'Emotions don’t need passports': Rani Mukerji gets special honour at Indian Film Festival of Melbourne

Rani Mukerji reflected on three decades of work and the international journey of Indian cinema, saying her greatest reward is the enduring audience connection that “travels across borders and still finds a place in people’s lives.”

“When I entered the Indian film industry as a young girl, I never imagined that one day my films and the characters that I have been fortunate enough to play, would take me across oceans … and that people in a beautiful country like Australia would embrace me with so much warmth,” she said.

Positioning cinema as a cultural bridge, she added: “Australia has always welcomed me and Indian cinema with open arms. It has become a place where cultures meet through storytelling, where films remind us that emotions don’t need passports and where love, laughter and hope speak a language we all understand.”

Photo: PR Team

On the craft and its impact, Mukerji noted: “As actors, we perform in front of a camera. But the real story begins only when that performance reaches someone’s heart. To know that for three decades my films, my characters and my voice have travelled so far from home and still found a place in your lives is incredibly humbling.”

She credited the women she has portrayed for shaping her off-screen: “I’ve been fortunate to play women who laughed loudly, loved deeply, fought fearlessly and never stopped believing in themselves. In many ways, every character has changed me a little. They’ve made me a better actor, but more importantly, they’ve made me a better human being.”

The IIFM citation underscores Indian cinema’s growing global footprint, with Australian audiences consistently embracing Hindi and regional titles through festival screenings and theatrical releases.