Will Dhurandhar's Rs13 billion box office haul embolden Bollywood? Mardaani 3 star Rani Mukerji sets record straight

Dubai: As Ranveer Singh’s Bollywood hit Dhurandhar rakes in Rs 13 billion at the box office, we asked powerhouse performer Rani Mukerji, the question on everyone’s mind: does one film’s success embolden others and finally shift the conversation about what kinds of movies get made?

Rani, who returns as the fierce cop Shivani Shivaji Roy in the third instalment of Mardaani, was refreshingly pragmatic. She told Gulf News that the success of any film—big or small—does wonders for the industry. Not because it proves a point, but because it creates confidence. Confidence for actors and filmmakers to back the stories they actually want to tell, instead of chasing formulas born out of fear.

Interestingly, Rani didn’t single out Durandhar by name, even though the film was praised by Aditya Chopra's company Yash Raj Films for making good, riveting cinema. Her response wasn’t about one title or one victory. It was about momentum—how every film that works theatrically strengthens the ecosystem and pushes creativity forward.

She was equally quick to shift the spotlight back to where it belongs. For her, the focus right now is Mardaani 3.

If that film does well, she pointed out, the tired debate around whether female-led films can open big or sustain box office runs becomes irrelevant. The conversation will evolve on its own, without anyone having to wave statistics around.

Until then, she believes in doing what she’s always done—show up, do the work honestly, and let the results speak.

"Right now, I just hope that Mardaani 3 does incredibly well at the box-office so that we can continue to make such complex movies ... Don't just put the word out there, I want you to go with everyone you know for this one!,:" she said.

Read the full interview with Rani Mukerji in Gulf News soon.