's a major thing you're asking me then yes, I'm proud to have bought my cars. My first car was a Maruti van which I gifted to Dad. Then I bought an Opel Astra which Mom and Dad use. Now I've bought a Safari which I'm thinking of giving Mummy because she's more excited about it than I am! I prefer the Opel because I can drive it myself and I feel relaxed in it. The Safari is huge and I'm tiny, so when I get down I look like a pigmy!
'My world revolves around Dad, Mom and my brother. I want to make my family happy and secure .I think for the present and make no plans. Dad tells me to think of the future, but he is there, na! He takes care of savings, investments, income-tax and life policies. I basically don't know anything about finance. I'm totally dependant on Dad. He keeps telling me to take interest but my interest only in going for shootings, talking to my friends over the phone and having lunches with them.' Rani's friends Priya, Ameesha and Shubha are the dearest people in her life. In spite of being a busy star, she can drive MTNL crazy with her long conversations with her best gal pals.
'My friends are still getting used to my not being available all the time. They love me so much that they are willing to adjust. They are even more excited than I am about my success. They love to show off that Rani is their friend and it gives them a high. After Ghulam I'd taken them for a treat and they found it very funny when people came up to me for autographs and photographs. They started laughing and saying loudly, 'Ae! Apni friend toh ishtaar ho gayi re!' Everyone kept staring. I was so embarrassed but we all had great fun. The other day I went for Kalyanji's Little Wonders show. Kids and grown-ups went crazy when I danced with them and later I was mobbed. My friends Priya and Shweta, instead of getting into the car, just stood there to watch me getting mobbed and in the bargain got pushed around themselves. Finally when I got into the car I realized they were left outside, banging on the window! The whole scene was so funny.
'Priya came to the photo session I did with Govinda for CINE BLITZ. She was meeting him for the first time but that didn't stop her from interfering during the shoot. She wanted me to look stunning and kept telling me to wear this, look here and do my hair this way. She even had the cheek to tell Chi-Chi which suit suited him and which didn't! Priya was in full form. I was even more amused when she even started instructing the photographer which angles to take. If my mother had done that I'd have screamed but here I first kept quiet because I knew she was enjoying being a part of what I was doing. Later I told her, 'Baby, you were interfering!' She turned around and snarled humorously, `Thanks for telling me that, Rani!' But my friends don't care what others think. They will do with me what they feel is right and what gives them happiness. And I love them for it! With them, the animal in me comes alive. I let myself loose and we just freak out!'
Can she still go out and freak out with them?
'Of course! I don't care who sees me and who mobs me. I will go with them anywhere. I can go for walks on Yari Road just outside my house. I can handle people staring at me. I'm bold and bindaas! I regularly go to the theatres to watch movies.' Rani's friends ( a major part of her life) are also quite amused by her new found status. 'They get very ticklish when they see me doing romantic scenes and ask, 'How can you hold Shah Rukh like that?' or 'How could you kiss Aamir?' When Priya saw me posing and pouting with Chi-Chi, she was in splits. They find the whole thing very funny. When they saw Kuch Kuch Hota Hai with me, they nudged me and asked 'Acha? Kya ho raha hai?' It's strange but when I haven't given my best shot on screen and only I am aware of it, my friends catch me out - that's how well they know me.'
How does her brother Raja react to her popularity?
'Dada and I fight and argue over a hundred things but do you know that he has watched each film of mine 40 times? He is more nervous about my releases than I am. He goes to every theatre to see the results for himself. We were in Switzerland when Kuch Kuch Hota Hai was released. Raja actually came back early because he wanted to visit all the theatres to see how the film was doing and how people were reacting to my role. He forces all his friends to see my films, 'Ae! Rani ki film hai chalo dekh ke aao.' When my romantic scenes come on he gets up and walks out, but he laughs when I cry on screen. There is a scene in Mehndi where I cry violently. He says I was shaking like Shammi Kapoor does when he's dancing!'
'It is strange how a Friday night release can change your entire life... I've grown up overnight.'
Rani has literally won over a million hearts, besides catching the fancy of all the top heroes. If Shah Rukh and Aamir call up a dozen times to chat with her, Govinda is completely besotted by the little girl. It's to her credit that she has bagged films with the most saleable actors today - the three Khans, Govinda and Ajay Devgan.
'When I had signed Ghulam, do you know I wasn't even aware that I was going to work with Aamir? I wasn't well-versed with who's doing which film (today I am!). Much later, Mukeshji said, 'I won't keep the suspense any longer Rani, but Aamir Khan is your hero!' Karan Johar had seen me perform with Jugal Hansraj to 'Ek Main Ek Tu' at an awards nite. Later he met me and offered me Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. I loved the role and I signed the film. Things have just happened. I'm not one of those who only goes for big heroes or big banners. If my role is good and the subject is great, I'll do the film.'
How does she relate to the Khans?
'More than being good actors, they are first very good human beings. I don't know how to whistle but whenever I would watch them and Govinda on screen, I used to try desperately to whistle in the theatre! Today I'm working with the heroes who used to make me clap and cheer, but sadly, I still can't whistle!' Everyone is talking about what a good actress she is. What does she herself think? 'I think what I do is miles away from acting. I can't act. What you see on screen is what I am off screen'
What about those hot, romantic scenes with Aamir, Shah Rukh and now with Govinda in Hadh Kardi Aapne, her next release? 'Romantic scenes? Oh that's the only time I start acting! And believe me, that's the toughest thing to do.'
But apparently not for the actors who romance the lady on screen. They are simply bowled over by the Rani of hearts!