Rani Mukerji calls Karan Johar a "demanding" director, shares 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' anecdotes

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 1 (ANI): Bollywood actress Rani Mukerji praised the directorial skills of filmmaker Karan Johar while recalling an anecdote during the making of the superhit film 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' in 1998.
Rani Mukerji and Karan Johar share a close friendship bond that reportedly began with 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' and has continued through recent events, including the National Awards ceremony and the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations 2025.
The 'Hichki' actress shared her first impression of Karan Johar while recalling the 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' script narration by Karan Johar.
In an interview with ANI, "Karan was so clear with his narration. I found Karan to be an honest and clear-headed filmmaker because the way he came and narrated the subject to me was so passionate. While he was narrating, I knew somewhere that Karan was going to make a mark in the industry because he was just so clear."
Despite the "passionate" narration by Karan, Rani Mukerji had her own doubts regarding her role in 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' as the film also starred Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol, who were one of the best on-screen pairs of that time.
The actress recalled the assurance provided by the director in her character's famous line, "Leave it to Tina" from the film 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai'
"The only thing I asked him was, 'Are you sure you want me to do this part?' because that time Kajol and Shah Rukh were a very hit pair after DDLJ, and he said, ' Leave it to me. So the very famous line, leave it to Tina. He said, Just leave it to me, and you don't worry about that," said Rani Mukerji.
After collaborating with Karan Johar on films and short films like 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai', 'Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna', and 'Bombay Talkies', the actress described the director as a very "demanding" filmmaker.
"Karan is also very demanding; he knows what he wants. He's also very like he knows what he wants from his actors. Until the time he gets his shot, he will keep on doing so," said Rani Mukerji.
Rani essayed the character of 'Tina' opposite Shah Rukh Khan's portrayal of Rahul in the 1998 romantic comedy directed by Karan Johar.
On the work front, Rani Mukerji was recently presented with a National Award by President Droupadi Murmu for her performance in the film 'Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway'.
Directed by Ashima Chibber, the film stars Rani Mukerji as Mrs Chatterjee and also features Anirban Bhattacharya, Neena Gupta, and Jim Sarbh in prominent roles.
Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway is based on the real-life story of Sagarika Chakraborty and Anurup Bhattacharya, an Indian couple living in Norway, whose children were taken away by Norwegian authorities in 2011.
Rani plays Debika, a mother who challenges an unfamiliar legal system to regain custody of her children. The film highlights the cultural misunderstandings between Indian parenting traditions and Western child welfare systems. (ANI)