Rani Mukerji on Mardaani 2: Can't shy away from reality in such films

With Mardaani 2 tackling crimes against women, Rani Mukerji discusses why it was essential to adopt gory treatment for the thriller

I want Mardaani to evolve into a franchise where Shivani Shivaji Roy is tackling different crimes," begins Rani Mukerji, almost wishfully, as if to put the word out in the universe. One would assume that the franchise will be restricted to crimes against women, but the actor views it differently. "We don't have restrictions creatively. It depends on what the writers are able to carve out."

Led by Mukerji's cop character, who is in hot pursuit of a serial rapist, Mardaani 2 tackles the subject of violent crimes against women. In fact, the gruesome depiction of a crime in the trailer indicates that the film may not be for the faint-hearted. Knowing that the subject required one to walk the fine line between disturbing and delicate, Mukerji says director Gopi Puthran and she were constantly in discussion over the treatment of the sequences. "We, as creative people, chose to do the film aesthetically. A rape is not titillating in this film. When you are making a film like Mardaani, you can't shy away from reality. The audience should get a first-hand feel of what's happening around us. We live in dark times, and the sooner we accept it, the better it is for us."

The actor views the outing as an attempt to build a counter-narrative that will portray women in positions of power, thus inspiring a generation of girls to be part of the force. "During my research, I met many women cops and they are badass. They have to balance their family life with this job that requires them to be out on the field for 70 to 76 hours. They are at the station for five days at a stretch, without going home to change or shower. There's no difference between male and female cops. People from the outside see it differently, which is why films like Mardaani are essential to tell them that women officers are just as boisterous."

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