Rs 91 lakh tax slapped on Rani Mukherji for Shirdi plot

Rani Mukherji, who had purchased 11,000 sq ft of land in Shirdi back in 2005, has now been told by the district administration to pay Rs 91 lakh tax if she wants the property transferred in her name.

When Rani had bought the land in 2005, she was unaware that it was farmland and could not be sold.

Though the actress paid 1.32 lakh rupees for the registration, she was told that the ownership could not be transferred in her name as it was government land leased out to a farmer.

According to Rani's lawyers, they will not be paying the required amount for the transfer.

Rani Mukherji in Guinness Book Of World Records!!

Guess what's the scoop of the week? Rani Mukherji is aiming for a world record!

The latest buzz going around in Bollywood is that after Mangal Pandey - The Rising, Laaga Chunari Mein Daag and Saawariya, she is on her way to play a prostitute for the fourth time in less than a year and this role will take her name straight to the Guinness Book Of World Records for being an actress who has played a reel prostitute for the maximum number of times!

Quite an unusual attempt, one must say!

Rani plays an angel in the next Yash Raj movie

After giving such a grandly understated performance as the archetypal Fallen Woman in Pradeep Sarkar's Laaga Chunari Mein Daag, Rani rises straight for heaven in the next Yashraj film where she plays an angel descending to earth with a rather sweet and heartwarming mission.

While Mr Bachchan plays God, ghost and djinn in God Tussi Great Ho, Bhootnath and Alladin respectively, Esha Deol has already played a ghost in Darling. But no one has played an angel in Hindi movies before.

Rani, apparently, took her angel's role very seriously, even going as far as to abstain from her favourite fish dishes to feel the pure and positive energy of an angel.

Says a reliable Yashraj source, "It's not easy playing an angel. It's a character absolutely without a reference point. Rani has gone into her inner resources to create the character."

Rani is not getting married on Feb 10!

Rani is both amused and horrified by these renewed suggestions that she will be getting married on Feb 10.

"Because on the day when she's supposed to be getting married, Rani will be shooting for Kunal Kohli's film.

Contrary to reports the shooting of Kohli 's film doesn't end in December but February. But that's ok. They'll now announce a fresh wedding date on Rani's behalf," says a source very close to Rani.

Via

Rani Mukherji and Aditya Chopra to wed on Feburary 10, 2008

Rani Mukherji and Aditya Chopra are set to marry on Feburary 10 next year at Umaid Bhawan Palace hotel in Jodhpur, following an as yet unacknowledged engagement ceremony in June.

Rumour mills have been churning out stories of her romance with Aditya chopra for a long time, but Rani had scotched these rumours rebuffing the media.

Rani Mukherji has worked in a number of Yash Raj films, and it is said, she is treated as a daughter–in-law in the family.

Aditya Chopra is already married, but he would soon take a divorce from his first wife.

Update: It might just be another rumor!

Rani gets candid on number game, Oscars and her latest film

Tinselville's Miss Congeniality, Rani Mukherji, seems full of joie de vivre as usual.

No nail-biting nervous Friday moments for Rani as she gets ready for her new film, the Pradeep Sarkar directed Laaga Chunari Mein Daag to hit the marquee. After staying away from public glare and media flashbulbs for months, she returns to scorch screens in a film about women empowerment.

Here's a latest interview she gave to Times Of India.

Turning recluse wasn't a conscious choice for her, she claims.

"You've got to realise that the media functions differently now. Some sections of the media are interested only about our personal lives or what we do everyday. I'm not comfortable talking about all that, so I stay away. The media has been very supportive of me most of the time and I have some very good friends. I like to talk about my work, and whenever a film is ready for release, I am around to chat."

Given that Laaga... has an unusual storyline and isn't another bubblegum romance from Yash Raj Films, how confident is Rani about the film?

"Laaga... is a complete Hindi film. It's the story about a woman's struggle to fend for family and traces her journey from Benaras to Mumbai. It's also about the pressures and expectations that a child has to face if she is the breadearner."

The other highs were of course working with Jaya aunty (Bachchan).

"She's like a surrogate mother on the sets. We bonded instantly. When you work with powerhouse performers like Amit uncle (Amitabh Bachchan), Jaya aunty or Abhishek (Bachchan), you learn so much and have fun on the way. Coming to Laaga..., everyone is like one big family, Koko (Konkona Sen Sharma), Kunal, Anupamji (Kher)," rewinds Rani.

And what's this constant need to experiment with her look in every film (a flamboyant fringe in Tara Rum Pum, straight hair in Laaga... and a bouffant in Saawariya)?

"Well, it's important for a character to look convincing. I have been lucky with the people who've styled my look," she says matter-of-factly.

For all those number crunchers, Rani firmly points out that she's no longer bothered by the numbers game anymore.

"I love the experience of being in front of the camera and shooting. That's the greatest high for me. I sign a film because I am in love with the character. And acting enables me to be different people, live different lives and face new challenges."

So, no Oscar dreams?

"I respect all awards I get, but I never crave for them. I only want people to love my work and if I can make them smile, that means a lot to me. And as an actor, I would love to explore new opportunities, but my first priority is and will always be Bollywood. "

Whether the queen can conquer hearts again is now a million buck question!

Rani Mukerji on films, coping with gossip and more

Rani Mukerji seldom steps out of her cocoon these days.

She hardly gives any interviews, lets controversies die a slow death rather than talking about them and sidesteps unpleasant questions with a pleasant smile. But, in an interview with Times of India, Rani chose to break a few of her own rules.

To start with, she was dressed in a business suit rather than her customary saree.

So, what has been keeping Bollywood's Babli busy?

"My work and my niece," she smiles. "But life is lovely. I am doing some good work," she adds.

And how does she take controversies surrounding her, especially about her marriage with Aditya Chopra?

"India is a democratic country and I can't set limits for others. This is something everybody has to decide for themselves. Everybody has a right to have their opinion but they should stay within their limits.

However, I don't want to pass judgment on others..as long as they can sleep peacefully at night after doing such things in the day!" she says.

Rani Mukherji is not engaged to Aditya Chopra!

Rumours were rife about the engagement of producer-director Aditya Chopra to actress Rani Mukherji.

According to industry sources, the two got engaged on Monday with only close friends attending the engagement. Rani reportedly wore an outfit designed by designer Pallavi Jaikishen.

However, while Rani and Aditya were not available for comment, Yash Raj Films spokesperson Monika Bhattacharya denied any such event.

"It is not true,'' she said. Actor Anupam Kher, who was supposed to be on the guest list of the engagement, also rubbished the rumour.

Aditya, who got married to Payal Malhotra in 2001, filed for divorce early this year. However, his family was not happy with the separation which even led to reports of a showdown between Yash Chopra and his son.

Yash Raj Films denied these reports as well, saying the father-son duo shared a cordial relationship.

Rani Mukherji gets engaged to Aditya Chopra

After the much-hyped shaadi of Ash-Abhi, it's time for another celeb wedding - Rani Mukherji and Aditya Chopra.

The duo had a hush-hush engagement on Monday and are planning to tie the knot soon.

According to a source close to the family, "The roka took place at the same Chopra bungalow where Chandni was shot. Around 60 people (family and friends) attended the ceremony that included Rani's parents Ram and Krishna Mukherji, brother Raja and his wife. Present from the Chopra clan were brother Uday, dad Yash Chopra and mum Pamela Chopra."

Jugal Hansraj (Uday's close pal), Anupam and Kirron Kher also attended the ceremony.

Adds a source, "Rani wore a maroon saari with silver embroidery and Aditya wore a kurta-pyjama, both designed by designer Pallavi Jaikishan. Pam aunty didn't seem very happy, as she has a soft corner for Adi's ex-wife, Payal. Another function will take place at Rani's house next week."

Also, buzz is that after marriage Rani is not going to live in the Chopra house. Instead Aditya will live in the house which Rani has recently bought.

Rani is house-shopping again!

After buying a sprawling bungalow in Juhu, Rani Mukherji has bought an apartment at Janki Kutir in Juhu. Rani has bought the new apartment so that she can conduct all her business meetings there.

"Rani had been planning to set up her own office for a long time. She wanted to have a place where she could have business meetings. She wanted an area which would be away from the maddening crowd, but she also wanted a centrally located area which would be convenient for directors and producers. In fact, the same apartment will be also used by her brother Raja Mukherji for official purposes because he also is a director now," says a source, who is close to the family.

While Susanne Khan has done up the interiors of Rani's bungalow, which was booked by Rani nearly a year ago, the actress asked Twinkle Khanna to do up the interiors of her Janki Kutir, as well as her Yari Road apartment. Rani took personal interest in doing up the interiors of all her three homes.

So when will the Mukherjis shift to Juhu? "We are leaving for Spain next week for the shoot of Pradeep Sarkar's Laga Chunari Mein Daag. We expect the bungalow as well as the Janki Kutir apartment to be ready once we are back. We are waiting for Rani to give a go-ahead as her father wants to do a grihapravesh puja, before we can shift to Juhu," says Rani's mother Krishna Mukherji.

Commenting on whether Rani will sell the Yari Road apartment, Krishna Mukherji says, "Why would we do that? That's my husband's property and we have very fond memories of it. As parents, we will take care of our kids' property, but the Juhu bungalow and apartment belong to Rani. It has nothing to do with selling our other property."

Nana Patekar to direct Rani Mukherji

News is that Nana Patekar is considering a come back in director' role after a long time. The last time we saw Nana as a director was in 1991 with Prahaar starring Madhuri Dixit.

Prakash Jha will produce the volatile actor's second directorial venture. Nana reveals, "It's an out-and-out love story. No car chases, no murder sequences, no maara-mari. It's just a simple love story. It's about a girl who encounters a loner. They meet for a while… 15-20 days. Then she goes away. They share a very special bonding -nothing physical. I'd say it's in the same genre as Roman Holiday and Brief Encounter."

Nana plays a retired 45-year-old hero. "I play a guy who fears attachments. He thinks whoever he gets attached to, dies. So he shuns relationships," says Nana.

Nana has also zeroed in on his leading lady. "I want only Rani Mukherji for my lead. I'm sure the minute she hears the subject she'll agree. She can't say 'no'. She won't ever get a role like this in her life," he says.

The film will go on the floors in September.

Rani's mantra for slim figure

For those who are wondering how Rani Mukherji managed to get into those short skirts in Siddharth Anand's just released Ta Ra Rum Pum, the actress reveals it all.

"Getting slim, my dear. That's the magic mantra," she said while shooting for Pradeep Sarkar's Laaga Chunari Mein Daag. "The minute I was told about what kind of look I'm supposed to carry off in a major part of TRRP, I knew I had to get seriously slim. If I had put on those short skirts looking the way I did earlier, I'd have looked pretty cracked." While Rani toned her physique for the skirts, she made her trainer work overtime. "I made my trainer Satya's life a living hell. I don't think he has ever had a more demanding client."

Besides the slim and svelte look, Rani also had to make sure the clothes went with the transitions in the character's life.

"See, at first Saif Ali Khan and I play collegians. Then I gradually go on to being the mother of two growing kids. So I had to have a specific before-and-after look. My dress designer Sureeli Goel was driven up the wall by my demands. Today the character's look is very important. Not just the heroines, even the heroes devote a lot of time to getting the look right. Earlier, I'd constantly have fights about my clothes with Manish Malhotra and Sabyasachi Mukherjee. Now it was Sureeli's turn to get the brunt of my exacting nature. All three designers feel I'm one of the most quarrelsome heroines they've worked with."

Rani will now finish her solo portions in Sarkar's film and then wait for Abhishek Bachchan to return from his honeymoon in June before shooting with him.

"Almost all of Abhishek's scenes in Laaga Chunari Mein Daag are with me. So, we'll be shooting together constantly in June. I'm looking forward to that. I'm really happy for Abhishek and Ash. They deserve all the happiness in the world."

What about love in Rani's own life?

"I'm not holding my breath for it. Love isn't something that obeys a timeframe. When it happens, it'll happen. In a way I'm glad I don't have a man in my life. It gives me the chance to focus completely on my work. But if and when it happens, I'm not going say no to love just because I'm busy with my career. No way."

Big B-Aamir-Rani in film on Tsunami

Tsunami, a bilingual film in Hindi and English to be directed by award-winning filmmaker Ujjal Chatterjee, will pay homage to thousands swept away by the killer waves in 2004.

The film will set a love story around the devastating Tsunami and a portion will focus on unsung heroes like a priest in Tamil Nadu who gave shelter to hundreds of victims.

Actors Aamir Khan and Rani Mukherjee are expected to play the main roles, and superstar Amitabh Bachchan could possibly play the role of a senior geologist or a priest.

"People have woken up to issues like global warming and important events like the Tsunami, which will forever remain embedded in our minds and that is why it makes an interesting subject to film," Chatterjee said.

On December 26, 2004, giant waves triggered by an earthquake in the Indian Ocean killed over 2,30,000 people. The Tsunami-ravaged Nagapattinam is one of the main settings for the film. Other locations are in Bali in Indonesia and Phuket in Thailand.

The film revolves around three main characters: a geologist who travels to Bali to study tectonic movements when the Tsunami strikes, and his former girlfriend and her husband, who get separated during their honeymoon in the resort.

"After months of search, the geologist finds his former love, traumatised in a camp after her husband leaves Bali losing all hope of finding his wife," Chatterjee said.

Chatterjee's earlier film, Escape from Taliban, about the true story of an Indian woman's flight from Afghanistan, won critical acclaim.

Rani Goes queen-sized

Rani Mukherji is all set for a change of address. The actress bought a sprawling bungalow in Juhu two years ago, close to Bachchans' Jalsa. Now, the renovation is almost done and the family will move in soon.

"Rani is extremely fond of the sea, so she wanted a bungalow close to it. Juhu is a very convenient location. She will move in soon," says a close friend of the Mukherjis.

"Although Rani would have liked to personally supervise everything, she can't do so as she is extremely busy. So her parents or her brother are taking care of all the details," says the family friend.

According to the grapevine, Rani has requested Twinkle Khanna to do the interiors of her bungalow. "Rani is very particular about interior design. She loves space, and hates rooms that are filled stacked with antiques and showpieces. Twinkle has also done up Rani's room at her Yari Road apartment. And Rani likes her work," says the friend.

Rani's brother Raja and his wife Jyoti will continue to occupy the Yari Road house, while Rani will shift to Juhu along with her parents.

When contacted, Raja Mukherji said, "It's true that we are getting the bungalow ready for Rani, and that the work has been on for many days now. Rani will shift as soon as the bungalow gets ready. That's all I can divulge right now."

Rani Mukherji - gets up to say Goodnight

Actors turning brand ambassadors is nothing new, but when it comes to Rani Mukherji she tends to do things a tad differently.

Come 22nd January, 2007 you will see Rani in an advertisement for Goodnight Advanced-Acti as a true progressive house wife, who strives to maintain the ‘Happy Moments’ of her family.

The new and exciting launch of brand Good Knight Advanced Activ+ will be supported by an integrated marketing and communications act. The TVC which features Rani Mukherji will vividly recreate the Joy and Family Happiness on screen. With an evocative theme adding to the mood, the film draws the viewer into the world of joy and happiness as experienced by a progressive family

The TVC has been conceptualized by JWT, and designed by Mr. Mahendra Bhagat & Mr. Sunder. Cinematographer of the movie Guru, Mr. Rajeev Menon has directed the TVC.

Rani plays a prostitute in Saawariya

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Saawariya is said to be based on a short story titled White Nights written by Fyodor Dostoevsky. The film is a musical set in the British Raj, shot in the location of Simla. Saawariya has been in news for long since it will launch two star kids, Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor. The film also stars Salman Khan and Rani Mukherjee. Rani plays the role of a prostitute named Gulab in the film.

In the short story, the protagonist is young 26 year old man who is a dreamer. He comes across a young lady at St. Petersburg and their story begins. The story is named White Nights as it is actually a weather phenomenon in St. Petersburg when days are as bright as nights. The short story is based on four nights that the protagonists spend together.

Knowing the original story, it seems like Bhansali has chosen the location of Simla and the British Raj era to recreate the same effect in India. White Nights has been adapted into films many times in European and American Cinema. In fact, one of its Hollywood remakes released in 2005. Now it is for us to wait and watch how Sanjay Leela Bhansali re-creates White Nights in India.

Rani might replace Bipasha Basu in Dhoom III

According to Sowmya of Bollywood News & Gossip, Rani Mukherjee will replace Bipasha Basu in Dhoom 3. Apart from Ash and Uday everyone else is being replaced. Aditya Chopra will replace Director Sanjay, Saif Ali Khan will replace Abhishek and Hrithik by King Khan. So there will be no more Shonali, the cop or Monali, the dreamer and to be truthful there will be no oomph in the movie then! Ash, though she looks fit, has to try hard to sizzle the screen whereas Bips could do it so easily. And Rani I don’t think will look sexier than Bips in a bikini! So altogether no scope for boys to check out Dhoom 3 but girls can of course wait for the Khans to do the magic.

Varanasi Musings by Rani Mukherji

Rani Mukherjee remains uncharacteristically aloof in Varanasi. That's the buzz from the Holy city where she has been shooting for Pradeep Sarkar's film for the last month.

"Rani has her entire family of mother, father, brother and bhabhi with her in Varanasi . All the time off camera is spent with them. In the evening when she packs up she prefers to be with her family rather than the unit members. After all the rumours and speculation, not to mention the recent run-in with the local press in Varanasi, Rani has become wary of outside company. She's becoming increasingly family-oriented," says a source from location.

Is Pradeep Sarkar's much-discussed Jaya-Rani-Konkona-Abhishek-Kunal Kapoor starrer actually called Choodiyan?

"No!" protests Rani Mukherjee from the city of protests Varanasi. "I don't know where that started from. Earlier some Hindi newspapers mentioned it was anaam, meaning untitled. The newspapers started calling it Anaam. Now they've very helpfully named our film Choodiyan. That probably started when some people saw Konkona and me dancing to a song wearing lots of bangles."

As of now the film has no title. What it does have is a unit working on tenterhooks in Varanasi. Almost everyone has a stomach infection, and it has nothing to do with the unit's food or the water. Even those who are eating from their own dabba and drinking mineral water are suffering from a tummy bug!

Luckily for them the month-long Varanasi stint is about to end. The unit returns to Mumbai where Abhishek Bachchan will now make himself a part of the plot. Though it's largely believed that Abhishek has a supporting role in this ladies picture, the truth is to the contrary.

"Abhishek has a full-length role opposite Rani. He plays a leading catalyst. His role is of a very noble and heroic character, even more so than the one he played in KANK," says a source.

Source

Rani to play courtesan in Saawariya

Rani Mukherji is all set to play a courtesan in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's next, Saawariya.

This is Rani's second film with Bhansali after Black.

Saawariya marks the debut of two star children, Ranbir Kapoor, son of Rishi Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor, daughter of Anil Kapoor. Salman Khan and Rani Mukherji are doing an extended guest appearance in the film.

Rani had earlier played a courtesan in Mangal Pandey, and she sizzled in the movie.