Rani Mukerji recalled how veteran director, Yash Chopra once locked her parents in a room to persuade her to feature in the film, 'Saathiya'.
Born to the predominant Mukherjee-Samarth family, Rani Mukerji was destined to rule the silver screen. After making her debut with a Bengali film, Biyer Phool in 1996, Rani had made her Bollywood debut in the same year in the film, Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat. Throughout her career close to two-and-a-half decades, Rani has given some spectacular and out of the box performances. From Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Chalte Chalte, Paheli, Veer Zara and many more, Rani has only picked up meaty roles.
However, when it comes to Rani's personal life, the green-eyed beauty likes to keep a low profile. Rani Mukerji had become a part of another predominant filmy family, the Chopras when she had tied the knot with the scion of the YRF banner, Aditya Chopra in 2014. In December 2015, Rani and Aditya had become proud parents of a baby girl, whom they have named Adira.
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Even after her successful professional front, Rani had faced a lot of criticism for some of her works. So when her film, Mujhse Dosti Karoge had tanked at the box office, she waited for eight months without any work. Recalling how Yash Chopra had persuaded her to do the film, Saathiya, Rani had shared a funny story. In a throwback interview with News 18, Rani had revealed:
"A lot of film critics and magazines had written me off and they said 'her career's over' and I was okay with that. I was like probably they are right but I'm not going to give up. I'm going to take up something that my heart believes in. Then luckily Saathiya came along and I remember Yash (Chopra) uncle calling my parents to the office."
Rani had further shared that Yash Chopra had told her that she was doing a big mistake by refusing the film and had locked her parents in a room till she said yes to the film. In her words:
"My parents had gone to tell Yash uncle that 'Rani is not interested to do this film'. He called me up and said, 'Beta, you're making a very big mistake. I'm locking the door of my room and I'm not letting your parents out till you say yes to the film'. And I thank him for that."
Coming back to Rani Mukerji and Aditya Chopra's love story, it was after Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, when Aditya Chopra rose to prominence as an independent director. Rani had once encountered Aditya at the Sampan Hotel in Mumbai, but to his surprise, the then-young starlet did not pursue him, vying for a role. Impressed by this and her performance in films she had done before, Aditya had recommended Rani to Karan Johar for his film, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai.
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Aditya and Rani never had a love at first sight relationship with one another. Rani and Aditya had shared a nice and friendly bond with each other and it just got stronger with each film she did with YRF. Nothing romantic blossomed between the couple as Aditya was married back then, but they truly enjoyed each other's company.
When Aditya Chopra had separated from his first wife, Payal Khanna in 2009, Rani Mukerji was also in a low phase in her personal life and the two would often find solace in each other and become each other's forever.
Rani took a sabbatical in 2015, after the birth of Adira and returned to the silver screen in 2018 with the film, Hichki.
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