New Delhi, Jan 12 (.) Thirty years ago, a girl stepped onto a film set with no grand ambitions-only curiosity, fear, and a deep love for storytelling. Today, Rani Mukerji stands as one of Bollywood’s most celebrated actresses, reflecting on a journey that has been as transformative as it has been inspiring.
Her heartfelt letter was shared on YRF’s social media account, where she expressed the surreal feeling of completing 30 years in the industry.
“Thirty years… When I say that out loud, it feels unreal, but it also tells me that if you do something that you love from the bottom of your heart, time flies and you are left hungry for more,” she wrote.
Mukerji recalled her early days in films, “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.”
She added, “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. 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.”
Reflecting on her debut with Raja Ki Aayegi Baaraat (1997), Rani highlighted the lasting lesson the film gave her about the responsibility of cinema.
“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 also spoke about her upcoming release, Mardaani 3, which marks her 30th year in films.
“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 also the resilience of the Indian police force, especially the women who serve the nation.”
Rani ended her note by expressing gratitude to her fans, “To my fans and audiences who have always rooted for me, stood beside me, and cheered for this girl who has become a woman, I bow down with respect and love. I would not have been here without you. I would have been no one without you. Rani Mukerji.”
‘Mardaani 3’ is scheduled to release in theaters on February 27.
. MI .