Rani Mukerji Once Revealed Why She Was Hesitant To Accept The Role In Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Black (Photo Credit – Instagram)
Advertisement
Rani Mukerji and Amitabh Bachchan gave one of the greatest movies in the history of Indian cinema, Black. It was directed by the maestro Sanjay Leela Bhansali. The film won several accolades, including three National Film Awards. Rani gave one of her career-best performances in this drama, but initially, she was reluctant to say yes to the movie. Read on to know the deets.
The story was inspired by Helen Keller’s life and her 1903 autobiography, The Story of My Life. It features Rani as Michelle, a deaf and blind woman, while Amitabh plays her teacher, Debraj. The supporting cast includes Ayesha Kapur, Shernaz Patel, and Dhritiman Chatterjee. The story follows Michelle and her teacher, an elderly alcoholic teacher who later develops Alzheimer’s disease. It is also a commercial success.
According to Filmfare’s report, Rani Mukerji was reluctant to do Michelle’s role when Sanjay Leela Bhansali offered it to her. She revealed, “I think at first I was very reluctant to do the film when Sanjay offered me the role. Not because I had any doubts about the film or the character as such, because working with Bhansali is a dream for any actor. I had already been a huge fan of his after watching Devdas. So, for me to get an opportunity to work with Bhansali was huge.”
She explained, “However, as an actor, I wasn’t very confident that I would be able to pull off the role that Sanjay was offering me. I discussed this with Sanjay and asked him – Sanjay, are you sure you are asking me to do this role, I think it is a very difficult part, something which I have not even envisaged ever in my life!” Rani also said, “I was quite intimidated actually at first but it was entirely Sanjay’s belief in me as an actor and Sanjay’s belief in himself as a director that helped us make Black.”
The Black star felt confident when he told her he believed she could portray the character successfully and assured her that he would support her at every step, guiding her through the role and character. He also promised to provide as much help as needed to study Michelle McNally’s character by learning from real people with speech, sight, and hearing impairments.
Rani Mukerji trained intensely for the role, and it paid off. Black proved to be another milestone in her career. Rani proved once again that she is one of the finest actresses in the film industry.
