Rani: I Look Younger Than Shahid

Rani Mukerji is all set to bowl her audience over with her sizzling avatar. She reveals the secret to her toned look and settles rumours on her
Rani Mukerji.

You sure kept the audience waiting for long…
Well, it hasn’t been long. Soon after my last film, Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic, I got busy with Dil Bole Hadippa. Since I was playing a cricketer, I had to train in the game for six months before
shooting. In fact, Dil Bole… was ready by March, but the multiplex strike posed a hurdle. In a way, I see it as a boon as the film is now set for release on Mahalaya, an auspicious day. I hope and pray that it brings luck. So, you see, I’ve been working all through. I seriously need a break now.

And how essential is it for you, as an actor, to break the stereotype and spring back in a new avatar?
As an actor, it’s very important to reinvent myself. This time around, the script had all the scope. It’s probably the first time that a heroine will be playing a cricketer. And definitely, this is the first time that I play a Sardar boy. I didn’t want people to say that she essayed the role of a cricketer just for the heck of it. Hence, I toned my body to look like a cricketer. By the end of it all, my body had toned so beautifully that it was suggested I flaunt my body in the music video.

How difficult was attaining this toned look?
I was into yoga and weight training. I zipped my mouth. It’s been long since I have gorged on machher jhol and rosogolla. Frankly, I wanted to look the part and get my cricket right. Earlier, I wasn’t too much into the game. But thanks to Dil Bole…, I’ve started enjoying the game much more and stopped annoying my dad with the silly cricketing questions that I used to ask.