Rani is upset

She may have a big banner film released and a svelte look to brag about, but Rani Mukherjee is still upset. The actress feels that, apart from a string of flops, constant speculation about her personal life has been detrimental to her career.

“Since the last three years, after every six months there’s some news of me getting engaged or married. It’s an insult to my parents and me. I am being portrayed as an actress who wants to hide her marriage,” she complains.

She further asserts, “People don’t realize the harm this does to my career. No producer or director wants to sign an actress who is rumored to be getting engaged or married. They feel, ‘Agar isse liya aur iski shaadi ho gayi to film latak jayegi’. I have to pay the price of being a private person. I’m not like other actors, who even talk about the tissue they wipe the face with or what they carry in their bag. I haven’t bitched about anyone or messed with my co-stars. I guard my personal life and I shall continue to do so.”

She is equally vocal about the string of flops that she delivered in the past. “Tara Rum Pum, Saawariya and Laga Chunari Mein Daag were very mature roles… no matter how much we wanted these films to appeal to the viewers, they didn’t.”

Constantly, the feedback was, ‘Arrey Rani, itna kyun ro rahi ho? Do some happy roles.’ That’s when we did Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic. But the film failed to reach the right audience and was declared a flop,” she rues.

However, she’s hopeful that Dil Bole Hadippa will change her fortunes. “I want to come back with bang. I want the audience to reiterate their faith in me,” she says, adding, “The last one-and-a-half years have been the most hardworking time of my life.” As for donning a bikini-top for one of the videos, she says, “It was Manish Malhotra’s idea that if we’re doing such a music video, why not wear something really hot!”