Rani Mukerji's Mardaani 3 released in theatres today. It also marks 30 years since her entry into the cinema industry. During a recent interview, the actress revisited her film Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway, for which she also won a National Award in the Best Actress category. The film's script reached her in 2020 when she was grieving the loss of her second child.
What's Happening
- Rani Mukerji opened up about why Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway made more sense to her at the time she was approached for it.
- In a conversation with Pinkvilla, she said, "Woh jo kahaani thi woh mujhe bhi aise ek mod pe hua tha, matlab woh film mere paas aayi thi, jab maine mera dusra baccha kho diya tha. Toh yeh sense of loss tha mera bahut aur woh kahani sunke mai itna judd gayi aur maine bola ye kahaani mujhe batani hai. (That story came to me at a time when I had lost my second child. So my sense of loss was huge, and hearing that film's story, I got attached to it and wanted to let it be known to people)."
- Furthermore, she explained how she wanted to tell this story, which was about the desperation and acute loneliness of a mother who is separated from her children.
- Highlighting how the reality of living abroad is drastically different from the aspirations that people have, Rani said, "Mujhe Hindustan ko yeh kahaani batani hai aur unko bataana hai ki humara jo obsession hai ki hum bahar jayein, hum wahan pe settle karenge, ye sacchai nahi hai, sacchai bahut hatke hai. (I wanted to show this film to the people of India, where we are obsessed with moving to other countries and settling there. I wished to display the reality)."
- "Apne bacchon ke bina ek maa ka kya haal hota hai aur aapka baccha aapse leke koi chale jaye aapki aankhon ki saamne toh uss maa pe kya gujarti hai, bacchon pe kya gujarti hai woh dikhana tha (I wanted to show how a mother suffers when her child is taken away from her right in front of her eyes, and how the kids also feel it)," concluded Rani Mukerji.
About Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway
Helmed by Ashima Chibber, Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway is based on a true story of an Indian mother whose life turns upside down when her children are taken away by the Norwegian foster care system because of cultural differences. The movie documents the challenges she faced to win her children's custody.
About The Mardaani Franchise
Rani Mukerji returns to the screen with Mardaani 3, which released in theatres today, January 30, 2026.
For the first time, in Mardaani 3, Rani Mukerji will face a female antagonist.
The first film from the franchise was released in 2014. Made on a modest budget of Rs 21 crore, the film minted Rs 59.55 crore at the box office. Rani Mukerji came on board as Shivani Shivaji Roy, a tough cop chasing criminals. In the first film, Shivani takes up the job of hunting down Karan Rastogi (Tahir Raj Bhasin), who runs a cartel involving child trafficking and drugs.
In 2019, the second film, Mardaani 2, was released. The theme of kidnapping a girl child returned in the sequel as well. In this film, cop Shivani Shivaji Roy's eyes are fixed on the culprit Vishal Jethwa (aka Sunny). This time too, Rani proved her star power as the film emerged as a box office hit. The film was reportedly made on a budget of Rs 27 crore and made Rs 67.12 crore in return.
