Emotional Rani Mukerji ‘feels like newcomer’ despite 30 years in cinema: ‘Still that nervous girl in front of camera’

Rani Mukerji reflected on her 30-year journey in cinema, expressing gratitude for her audience and sharing how her love for acting remains strong.

Bollywood actor Rani Mukerji stepped into the world of cinema with Raja Ki Aayegi Baaraat in 1997. As she completes 30 years in the industry, the actor penned a heartfelt note recalling her humble beginnings, expressing gratitude for the audience’s love for her work, and revealing how she still feels nervous standing in front of the camera.

Rani Mukerji celebrates completing 30 years in cinema.

Rani Mukerji on completing 30 years in cinema

On Monday, Yash Raj Films took to Instagram to share a long note written by Rani Mukerji celebrating her three decades in cinema. Reflecting on her humble beginnings, Rani shared that completing 30 years in the industry feels unreal, yet it also makes her realise that she is still hungry for more.

She wrote, “Thirty years ago, I stepped onto a film set with no grand plan of becoming an actress. It wasn’t a dream I chased – it was something that found me. A young girl, drawn into cinema almost by chance, hesitant at first… and yet, somewhere between instinct and vulnerability, I fell in love with the craft. Cinema has a strange way of freezing emotions. Somewhere inside me, I am still that nervous girl standing in front of the camera for the first time, hoping I wouldn’t forget my lines, hoping I belonged."

She added, "I didn’t come into films with a master plan. I came with curiosity, fear, and a deep love for stories, for the exploration of the human mind through characters. When I did Raja Ki Aayegi Baaraat, I was barely aware of what a ‘career’ in cinema would look like. I only knew that acting made me feel alive. That film taught me my first big lesson: cinema is not about glamour first – it is about responsibility. Playing a woman fighting for dignity so early in my journey shaped the actor I would become.”

She described the late 1990s as a magical phase, sharing that the films she did during that time opened doors and made her realise how deeply Hindi cinema lives in people’s hearts. She recalled having fun on sets and meeting mentors she still cherishes.

The actor added that the early 2000s were about finding her voice. She described Saathiya as a turning point in her career and recalled feeling liberated while playing a flawed, impulsive and emotional woman in the film. She revealed that her desire to avoid playing perfect characters led her to films like Hum Tum, which showed her that women could be funny, sharp and vulnerable all at once.

Rani spoke about how Black changed everything she believed about herself as an actor. She said, “Working with Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Amitabh Bachchan pushed me to places I didn’t know existed within me. It demanded discipline, surrender and courage. Even today, Black remains one of the most emotionally intense experiences of my life. It taught me that silence can speak louder than words – and that acting is as much about listening as it is about performing.”

Rani revealed that she has always been drawn to women who challenge the world around them, which is why she loved playing such characters in Bunty Aur Babli and No One Killed Jessica. However, she said Mardaani holds a particularly special place in her heart.

She then spoke about marriage and motherhood, explaining, “Marriage and motherhood changed me, not by slowing me down, but by sharpening my focus. I became more selective, more protective of my energy, and more aware of the kind of legacy I wanted to build and the films I wanted to lend my voice to.”

Talking about Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway, Rani said the film made her realise that emotional truths transcend borders. She shared, “Playing a mother gave me my first National Award, and I’m a believer in signs. Maybe I was born to play this role, which is why the universe reserved the feeling of winning this award for when I became a mother and truly understood what a woman can do for her offspring. Maybe I’m a more complete actor, a more grounded human being, to play such a role today. I bowed to the universe and accepted this award with immense humility.”

Reflecting on her journey, Rani said that these 30 years taught her that longevity is not about staying relevant but about staying honest. “I have made choices that surprised people, sometimes even myself. I have taken breaks, returned on my own terms, and trusted my instincts even when they went against trends. I owe everything to the people who believed in me.”

She also spoke about Mardaani 3, saying, “Today, when I look back, I don’t count box-office numbers or awards first. I count moments – standing under the rain for a shot, laughing between takes, crying after a difficult scene, and feeling that quiet satisfaction when a performance truly connects.

“Thirty years later, my love for cinema is still the same, perhaps deeper, certainly calmer, and infinitely more grateful. It is incredibly special to mark my 30th year in cinema with Mardaani 3 – a franchise that allows me to salute the spirit of today’s women and the resilience of the Indian police force, especially the women who serve the nation. To have a threequel from a franchise I have built release in my 30th year feels like another sign.”

She described it as the universe’s way of telling her to keep doing good work and said she feels blessed to be an actor.

Bowing to her fans and audiences who have supported her over the years, Rani concluded, “Thank you for letting me live so many lives. Today, I still feel like a newcomer, wanting to excel, to work harder, to take on new cinematic challenges and write a completely new chapter of my life starting right now.”

Rani Mukerji’s upcoming film

Rani is set to return to her action-packed avatar with Mardaani 3. Produced by Yash Raj Films, the movie is the third instalment in the Mardaani franchise and will see Rani reprise her role as a fearless cop on a mission to rescue missing girls across India. The film is scheduled to release in theatres on January 30.