MUMBAI: Bollywood actress Rani Mukerji will star in Pradeep Sarkar’s upcoming film ‘Mardaani’ under the Yash Raj Films (YRF) banner. The film is said to have the boldest subject attempted by the YRF till date.
As the title of the film goes, the makers required a strong actress to fit the role of a headstrong masculine cop.
Rani, after having worked as a brash journalist in ‘No One Killed Jessica’ was an obvious choice. Shared a source, “Aditya and his team were scouting around and thought Rani seemed to be an obvious choice, for more than one reason. Plus, the production house is really fond of her.”
Director Pradeep Sarkar said, “The film will be raw and gritty. It is something that neither Rani nor I have attempted before. And it’s always good to invade in new territories, isn’t it?”
The director has previously worked with Rani Mukerji in ‘Laaga Chunari Mein Daag’ (2007). Sarkar last directed ‘Lafangey Parindey’ (2010).
“After Lafengey… I was working on ‘Mardaani’. I didn’t make much noise about it and people wondered where I had gone. I directed many ads in the interim. But now I am bursting to get back on film sets,” said the director.
When asked why his favourite and the very talented Vidya Balan was not considered for the role, he said “Vidya is my favourite. But I have other favourites too. And Rani is definitely one of them. I have a very comfortable equation with Rani. And things just fell into place as far Rani’s inclusion in the film is concerned. I told Adi that we should go with Rani in ‘Mardaani’.”
‘Mardaani’ will go on floors by the end of this year, the film will be set in Mumbai. Pradeep Sarkar concluded, “I am looking forward to direct this big one for YRF. We shall be shooting the major portions of the film in Mumbai.”
“Starring Rani Mukerji in the lead, playing the role of a cop for the first time, the raw and gritty film will be YRF’s boldest subject ever to be made and a distinct departure from Pradeep Sarkar’s style of filmmaking,” Rafiq Gangjee, vice president (Marketing and Communications), YRF, said in a statement.
