One of Bollywood’s most powerful actresses, Rani Mukerji, is returning to the big screen with Mardaani 3. She was last seen three years ago in the film Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway. This film not only brought her box office success but also a National Award. Having played the role of a mother in an emotional story, Rani will once again be seen as the supercop Shivani Shivaji Roy.
This role has brought her immense popularity over the years, from the big screen to television. While Rani’s popularity is often discussed, perhaps due to the long gaps between her films, her box office success and her achievements as a solo lead often go unnoticed.
Rani Mukerji: The Solo Star
Rani Mukerji, who debuted in the 90s, has a very interesting career graph. Her initial roles were similar to those of other actresses, playing the ‘heroine’ opposite the lead hero. Be it with Aamir Khan in Ghulam, Shah Rukh Khan in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, or Salman Khan in Hello Brother. But from the 2000s onwards, her roles began to change.
Even in mainstream Bollywood films, her characters were no longer just furthering the hero’s story; they had their own narratives. Rani’s characters in films like Hum Tum, Black, Bunty Aur Babli and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna were like this, strong characters centered around their own stories, even within the framework of mainstream Bollywood.
Then came the 2010s, where Rani’s characters were telling their own stories. In film terminology, Rani was now the solo star in the film, like No One Killed Jessica, Aiyyaa, Mardaani, Hichki, or Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway. During this period, the career trajectories of actresses like Kangana Ranaut and Vidya Balan also changed, similar to Rani Mukerji’s. Gradually, Vidya and Kangana’s films in which they were the sole stars started failing, but Rani Mukerji’s solo lead films continued to be successful.
Box office success of Mardaani
After 2010, Rani has only done two films with male stars, Talaash (2012) with Aamir Khan and Bunty Aur Babli 2 (2021) with Saif Ali Khan. Bombay Talkies (2013) was an experimental anthology film at the time, which wasn’t even considered box office material. Excluding these three, Rani has done 6 female-led films since 2011. Only one of them has flopped, Aiyyaa (2012).
Rani and Vidya were together in No One Killed Jessica (2011). This film was a sleeper hit that year. In 2014, Rani delivered the hit cop drama Mardaani as the solo lead star. Hichki (2018) became a hit despite its unconventional subject matter, which the trade analysts didn’t expect to succeed.
By the time Mardaani 2 (2019) was released, Rani Mukerji was considered a successful star of female-led films. Therefore, the success of Mardaani 2 was not surprising. But the box office success of Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway (2023), based on a very different subject, was truly a testament to Rani’s star power. Rani’s position as a female lead star is not only strong at the box office, but this box office power also allows her to bring new and different stories to the big screen.
Mardaani 3
Now Rani is back on the big screen with Mardaani 3. The cop-drama that deals with the plot of human-trafficking and its investigation has been released in theatres today and among strong advance booking stats, it remains to see how will be film earn on its opening day.
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