New Delhi: Rani Mukerji has finally been crowned with India’s highest acting honor: the National Film Award for Best Actress for her haunting and deeply emotional portrayal in Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway. At the 71st National Film Awards, President Droupadi Murmu presented her with the honor, marking a milestone in a career that spans nearly three decades. This is Rani’s first ever National Award an achievement decades in the making.
A Star is Made: Rani’s Rise in Bollywood
Born into the Mukherjee–Samarth film family, Rani got her start as a teenager with Biyer Phool (1996) in Bengali cinema and Raja Ki Aayegi Baaraat in Hindi. Her first hits came with Ghulam and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai in 1998, earning attention and acclaim. Over the years, she proved her range through romantic dramas like Hum Tum and Veer-Zaara, powerful roles in Black, Yuva, and trailblazers like No One Killed Jessica.
Her recent work in Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway brought her poignant acclaim. In this film, she plays a mother whose children are taken away by Norwegian welfare services, and her battle with a foreign system—both emotional and legal—showcases Rani’s acting at its best.
Awards, Recognitions & Critical Highs
Rani Mukerji has won eight Filmfare Awards already, including Best Actress and Best Actress (Critics) multiple times. She’s known for both commercial hits and critically lauded performances. Black, Hum Tum, Saathiya, Yuva, Hichki, and No One Killed Jessica stand out among her best work.
Now, with this National Award, Rani finally receives government-level validation a recognition long awaited by fans and critics alike. She has called it “a validation of her 30-year body of work.”
Personal Life & Balance
Amid her intense, public career, Rani has managed a relatively private personal life. She married filmmaker Aditya Chopra in 2014 in a private Bengali ceremony in Italy. Their daughter Adira arrived in 2015. Rani has spoken about motherhood being one of the happiest chapters of her life. She took a hiatus from acting after her daughter’s birth but returned with projects that allowed her to balance both roles.
Rani is known for being thoughtful about the roles she accepts—she has chosen powerful and socially relevant characters rather than merely commercial ones. For example, Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway was made outside the big banner model she had often worked under, focusing more on real stories and emotional truth than spectacle.
What This Award Means & What’s Next
For Rani Mukerji, the National Best Actress award for Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway isn’t just another trophy—it’s a pinnacle of recognition. It acknowledges her consistency, depth, and emotional honesty through three decades of cinema. It places her among the elite few who command respect for both mass appeal and acting gravitas.
Fans and industry alike will watch next what roles she chooses now—expectations are high for parts that challenge, inspire, and perhaps reshape narratives around motherhood, female agency, and cross-cultural justice.
