mother, Krishna Mukerji, who died aged 75 on September 22, had a clear view of the recognition she believed her daughter deserved for one of her most acclaimed performances.
An old video of Krishna Mukerji discussing Rani’s first National Award has resurfaced following her death. The actor won the honour for Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway, but during last year’s Durga Puja celebrations, her mother said she felt the award had come later than it should have.
When a journalist asked Krishna about Rani’s National Award win, she said, “I am happy that she won her first national award. But it’s too late for her. She should have got for Black. But today I am very proud of her.”
Rani Mukerji won her first National Award for her performance in Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway at the 71st National Award Ceremony.
She was among the prominent winners at the ceremony, alongside Shah Rukh Khan and Vikrant Massey, who won for Jawan and 12th Fail, respectively.
For Krishna, however, Rani’s performance in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s 2005 film Black remained a performance deserving of the same recognition.
The film starred Rani alongside Amitabh Bachchan, with Ayesha Kapur, Shernaz Patel and Dhritiman Chatterjee in supporting roles. Rani played Michelle, a deafblind woman whose relationship with her teacher Debraj, played by Bachchan, forms the central narrative.
Krishna’s influence on Rani’s career extended well beyond her views on awards. Rani has spoken about how her mother encouraged her to pursue acting, even though her father, filmmaker Ram Mukherjee, was initially not in favour of the decision.
In fact, Krishna was reportedly unimpressed by Rani’s first shot and told the producer that Rani “would ruin” your film.
During a conversation with Karan Johar earlier this year, Rani reflected on those early years and said her family had enough income to “make ends meet”, despite coming from a film background.
Looking back, she said she eventually understood that her mother may have seen acting as an opportunity to improve the family’s financial circumstances.
“I didn’t realise it then that probably my mum was finding a way to make the financial situation in my house better. Because they knew that if I do well in this field, it would be good for us. But at that time, I didn’t see it from that angle.”
Rani’s debut Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat did not succeed at the box office, but she went on to establish herself with films including Ghulam and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai.
After Krishna Mukerji’s death, her family released a statement saying, “With heavy hearts, we share that Rani Mukerji’s mother Mrs Krishna Mukerji, 75, passed away this afternoon.”
The family added, “The family is deeply grateful for your love, prayers, and support, and respectfully requests privacy during this time of immense grief.”
Karan Johar, Shah Rukh Khan-Gauri, Alia Bhatt, Ayan Mukerji and other film personalities paid their last respects to Krishna Mukerji.
