Rani Mukerji (born 21 March 1978) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. She was one of the leading stars of the early 2000s, with films such as Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Saathiya, Hum Tum, Black and Bunty Aur Babli. She later built a second phase of her career on strong, female-led dramas such as No One Killed Jessica, the Mardaani series, Hichki and Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway. The last of these won her the National Film Award for Best Actress in 2025.
Quick Facts
| Full name | Rani Mukerji |
| Born | 21 March 1978, Bombay (now Mumbai), India |
| Age | 48 |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1996–present |
| Parents | Ram Mukherjee (director), Krishna Mukherjee (singer) |
| Relatives | Kajol (cousin), part of the Mukherjee–Samarth film family |
| Spouse | Aditya Chopra (m. 2014) |
| Children | 1 (Adira, born 2015) |
| Known for | Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Saathiya, Black, Mardaani, Hichki, Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway |
Early Life and Family
Mukerji was born in Bombay into the Mukherjee–Samarth family, one of the best-known families in Hindi cinema. Her father, Ram Mukherjee, was a film director and co-founder of Filmalaya Studios, and her mother, Krishna, was a playback singer. The actress Kajol is her cousin. She trained in Odissi dance as a child.
Career
Mukerji made her debut in the Bengali film Biyer Phool (1996), directed by her father, followed by the Hindi film Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat (1997). Her first commercial success was Ghulam (1998), opposite Aamir Khan. Her breakthrough came in Karan Johar’s Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), in which she co-starred with Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol, and she won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Mukerji’s performance in Shaad Ali’s romantic drama Saathiya (2002) won her the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress. She then starred in a string of hits, including Chalte Chalte (2003), Hum Tum (2004), Yash Chopra’s Veer-Zaara (2004), Bunty Aur Babli (2005) and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006). In Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Black (2005) she played a deaf and blind woman alongside Amitabh Bachchan, and it is often considered her finest performance. She won Filmfare awards for both Hum Tum and Black.
Mukerji reinvented her career with No One Killed Jessica (2011), in which she played an outspoken journalist, and the thriller Talaash (2012). In Mardaani (2014) she played the tough police officer Shivani Shivaji Roy, who fights human trafficking. She played the role again in Mardaani 2 (2019) and in Mardaani 3 (2026), which was a box-office success. In Hichki (2018) she played a teacher with Tourette syndrome, and it became her highest-grossing film. In Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway (2023) she played an Indian mother fighting Norwegian authorities for custody of her children. The role won her the National Film Award for Best Actress in 2025. She is also in the cast of Shah Rukh Khan’s King, due in December 2026.
Personal Life
Mukerji married the filmmaker Aditya Chopra, chairman of Yash Raj Films, in a private ceremony in Italy on 21 April 2014. Their daughter, Adira, was born in December 2015. She has said she chooses to keep her family life private.
Awards and Honours
Selected Filmography
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Rani Mukerji born?
Rani Mukerji was born on 21 March 1978 in Bombay (now Mumbai), India and is 48 years old.
What is Rani Mukerji known for?
Known for: Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Saathiya, Black, Mardaani, Hichki, Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway.
Featured image: President Droupadi Murmu presents Rani Mukerji with the Best Actress award for Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway at the 71st National Film Awards, New Delhi, 23 September 2025. Photo by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, licensed under Government Open Data License – India, via Wikimedia Commons.
