Discomfort is where change begins: Rani Mukerji on ‘Mardani 3’ message

Cinema not only entertains but has the power to speak to people’s conscience, says actor Rani Mukerji, who hopes that her new film Mardaani 3 makes the audience uncomfortable with its focus on the topic of child trafficking.

The film, part of Yash Raj Films’ hit franchise, has earned Rs 28 crore in worldwide gross in three days of its release.

In a statement, released by YRF, Mukerji, who has donned the cop uniform for the third time to play SSP Shivani Shivaji Roy, said the love shown by the audiences is overwhelming.

“This film belongs to every viewer who believes that cinema can do more than entertain… it can maybe speak to our conscience.”

“If Mardaani 3 has moved you, disturbed you, or made you think – then it has done its job. Discomfort is where change begins. Our girls do not need our sympathy. They need our protection. They need our courage. They need our voices right now and not tomorrow because just a film alone cannot bring change. Change begins in our homes, in our schools, in our streets. It begins when we teach our sons how to respect, when we empower our daughters with confidence and when we stand up for a girl child who cannot stand up for herself,” she said.

The actor said the Mardaani franchise, which began in 2014, has told stories that are “uncomfortable, urgent and necessary”. The second chapter of the movie released in 2019.

Mukerji, who won the National Award last year for her performance in Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway, said stories like the one depicted in Mardaani 3 exist because the reality they reflect still exists.

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“Every daughter of this country deserves safety, dignity, education and the freedom to dream without fear,” she said, adding that she is humbled by how the fans have connected with the message of the film.