Actor Rani Mukerji was honoured with the Raj Kapoor Special Contribution Award at the 62nd Maharashtra State Film Awards ceremony in Mumbai on Wednesday.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis presented the award to Rani at Ravindra Natya Mandir in Prabhadevi. Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar and several other dignitaries and members of the film fraternity were also present at the ceremony. “I think that’s what makes this moment truly special for me since I’m receiving this recognition from my very own people and from the place I belong to. To receive an award named after the legend of Indian cinema Raj Kapoor ji is, in itself, hugely humbling. Rani dedicated the award to Maharashtra and the people working in its film industry. “So, with the deepest gratitude, I dedicate this award to Maharashtra. To its people. To its artists. To its technicians. To its filmmakers. To the entire film fraternity that calls this beautiful state home. And to the generations of storytellers who came before us and made it possible for a girl like me to dream.”
Rani, who was born and brought up in Mumbai, said the award holds a special place in her heart as it came from the state where she has spent nearly three decades working in cinema. The actor also spoke about receiving an award named after Raj Kapoor and said the recognition from her own people made the moment more special. And I truly hope I can live up to this honour,” she said, as per a release.
Rani also spoke about Mumbai and what the city has given her over the years. “Mumbai has given me my identity. It has given me an audience. It has given me a career. And it has been my home, my safe place, my everything. The actor has played several strong female characters in films including Black, No One Killed Jessica, Hichki, the Mardaani franchise and Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway.
Because whenever I look at it, I will not just see an award, so this award will hold a very special place in my heart.
I will see my Mumbai, my Maharashtra,” she said. Talking about the kind of stories and characters she has chosen over the years, Rani said, “I have always silently worked to represent the powerful girls and women of India through cinema that has its heart in the right place.”
