Early Life and Background
Mukerji was born in Mumbai on 21 March 1978 to a film-oriented family of Bengali origin. Her father, Ram Mukherjee, is a retired director and one of the founders of Filmalaya Studios while her mother, Krishna, was a playback singer. Her brother, Raja Mukherjee, is a film producer turned director. Her maternal aunt, Debashree Roy, is a Bengali film actress and her cousin, Kajol, is a popular Bollywood actress. Another cousin of hers, Ayan Mukerji is the writer and director of Wake Up Sid (2009). As part of a tradition, the Mukherjee family celebrates the festival of Durga Puja at Santacruz every year. Mukerji, being a religious person, takes part in the festivities with her entire family.
Mukerji is a trained Odissi dancer and began learning the dance in the tenth grade. She was schooled at Maneckji Cooper High School in Juhu, and graduated from SNDT Women's University in the field of Home Science. Despite her family background, Mukerji was never interested in becoming an actress. In 1994, director Salim Khan approached her to be a part of his directorial, Aa Gale Lag Jaa. Her father was against her working in films and hence, she turned down the offer. However, she finally decided to take up acting on an experimental basis, on the insistence of her mother.
Read more about this topic: Rani Mukerji
Famous quotes containing the words early, life and/or background:
“For with this desire of physical beauty mingled itself early the fear of deaththe fear of death intensified by the desire of beauty.”
—Walter Pater 18391894, British writer, educator. originally published in Macmillans Magazine (Aug. 1878)
“O, reason not the need! Our basest beggars
Are in the poorest thing superfluous.
Allow not nature more than nature needs,
Mans life is cheap as beasts. Thou art a lady;
If only to go warm were gorgeous,
Why, nature needs not what thou gorgeous wearst,
Which scarcely keeps thee warm. But, for true need
You heavens, give me that patience, patience I need!”
—William Shakespeare (15641616)
“In the true sense ones native land, with its background of tradition, early impressions, reminiscences and other things dear to one, is not enough to make sensitive human beings feel at home.”
—Emma Goldman (18691940)