As Rani Mukerji celebrated 30 years in cinema, longtime friend Karan Johar hosted an intimate talk. It covered her acting journey, family life with Aditya Chopra and daughter Adira, and offered a warm peek into her private world.
Speaking about her husband, Rani shared what first drew her to Aditya. "He likes to be really basic in his life every day, and it's a very endearing quality that he has," she said. "I come from a very humble and simple background. The way he respected his parents, the way he went about his daily life - that really attracted me to him."
What mattered deeply to Rani was that Aditya never carried the weight of his legendary surname. "He didn't come with any baggage of being Yash Chopra's son. He didn't come with any baggage of being a very, very prolific filmmaker," she said, adding, "If he had even an iota of air around him, I don't think I would have ever fallen for him."
That prompted Karan to jump in with his trademark humour, recalling how Aditya's obsession with privacy left him perpetually nervous.
"I am petrified of your husband," Karan admitted, remembering how he was warned that if even a trickle of information from their wedding leaked, he would be held responsible. "He turned around and told me, 'If the wedding information leaks, it will be only because of you.' I was so stressed," the filmmaker laughed.
Recalling the lengths he went to maintain secrecy, Karan shared how he lied about travelling to Manchester while actually flying to Italy for the wedding, only to be grilled at the airport lounge. "Even now, when he calls me and says, 'Karan Johar,' I know I'm going to get fired," he joked.
Before shifting the conversation to Adira, Karan surprised Rani by taking out a letter written by her daughter for her. The moment instantly turned emotional, with Rani visibly moved as Karan read it aloud. The letter described Rani as "truly incredibly beautiful", "the kindest, softest and very soft-hearted", and "a huge blessing".
This led seamlessly into a discussion about Adira, whom Karan described as having "a personality of her own" and being "just as obsessed with food as her father". Sharing a fond anecdote, Karan recalled a trip to London where Adira confidently rattled off fancy menu items while his own children looked on cluelessly. "My God, this chip and this block are made for each other," he joked, calling her "a true chip off the Chopra block".
Rani couldn't agree more. "She is truly Yash Chopra's granddaughter," she said, adding, "Sometimes I honestly feel that maybe she is Yash Chopra's reincarnation." She described Adira as "very creative", revealing that she "writes extremely well" and is "a wonderful storyteller", qualities she believes she has inherited from both her grandfather and her father.
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