In the firing line

From Kajol’s cousin and thunder thighs with a husky voice, Rani Mukerji has broken preconceived notions. As she bucks the regressive trend of “Laga Chunari Mein Daag” with “Mardaani”, one finds her wary of criticism

Rani, written off by trade pundits, has made once again a comeback of sorts.

How to interview an actor after his/her film has released and you happen to like it? It is not easy as one discovered during a chat with Rani Mukerji post Mardaani . The film has won allround praise for her portrayal of a no-nonsense cop who takes on a girl trafficking ring. A nice departure from the testosterone rich larger-than-life jamborees, Mardaani remains remarkably believable in the mainstream space. And for Rani, written off by trade pundits, it is one again a comeback of sorts.

One suggests that the film makes it clear early that it is not going to go the Dabangg or Singham way when a roadside vendor tries to sell Shivani Roy, the character Rani plays in the film , Dabangg glasses. Rani says the reading is wrong. “We were not trying to ridicule anybody. In fact the scene was a tribute to Chulbul Pandey. And there was no mention of Singham . First he tries to sell Shivani, the shades that John Abraham sports followed by the ones that Salman Khan uses. So there is no mention of Singham .” One tries to suggest that the clubbing of Dabangg and Singham has something to do with the kind of police officers that these films project but Rani ostensibly is in no mood for comparisons with her male compatriots.

She says the film brings out the everyday brutality that is committed on young children in our society. “We are aware of it but for us it remains some gory statistics that we can’t do much about. I find it very frustrating. Through

Mardaani we have tried to tell women that they can do something against these horrendous crimes. It is not against men, it is against men who have become animals.”

One noticed the language of Shivani Roy is no different from the male police officers that we see in our vicinity. She lets the four letter words go on the job and then like any other professional returns home to join her doctor husband and kid. Also, what some critics found disturbing was the climax where Shivani resorts to same kind of vigilantism that some of our male cops on screen resort to.

Rani once again finds the observation misplaced. “Have you met women police officers in the Crime Branch? You should know how they behave. The spouses of many of them are in different jobs but they fully support them. Before shooting for the film I closely studied their behaviour and that’s why the film is very close to reality. If the doctor husband is saved from goons by a police officer wife it doesn’t make him any less of a man.” One insists that we are on the same page but Rani doesn’t seem to agree.

Isn’t it a new space for female actors that they are getting to save male actors on screen and people are applauding? Rani again doesn’t agree. “From

Mother India to

Khoobsurat , there have been many heroine-oriented films. So I don’t take credit for breaking some barriers.”

At the end, I ask the mediator whether one was talking to Rani or Shivani Roy? She texts, Rani.