All Hail RANI!!

A decade ago, if someone had pointed to Rani Mukherji and said she would be the No. 1 Heroine some day, not a soul would have believed it. However, the petite, light-eyed, intense actress has proved that her girl next door looks can capture the hearts of Indian movie goers just like the seductive looks of Madhuri or Sridevi could.

Long ago, glamorous heroines like Sridevi and Madhuri Dixit ruled the Bollywood marquee.

Kajol, with her spontaneous acting style, almost made it but threw it all up for marriage. Now, an unlikely candidate, Rani Mukherji, has become the top heroine of Bollywood.

For the past couple of years, Rani has been part of some of the biggest blockbusters with Bunty Aur Babli being her most recent hit film. And her fan list reads like a Who's Who � Priyanka Gandhi and Manmohan Singh! Mukherji has been seen with the country�s most powerful. Aamir Khan, no slouch in the acting department himself, is all praise for her acting prowess in his most recent film, Mangal Pandey. It was with Aamir that Rani took her baby steps towards stardom with the hit song AatiKya Khandala in Ghulam.

She chose to play a courtesan in MangalPandey over a young, innocent widow. But then, Rani has always been adventurous. Only Rani dared play Shahrukh Khans first love in KuchKuch Hota Hai with Kajol playing the role of his friend who secretly falls in love with him. She proved that she could hold her own even among the most seasoned stars.

Though Rani comes from a filmi family and Kajol is her cousin, it was only because she had to support her family that she dropped out of school and act. She made some very forgettable films. After delivering hits with Ghulam and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, she acted in flop after flop until Saathiya and Chalte Chalte came along. She played a Pakistani lawyer in Veer Zaara. Now,

Black, in which she starred in a Helen Keller-like opposite Amitabh Bachchan and more recently, Paheli and Bunty Aur Babli, have consolidated her position as a thinking actress.

Having acted with all the leading heroes of Bollywood, Rani is now working in Ravi Chopras Babul where she plays a young widow. Now, we know why she opted out of the widows role in Mangal Pandey � Rani Mukherji does not like repeating herself. No surprise then that the actress has been termed Indias most versatile actress and has managed to become �Heroine No. 1!

Rani's an AUNT!!!!

Rani Mukherjee will have a new role now, that of a doting aunt off screen. Her sister-in-law has recently delivered a little baby girl. The entire Mukherjee house is abuzz with laughter and celebration, as this is the first grandchild in the family. Rani and her brother Raja Mukherjee were both present throughout the delivery at the hospital. Says the proud doting father “We were all waiting for this big moment and it has finally happened. The entire family including Rani was present at the hospital during the delivery. Both the baby and mother, Jyoti are fine.”

The baby girl was born on 8 May in a city hospital. Rani who is particularly close to her sister-in-law wanted to be present for the delivery and share in the joy and happiness of both parents. The Mukherjees have short listed a few names for the baby, but will decide one quickly. They hope to give the baby a beautiful Bengali name. Jyoti who is an actress had a normal delivery. Brother Raja claims it was an extremely overwhelming moment for Rani and himself. They are overjoyed to see the newest member of their family.

Raja Mukherjee says, “At first glance she seems like a mixture of Jyoti, Rani and me. But I have to admit her eyes are definitely like Rani’s light eyes.” Raja is a television producer, he is currently working on two serials, but he says “Now I will take paternity leave. I want to spend as much time as possible with the baby. It’s celebration time.” Rani was overjoyed on seeing the baby and says “I couldn’t believe that I was holding a new born baby. It is indeed such a divine feeling.” Rani had already shopped for the baby, much before the delivery. She says “She is the first baby in our family after so many years; I did not know whether it would be a girl or a boy, so I shopped for both.” Rani is of the opinion that the baby will definitely look gorgeous as she is her niece.

Rani who has just wrapped up the shooting for Karan Johar’s film ‘Kabhie Alvida Na Kehna’ has finally taken some time off, to be present for her sister-in-law’s delivery. The actress will also be seen in Ravi Chopra’s Baabul opposite Salman Khan, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Saawariya and Ramgopal Varma’s remake of Basanti.

Rani and Ben Afflect???? what????

MUMBAI: Rani Mukherjee might soon be seen with Ben Affleck in a new film. Or will her co-star be Ethan Hawke?

The movie in question is "Bombay California", a love story by avant-garde director Dev Benegal, who shot to fame with the brilliant "Split Wide Open".

After making a well-received documentary on Shabana Azmi, Benegal is back at a feature. It's a romantic comedy in English with three characters - a man, a woman and an Ambassador car.

It'll feature Rani with either Ben Affleck or Ethan Hawke. Both the Hollywood pinup idols have apparently consented, but Affleck is more likely to be Rani's co-star.

"J Lo had better watch out!" laughs Benegal referring to the singer who is the real life love interest of Affleck.

being a mom?

Her new film made Rani Mukherjee think of marriage and children, the Indian actress told the weekly newspaper Screen.

Rani stars with Saif Ali Khan in the film Ta Ra Rum Pum that opens today in the UAE, a day ahead of India. Earlier, Rani had paired successfully with Saif in the rom com Hum Tum.

Ta Ra Rum Pum is about the couple trying to save their marriage after Khan, a racing car driver, is seriously injured in a car accident.

'Smiling face'

Rani, 29, told the newspaper playing a mother was a wonderful experience.

"It made me feel that seven years down the line I would be like that or probably if I had married early and had kids early,
by now I would be the mother of two kids," she said.

She described her new character as a typical woman "who can face tough times with courage and a smiling face".

.....uh oh! oh Raja!

Raja Mukherjee, Rani's brother has been getting into some trouble! Raja Mukherjee, brother of actress Rani Mukherjee, is in trouble over an alleged cheating case, currently being investigated by the Goregaon police. Goregaon-based production house Goldmines Media Limited have alleged in their complaint that Raja Mukherjee manipulated the company’s funds on the pretext of shooting a serial for a television channel. Advocate Ashok Saragoi, representing the production house, said Mukherjee had approached his clients seeking financial help to produce a daily soap titled Pratima to be aired on Sahara Manoranjan Channel some time next year. Through his company J R Entertainers at Andheri (W), Mukherjee had entered into an agreement with the TV channel for production of the soap and approached his client seeking Rs 50 lakh for co-producing the serial on certain terms and conditions, said Saragoi. Between September and October 2003, the complainants paid Mukherjee around Rs 35.5 lakh, including cash payment of Rs 6 lakh for shooting expenses. However, at the time of submitting vouchers, the complainants pointed out to Mukherjee that the figures in bills submitted by him had been manipulated (he had allegedly shown more expenditure than had been actually incurred). It was learnt that Mukherjee had used a sum of Rs 78,000 on expenses other than shooting. A fresh memorandum of understanding was signed, but the misappropriation allegedly did not stop and the company reported the matter to the Borivali Metropolitan Magistrate Court, who instructed police to investigate the case. Manish Shah, managing director of Goldmines Media Ltd, said, “Raja has violated all the clauses in the memorandum of understanding. I will fight till the end for the company’s right.” Additional commissioner of police (north region) Madhu Shinde confirmed that a case has been registered and that the matter was being investigated. Numerous attempts to reach Raja Mukherjee yielded no result. His sister Rani Mukherjee refused to comment on the issue.

Saawariya

Rani has taken a role as a prostitute in the upcoming movie Saawariya.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Saawariya is said to be based on a short story titled White Nights written by Fyodor Dostoevsky. The film is a musical set in the British Raj, shot in the location of Simla. Saawariya has been in news for long since it will launch two star kids, Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor. The film also stars Salman Khan and Rani Mukherjee. Rani plays the role of a prostitute named Gulab in the film.

In the short story, the protagonist is young 26 year old man who is a dreamer. He comes across a young lady at St. Petersburg and their story begins. The story is named White Nights as it is actually a weather phenomenon in St. Petersburg when days are as bright as night. The short story is based on four nights that the protagonists spend together.

Knowing the original story, it seems like Bhansali has chosen the location of Simla and the British Raj era to recreate the same effect in India. White Nights has been adapted into films many times in European and American Cinema. In fact, one of its Hollywood remakes released in 2005. Now it is for us to wait and watch how Sanjay Leela Bhansali re-creates White Nights in India.

Is this LOVE?

It's official now… All her denials of a love life is total humbug Rani is in love and how! And in this case instead of love bites, it's the paw marks that let out the secret They lick, lap and love her Simba and Tintin, the two tyrants that Rani both, scolds and spoils. We had recently been to interview the actor at her Yari Road residence and that's when we caught sight of her paw-pair! Must say, they looked adorable. A huge Labrador named 'Tin Tin' and a spitz who Rani calls, Simba. “I have the most demented dogs anyone could have ever asked for!” exclaims Rani watching the playful Simba fool around. “Simba is such a devil!” she remarks. “At times all he wants to do is lie in my lap like a floppy. You should watch him do that. He won't move a single muscle in his body, feels like a lump! And then there are times when he will just not rest. He is all over the place. Try getting a hold on him and he crawls and hides under the table. Such a mischief maker, I tell you” she smiles eyeing him follow TinTin around. She always loved animals? “Absolutely, actually I had this dog of 15 years, Brownie. He died recently and when my family realized that I just couldn't tide over the loss, my sister-in-law Jyoti bought me these twin troubles” she smiles. “TinTin is better behaved. He just wants to be pampered all the time. I will be in and out of the house ten times a day and yet, but each time I ring the door bell, he'll come yelping!” “And before I know, he is all over me, licking me face, feet, hands, there is just no stopping” the bong actress says fondly. “But I can no longer pick him up. He weighs a good chunk and is a tall dog. So we try doing a little walky, but I don't think that interests him too much. He eventually bullies me into picking him” she says running her hand on him. “But he is a real badmaash. Simba came in a 2 months after him. And trust me, this guy was so jealous. He didn't eat for 10 days at a length. But now when I see them, I can't help but laugh. They an item together, reminds me of Tom and Jerry!” Rani ends.

Shedding the pounds for a movie role....

Bollywood actress Rani Mukherjee put herself through grinding workouts so she could slip into a miniskirt for a new movie, a newspaper reported Thursday.

"If I had put on those short skirts looking the way I did earlier, I'd have looked pretty stupid," Mukherjee told the Mumbai Mirror newspaper in an interview published Thursday. "I knew I had to get seriously slim."

Mukherjee said she gave her gym instructor a hard time because she was focused on losing weight for a role that takes her from a college student to a mother of two.

"I made my trainer's life a living hell. I don't think he has ever had a more demanding client," she said.

The weight training and exercise paid off.

"I got slim," she said. "That's the magic mantra."

In the movie "Tara Rum Pum," scheduled for release next week, Mukherjee and popular Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan play college sweethearts whose marriage hits trouble when Khan is seriously injured in an accident.

Mukherjee, known as one of India's most talented actresses, has starred in several hits, including "Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna" or "Never Say Goodbye" and "Bunty aur (and) Babli."

Where'd she go???

Wonder why Rani Mukherjee who was on the pinnacle of her career just dropped off from the whole Bollywood scene? While many feel that Mukherjee's withdrawal was due to a certain Chopra, the actress begs to differ. Here is an interview of her:

"I really don't like to let the world know what I'm doing every day of my life. I was not hiding anywhere. The truth is I was shooting in New York for (Siddharth Anand's) 'Tara Rum Pum',' Rani told IANS.

'Do you know, Siddharth was with me in school? He had earlier assisted Kunal Kohli on 'Mujhse Dosti Karoge'. And now he was directing me! As for Saif Ali Khan, how he has evolved since 'Hum Tum'! He's such a focussed and committed actor!'

Explaining her suddenly reclusive status, Rani said: 'I was completely cut off from Mumbai in New York. It was fun to be on my own. And when I got homesick, my parents visited me. When I'm on location abroad, I generally like to remain totally cut off.

'This time my absence seemed glaring because I was not present for the release of a major film like 'Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna' (KANK). Everyone wondered why I wasn't here to promote it.'

Far away in New York, Rani really bonded with choreographer Vaibhavi Merchant.

'She wasn't just my choreographer there, but also my companion,' said Rani emotionally.

Since she hasn't really spoken about her role as the confused wife in KANK, Rani does so now.

'Why is it that a wife must be happy just because her husband is seemingly perfect and happy with her? What if the woman finds love after finding this supposedly perfect husband? A man can find passion outside marriage no matter how attentive his wife is. But a woman doing the same is unacceptable.

'I think we need to salute Karan Johar for dealing with the very important issue of passionless marriages in urban settings with such maturity. I'm very proud of being in KANK.'

And she's equally proud of 'Baabul'.

'You know, people often talk about the daughter-in-law being equal in status to the daughter. But does anyone actually believe in this? My father-in-law in 'Baabul' does. I think audiences got to see all all-new side of me and Amitji (Amitabh Bachchan) after 'Black' and KANK in the film.'

The stressful situation in Varanasi while shooting for Pradeep Sarkar's untitled film took its toll on Rani and she fell ill.

This was Rani's third film to be shot in the holy city.

'And why the stress? Can you believe that they burnt my photographs in Varanasi? What have I done? I wasn't even aware of what had transpired before I arrived for the press conference. I came to know there was some kind of a scuffle.

'I came there after shooting, hot and tired and in no mood to answer personal questions. What was so wrong if I said my marriage is my parents' concern? I really feel men get intimidated by women who assert themselves, specially if the woman happens to be Bengali.'

Rani even apologized for her behavior at the conference but it didn't seem enough.

'I was asked to say sorry for my behavior at the press conference, which I did. Now they're turning it around to say I didn't say sorry properly. They're saying, 'We're going to break Rani's bangles.' They've even named the film 'Choodiyan', for god knows what reason.

'The people who think my sorry isn't good enough, let me tell them I'm a well brought-up girl. If you talk decently with me I'm humble. And for their information, I'm a UP girl too. My father is from Jhansi. So there.'

Amidst all this, pandemonium Rani is delighted by the fact that the local authorities love her performances in 'Bunty Aur Babli' and 'Black'.

'They're going on and on about my contrasting performances in the two. That feels good, specially when you're being hammered for no reason.'

Speaking of 'Black', talk veers to Sanjay Bhansali's 'Saawariya', for which Rani has completed a schedule with her favourite director.

'Since I've been keeping a low-profile, people have been making up stories about how I play a courtesan in 'Saawariya'. No such thing! Let the film be released and everyone will see what we have done together.'

Talking about her friendship with Bhansali, Rani said: 'There're very few relationships in the industry that go way beyond work. I'm there for Bhansali and his mother even if we don't work together again. But what I'd really like as a greedy actress is for him to make another film with me and Amit uncle (Amitabh Bachchan).'

Amit uncle brings Rani to Jaya aunty.

'I've always admired Jaya aunty's work. I looked forward to work with her, and now it's happened,' she said.
IANS

Random fun links

Quiz: Which Rani character are you?

http://www.quizilla.com/users/hitenworld/quizzes/Which%20Rani%20%20movie%20character%20are%20you



I couldn't figure out how to upload videos so here are the links.....

this one is a Nestle commercial featuring Rani

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Nmo165TPs8



This one is a Bollywood Pepsi commercial

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bebjEyoy9OE

horoscope

Today you might find yourself playing devil's advocate a lot more than you usually do. Conflict can sometimes be scary for you, but right now you're eager to hear people defend their beliefs and to have them try to persuade you. You're not afraid of confrontation -- in fact, it will make you feel empowered. It's a great day for a debate or a conversation with someone who intimidates you.


Tommarow:
If you aren't careful, your cautious nature could hamper your progress today. Taking too long to ponder all your options, worrying that something could go wrong, and dithering about when to make your move are all sure ways to miss out on a very exciting opportunity. Today is a day for action! Whether it's an invitation to a coffee date or a new work project, say yes!