Rani Mukerji honoured in Australia after 30 years in Bollywood

MELBOURNE: Indian actress Rani Mukerji has been honoured in Australia for completing three decades in Bollywood, receiving a special citation recognising her excellence in acting.

The 48-year-old actress was presented with the Special Citation for Excellence in Acting at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM), in recognition of her contribution to Indian cinema and her role in taking Hindi-language stories to audiences around the world.

Mukerji was particularly praised for her performances in socially themed films including Black, Mardaani and Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway, as well as for her philanthropic work.

Accepting the honour, Mukerji said she had never imagined when she entered the Indian film industry at a young age that her films and characters would travel across the oceans to Australia, where audiences would embrace her with such affection.

She said entertaining people around the world through films was one of the greatest gifts of her profession and praised Australia for consistently welcoming her and Indian cinema.

Mukerji said an artist’s real journey begins when a performance reaches someone’s heart. She added that seeing her films, characters and voice reach different parts of the world over three decades was a source of immense pride and humility.

The actress also said every role she had played throughout her career had helped her become a better artist and, ultimately, a better person.

Reports suggest Mukerji may soon reunite with Shah Rukh Khan in the action thriller King, which is expected to be released in cinemas worldwide on Dec. 24, 2026