Rani Mukerji receives the Raj Kapoor Special Contribution Award: Cinema is a deep emotion for me

Mumbai, Sep 9 (AHN) Actress Rani Mukerji was honoured with the prestigious Raj Kapoor Special Contribution Award at the 62nd Maharashtra State Film Awards ceremony on Wednesday.

While receiving the award from the Honourable Chief Minister of Maharashtra Shri Devendra Fadnavis, in the presence of Honourable Cultural Affairs Minister Adv. Ashish Shelar, Rani shared that cinema is a deep emotion for her, and Maharashtra is the home of that emotion.

She said in Marathi, ''Majhyasathi Maharashtra fakt ek rajya nahi. ‘’ Maharashtra majhi janmabhoomi aahe. Majhi karmabhoomi aahe. Ani majhya ayushyacha ek avibhajya bhaag aahe (For me, Maharashtra is not just a state. Maharashtra is my birthplace. It is the land where I built my career. And it is an inseparable part of my life).’’

Reflecting on her profound connection with Mumbai, the 'Mardaani' actress added, “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.”

Rani, known for woman-centric stories with powerful characters, opened up about her approach towards cinema, saying, “I have always silently worked to represent the powerful girls and women of India through cinema that has its heart in the right place.”

"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," she went on to add.

“I have never considered cinema merely a profession. For me, cinema is a deep emotion. And Maharashtra is the home of that emotion," Rani concluded.