Being part of almost every major project, like Mani Ratnam?s Yuva, Yash Chopra?s Veer-Zaara, Sanjay Leela Bhansali?s Black, Ketan Mehta?s The Rising, Sanjay Leela Bhansali?s Bajirao Mastani, Ravi Chopra?s Babul and Karan Johar?s next, Rani Mukherjee without doubt is the Queen Bee of Bollywood.

Thank God success hasn?t gone to her head. Yet, at least. Rather, she likes to be a people?s person, chatting with everyone be it a cameraman or an assistant on the sets. ?That?s the way I am,? says Rani, ?I like to talk to people, I am a people?s person. I can?t flaunt a reserved attitude just because that?s what?s expected of me. I like to chatter with different people, get to know about their lives, their dreams and ambitions. It gives me an insight into many lives. I believe that an actor has to be a people?s person. If I just come, sit here brooding, do my work and go back home, life would be too drab. Mingling with people adds colour to life.?

Talking about colour and her liking for a colourful life, what made her do Sanjay Leela Bhansali?s Black? ?Why does everybody always associate black with gloom and melancholy?? asks Rani, and proceeds to answer her own query. ?Black stands for clear lines, determination, strength and Sanjay Leela Bhansali?s Black is an entirely new experience for me. It has offered me a chance to expand my acting potential, it has taken me into areas of my mind and heart that were so far completely lying in the dark. Usually most of us live in a world where we think that just by shaking hands with handicapped children, we absolve ourselves of our responsibilities. What about those who exist on the other side? While doing Black I realised that we supposedly normal and successful people are insecure everyday, whereas the physically or mentally challenged go through a different, far greater turmoil and in fact are much stronger than the normal human beings. Thanks to Black and Sanjay Leela Bhansali I got to know the power of cinema. It was an experience of a lifetime.?

AAsk her what the film?s about, and she gives one of her wide smiles: ?The movie tells the story of Michelle McNally, played by me, who is born to an Anglo-Indian family. She becomes deaf and blind after an illness at the age of 18 months. She is a bright, intelligent girl who lives in a world of black silence with no way of reaching out. This frustrates the young girl?s mind, which is yearning to communicate. This frustration leads her to be destructive, violent and is given to rage. But destiny has other plans for her, she meets 48-year-old Debraj Sahay (Amitabh Bachchan), who is a teacher to deaf-blind and changes her life miraculously.?

Apart from Black, The Rising is also making plenty of news? ?Yes, I was equally excited about The Rising, mainly because I was working with Aamir Khan after a very long time,? she gushes and continues in the same tone, ?The Rising is an epic tale of friendship, love, loss and betrayal set against the backdrop of the Indian Mutiny of 1857. I?m playing Mangal Pandey?s love interest in the film. I?ve done a mujra in the film. I?m playing a prostitute and I want to see how audiences react to it.?

Always on the lookout for roles that would give her enough scope to perform, why did she refuse Mira Nair?s film, an adaptation of Jhumpa Lahiri?s The Namesake?

?Oh, I really wanted to be a part of her film,? moans Rani. ?However, I had date problems. I wanted to complete it at one go, but it couldn?t be adjusted, I was committed to do Aditya Chopra?s film and there was Karan Johar?s next during the same time. And since both, Aditya and Karan, are my close buddies, I couldn?t let their films suffer.?

Getting in touch with Rani these days has become a Herculean task? ?Yes, true, with the amount of films I am doing these days, I am living out of a suitcase. So, of course, it is very difficult for people to keep track of me?, says Rani well-humouredly. ?Well, there?s quite a lot happening,? Rani takes a deep breath and continues. ?I?m doing Ravi Chopra?s Babul where I play Amitabh Bachchan?s daughter-in-law. It?s a very Indian film, therefore conventional. I?m doing Karan Johar?s next film, which is again very state-of-the-art. I?m also doing Bunty Aur Babli with Shaad Ali, which is a load of fun. What?s important is the rapport with the director. After Saathiya, Shaad Ali is one of my favourite filmmakers. And after doing Yuva, I?m back with Abhishek Bachchan. Also there is Amol Palekar?s next, which is co-produced by Shah Rukh Khan. It?s a very interesting story, it?s a sweet ghost story, where Shah Rukh plays the ghost and my love interest.? Would all this work lead to fatigue by any chance? ?It?s exhausting, true, but I am energetic and can balance it well with my leisure time. I know well when to call off the shots.?

(Leisure Media News)