Rani Mukerji is the only Hindi film actress to have a franchise with a titular character to her credit. That's no mean feat, especially with both Mardaani (2014) and Mardaani 2 (2019) emerging as winners.

“I’m very proud of the Mardaani franchise. As an actor, I have tried to project women very differently through my films. I realised I could contribute towards showcasing women as real agents of change for society to look at," says Rani, who plays top cop Shivani Shivaji Roy in the Mardaani films.

She adds, “Mardaani fits into my vision for women in cinema aptly and because of this synergy, I think I have been able to give 200 per cent to this character.”

Rani feels there is a lot of similarity between Shivani Shivaji Roy and how she is in real life. “I have never let anyone tell me how to lead my life and I have fought all my battles by myself. Shivani Shivaji Roy is exactly the same. Maybe this is why people love the franchise and my character so much because I’m actually playing myself through this cop.”