Rani Mukerji defends her Kuch Kuch Hota Hai character: ‘Tina had a lot of depth along with being a good-looking girl’

Actor Rani Mukerji has defended her and Shah Rukh Khan’s characters in their 1998 film Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. In an interview, Rani said that her character (Tina) in the movie had ‘a lot of depth’ for Shah Rukh’s character (Rahul) ‘to have fallen for her’. She also said that as Tina was ‘kind-of someone who was very hard to get’, it made Rahul extremely interested ‘to go more after her’.

Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, a romantic comedy-drama, starred Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol and Rani Mukerji. It was written and directed by Karan Johar and was a blockbuster. However, over the years, people have highlighted that Shah Rukh’s character in the film appeared to be sexist in nature. The audience has also pointed out the way women have been depicted in the movie.

In an interview with India.com, Rani Mukerji said, “She (Tina) was kind-of someone who was very hard to get for him (Rahul) which resulted in him having the curiosity to go more after her. The fact that she sang Om Jai Jagdish Hare on the college campus while he thought that she’s born and brought up in London… the fact that she is so deeply rooted to her culture and that she’s so grounded – those and a lot of other things probably attracted Rahul to Tina as a person as well.”

She also said, “I won’t categorise it as ‘he went for someone who looked great and not for Anjali who was more of a tomboy.’ I won’t make it as frivolous as that. I would say that there was a lot of depth to Tina’s character for someone like Rahul to have fallen for her… because, at the end of it all, it was Tina who understood the love that Rahul and Anjali had for each other. She, in turn, makes her daughter reunite the two of them. You know there that Tina had a lot of depth along with being a good-looking girl.”

Rani also said that ‘falling in love is something very subjective to each person’ and added that someone can’t be judged for their choices. She further said that ‘what might come across right to you might be wrong for the other person’.

Kuch Kuch Hota Hai was one of the films in the early years of Rani’s career. The actor made her Hindi film debut with the 1996 drama Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat which was followed by Ghulam. She has also featured in films like Saathiya, Hum Tum, Veer-Zaara, Chalte Chalte, Black, Bunty Aur Babli, Mardaani and Hichki among many others.

Also Read | Karan Johar says Salman Khan told him only a ‘paagal’ would do supporting role in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, watch

Rani was last seen in Bunty Aur Babli 2 opposite Saif Ali Khan. She will next feature in director Ashima Chibber’s Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway. The film is produced by Monisha Advani, Madhu Bhojwani and Nikkhil Advani’s Emmay Entertainment and Zee Studios.