Ready to roll

SNEAK PEEK Rani Mukherjee is back in the reckoning with Aiyya and Talaash

Rani Mukherjee, who plays a Maharashtrian girl in the Sachin Kundalkar-directed Aiyya , tells us her character Meenakshi Deshpande is ready for marriage. But what about the actor herself?

One-and-a-half years after No One Killed Jessica , you have two important movies coming up — Aiyya and Talaash .

The months of October and November are very important for me, because two diametrically opposite films are releasing, and both have diverse characters for me. I hope my fans watch both the films.

At the launch of Aiyya ’s first look, you dressed up like a Maharashtrian bride. Any special reason?

My character, Meenakshi Deshpande, is ready for marriage.

And is Rani Mukherji also ready for marriage?

Meenakshi Deshpande is ready.

You have been very selective, of late. What made you say yes to Aiyya?

I told Anurag Kashyap (the producer), ‘I am not going to do your kind of films, but if you do some happy film, then I will be in it.’ Anurag told me, ‘I know you so well, I have got a happy film for you.’

It is a very wacky, quirky, mad film. It is truly a hatke film. I was just done with No One Killed Jessica when they came to me with this film. I thought I should do this film, because it is very special. When the film reaches the audience, one can understand.

Anurag has made a reputation for himself in the dark films genre. Why not do a dark film with a filmmaker who excels in them?

I wanted to do something different with him. No one knows that Anurag is very entertaining. But I have known him for a long time, since the days when he assisted Mani Ratnam. I know the quirky side of Anurag. And we have done as many as six films together. Besides, Talaash also seems like a dark film. Because I did a No One Killed Jessica and am doing a Talaash , I didn’t want to do a dark film.

Was it difficult to play the Aiyya character?

It was easy because I am very naughty in real life. Also, I have studied Marathi in school and understand the language, but getting the dialect right was important; and the whole credit goes to director Sachin Kundalkar and his team for helping me get the essence of Meenakshi right. Sachin wanted it (the film) to have the Marathi flavour; it is a story of a Maharashtrian family, so it was important. The film will also have a South Indian flavour.

Southern star Prithviraj is also in the film. How was it working with him?

He is a very special actor, handsome and lovely to work with. I know why he is such a star in the South, he is just too good.

Bollywood News Service