Actor Rani Mukerji’s life is a testament to the notion that fame comes at a price. With her personal life garnering more attention than her career in film, Mukerji has had to jump through hoops to maintain her integrity as an artiste.
In the wake of her relationship with filmmaker Aditya Chopra, previously married to Payal Khanna, the Laaga Chunari Mein Daag actor was implied to be a home-breaker, but that didn’t deter her from remaining mum on the matter. Until now.
For the first time after tying the knot with Chopra, Mukerji opens up about love, marriage and unneeded conjecture, reported the Times of India.
How long have you known Chopra?
I first met Adi socially when I was doing Kuch Kuch Hota Hai through Karan Johar. Though Adi tells me that after my first film Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat and you will be surprised that he was also instrumental in me getting Kuch Kuch Hota Hai as he told Karan, “You should take this girl as she will be the next big star.” It’s quite an uncanny thing that even without being a part of my life, he has been a part of my life.
Were you romantically inclined towards him before his divorce?
I could never look at Adi romantically while working with him, as he is such a working personality that with him all you ever speak is work. But, I guess, he liked me in a way that I was different than the rest and so he would speak to me a little more than the others. While Adi and I knew each other for a long time, it is surreal in a way that due to the rumours doing the rounds that we were seeing each other, we actually started seeing each other. So, in a way, the universe around us is responsible in bringing us together by insinuating us. Luckily, since both of us are not media friendly, we did not get appalled by the rumours.
Why did you not speak all these years against so many stories painting you virtually as the home-breaker?
I have the blessings of so many people around Adi and my family due to not speaking even once. Just because Adi was divorced doesn’t take away from the fact that he also deserves to have a happy life. I knew all along that even though my name was getting maligned, everybody around me was protected. I am a believer in karma and know that I will never be able to live with myself if I have harmed anyone intentionally.
You talked about your low period three years back. Who was your emotional anchor?
When you are down, God always says that you have to pick yourself up and only when you help yourself can I help you and that stuck to me. I was my own emotional anchor. Though, through my worst, Adi has been there throughout with me like the Rock of Gibraltar.
What made you fall in love with Adi?
Adi is everything that I had thought. It’s important that when you are in love, you also respect the person and my respect for him has only grown seeing him in the way he conducts himself. He is a great human being and it gives me great satisfaction to know that I fell in love with a person who is a better human being than I am. With Adi I have grown as a person. My parents are too thrilled to have him as their son-in-law as only he can control and love me the way he does. When I met him, I discovered myself and when he met me, he discovered himself.
Between the two of you, who shared your feelings first?
Of course, he said it. I would like it the traditional way. On my first date, Adi came home and asked me out in front of my parents. For me, nothing could have been more beautiful than that.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 13th, 2014.
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