Kuch Kuch Hota Hai

Relatively, a newcomer then, Rani held her fort in front of super stars Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol. As NRI Tina she stole millions of hearts in her itsy bitsy mauve dress in the song ‘Koi Mil Gaya’. Rani Mukerji had arrived!

Hey Ram

Even though her role was minute in the film, Rani managed to make her presence felt. As Kamal Hassan’s Bengali wife Aparna she captivated the audience’s attention with ease. As the lively, full of zest Aparna she gave a different perspective to an otherwise somber film.

Saathiya

The tale of a young couple in love who elope and marry, but soon find that that marriage is not the bed of roses it is made out to be. Rani played the role of Suhani, a medical student who falls head over heels in love with Aditya played by Vivek Oberoi. Rani was presented as a girl next door and millions of girls wanted their love stories to be like her’s.

Bunty Aur Bubly

As a small town thief, Rani stole our hearts apart from other things! She played Bubbly with élan and along with her partner Bunty played by Abhishek Bachchan, she entertained the audience in this desi avatar of Bonnie and Clyde.

Yuva

Rani portrayed a fiery character in this Mani Ratnam film. She played Abhishek’s wife who loves her husband a lot but is strictly against his ways. She played a lower middle class housewife who loved her husband deeply but wanted him to give up his illegal profession.

Black

Perhaps a turning point in Rani’s career, the film saw stellar performance from both Rani and Amitabh Bachchan. Rani’s portrayal of a deaf, blind, mute girl was spellbinding and left a lump in the throat of all viewers.

No One Killed Jessica

The film was a comeback of sorts for Rani. She played a “no nonsense”, successful journalist called Meera Gaity who started a nation wide movement to bring justice to model Jessica Lal’s killers. She played a confident, ambitious woman who refused to succumb to any kind of pressure and lived by her own rules.

By Shomini Sen