Actor Rani Mukerji was honoured with the Raj Kapoor Special Contribution Award at the 62nd Maharashtra State Film Awards ceremony in Mumbai on Wednesday.
Devendra Fadnavis presented the award to Rani
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis presented the award to Rani at Ravindra Natya Mandir in Prabhadevi. Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar and several other dignitaries and members of the film fraternity were also present at the ceremony.
About Rani Mukerji
Rani, who was born and brought up in Mumbai, said the award holds a special place in her heart as it came from the state where she has spent nearly three decades working in cinema.
{{/usCountry}}Rani, who was born and brought up in Mumbai, said the award holds a special place in her heart as it came from the state where she has spent nearly three decades working in cinema.
{{/usCountry}}The actor also spoke about receiving an award named after Raj Kapoor and said the recognition from her own people made the moment more special. “I think that’s what makes this moment truly special for me since I’m receiving this recognition from my very own people and from the place I belong to. To receive an award named after the legend of Indian cinema Raj Kapoor ji is, in itself, hugely humbling. And I truly hope I can live up to this honour,” she said, as per a release.
'Mumbai has given me my identity'
Rani also spoke about Mumbai and what the city has given her over the years. “Mumbai has given me my identity. It has given me an audience. It has given me a career. And it has been my home, my safe place, my everything. So this award will hold a very special place in my heart because whenever I look at it, I will not just see an award. I will see my Mumbai, my Maharashtra,” she said.
The actor has played several strong female characters in films including Black, No One Killed Jessica, Hichki, the Mardaani franchise and Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway. Talking about the kind of stories and characters she has chosen over the years, Rani said, “I have always silently worked to represent the powerful girls and women of India through cinema that has its heart in the right place.”
She added, “I chose characters that felt truthful, that I felt instinctively drawn towards for their story, their journey and their resilience. Characters who had courage. Characters who had flaws. Characters who refused to disappear into the background. Women who were never waiting for someone else to rescue them.”
‘Cinema is a deep emotion’
For Rani, the connection with cinema goes beyond her work as an actor. Talking about her relationship with the industry in Maharashtra, she said, “I have never considered cinema merely a profession. For me, cinema is a deep emotion. And Maharashtra is the home of that emotion.”
She also spoke about the many people working behind the scenes in the state’s film industry. “There are thousands and thousands of people here who wake up every morning with one dream: to tell a story. And those stories don’t remain here. They travel from Mumbai to Maharashtra, from Maharashtra to India and from India to the entire world. That is the magic and power of the film industry that thrives in this state," as per the release.
Rani dedicated the award to Maharashtra and the people working in its film industry. “So, with the deepest gratitude, I dedicate this award to Maharashtra. To its people. To its artists. To its technicians. To its filmmakers. To the entire film fraternity that calls this beautiful state home. And to the generations of storytellers who came before us and made it possible for a girl like me to dream.”
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