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Rani Mukerji reflected on her three-decade-long journey in cinema on Monday, describing it as a path that began with “curiosity, fear, and a deep love for stories” and has evolved into a career where she continues to live multiple lives on screen. Sharing a heartfelt post via Yash Raj Films ahead of the release of her new film Mardaani 3, Mukerji said that despite years of experience, she still feels like a newcomer, ready to embrace new cinematic challenges.

The daughter of late filmmaker Ram Mukherjee and playback singer Krishna Mukherjee, Rani made her acting debut with the 1996 film Raja Ki Aayegi Baaraat. “I believe actors are vessels of ideas and creativity, and I’m truly blessed to have 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,” she wrote. “Thank you for letting me live so many lives. Today, I still feel like a newcomer, eager to excel, work harder, and embark on a completely new chapter of my life starting right now.”

At 47, Mukerji recalled that acting wasn’t a dream she chased—it 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. 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.

She added that her journey in films has always been guided by “curiosity, fear, and a deep love for stories, for the exploration of the human mind through characters.” Mukerji revealed that she has been drawn to strong 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 aim to shatter patriarchy while doing so with grace.”

Mukerji also spoke about how marriage and motherhood reshaped her approach to her career. “They didn’t slow me down—they sharpened my focus. I became more selective, protective of my energy, and conscious of the legacy I want to build and the films I want to lend my voice to,” she said.

Her 2023 film Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway, which earned her first National Award for Best Actress, reinforced her belief in the universal power of emotional truth. “A mother fighting a system larger than herself is a story that needs no language. The response to that film taught me something profound: audiences still crave sincerity and stories from the heart. Playing a mother gave me my first National Award, and I believe the universe reserved this role for me at the right time—after I became a mother and truly understood what a woman can do for her child,” she added.

Looking back, Mukerji said that longevity in cinema isn’t about staying relevant—it’s 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—the 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,” she concluded.