Rani Mukerji on winning her first National Film Award: Dedicate it to all the incredible mothers

Bollywood actress Rani Mukerji won her first National Film Award for her performance in the 2023 film Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway. Rani’s name was announced on Friday along with other winners of the 71st National Film Awards. Soon after the news of her win was announced, Rani shared a statement expressing that she felt overwhelmed with honour and that she would like to dedicate her award to mothers.

Rani Mukerji wins her 1st National Film Award in 30 years

Rani mentioned in her statement that this was her first National Film Award in 30 years. “I’m overwhelmed to have won the National Award for my performance in Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway. Incidentally, this is the first ever National Award in my 30-year career. As an actor, I have been fortunate to have some incredible films in my body of work and have got so much love for them. I thank the National Award jury for honouring my work in Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway.”

The actress stated she wanted to share the honour with team of Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway. “I share this moment with the entire team of the film, my producers Nikkhil Advani, Monisha and Madhu, my director Ashima Chibber, and everyone who worked on this truly special project that celebrated the resilience of motherhood. For me, this award is also a validation of my 30-year body of work, my dedication to my craft with which I feel a deeply spiritual connection and my passion for cinema and this beautiful film industry of ours.”

Dedicates her National Film Award to mothers

Rani dedicated her award to all the mothers, “I dedicate my National Award to all the incredible mothers of this world. There is nothing like a mother’s love and her ferocity to protect her own. The story of this Indian immigrant mother who went all out for her child and took on a nation shook me deeply.. a mother's love for her child is unconditional.. I realised this when I had my own. So, this win, this film, feels deeply emotional and personal. A mother can move mountains for her children and also make the world a better place. This film tried to show this.”

She ended her note by thanking fans, “It also feels the apt time to again thank all my fans, from across the world, who have relentlessly supported me through thick and thin for these 30 years! Your unconditional love and support is everything that I have ever needed to stay motivated, to show up at work every day and to deliver performances that have entertained you. You’ve embraced every role, every character, every story I’ve had the good fortune to bring to life. So, without you, I would be a nobody today.”

About Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway

Directed by Ashima Chibber, the film, released in 2023 and was a legal drama that also starred Anirban Bhattacharya, Neena Gupta, and Jim Sarbh among others. The film is inspired by the real-life story of Anurup Bhattacharya and Sagarika Chakraborty, an Indian immigrant couple whose children were taken away by Norwegian authorities in 2011.