There are, she maintains, a few basic rules with her—she doesn’t mince words, doesn’t suffer fools gladly and has an aversion to picking up the ‘phone to inform journalists of her personal itinerary…The rest is fairly simple.

According to co-star Saif Ali Khan, “Rani is a fantastic actor. Aditya Chopra, the producer, always says that we work well together because she tends to sort of ground me and I make her a little more Westernised. I think we do share an interesting chemistry on screen. I have a lot of respect for her. Out of most people that I have met in the industry she is very real, very down to earth and very family-oriented and a strong valued girl.”

Even as we speak, she is in the midst of ‘phone and radio interviews –a chap from BBC calls up on Monika’s (spokesperson for Yash Raj Films) phone for an interview and as she’s not around the actor answers it. A little later, she informs Monika of it.
“Now they will say that she’s taking the calls at YRF. Hmm. So it means something!” she says in mock horror! Halleluiah! The girl has a sense of humour.

Exasperated she may be with rumours about marriage with Aditya Chopra, the scion of the Yash Raj empire, but she’s not letting it come in the way of a good laugh. Excerpts from a no-holds- barred interview with Screen.

First let’s clear the air about this supposed embargo on journalists.
I am not the sort of a person who is going to pick up the ‘phone and call up journalists to tell them about my life. I am comfortable talking about work, which I do when it is required. The part that I object to are the false stories that are made up about us…the media has been getting me married off for a while now..I was on the sets of Laaga... togged in wedding finery for Konkona’s wedding scene and the next thing I know is that channels have gone to town about my so-called marriage. My poor father – he is getting by in age-- has to step out for clarifications each time such a thing happens. Long ago it was reported that Govinda had bought me a house – thankfully, he set the record straight.

The common perception is that you are very selective about the movies that you act in. Is that why we don’t see you in too many films?
Actually that’s untrue. I did three films last year – Ta Ra Rum Pum, Laaga Chunari Mein Daag and a cameo in Saawariya. My last release was in October last year and now Thoda Pyaar... is ready for release. It’s just been six months during which I was busy shooting for Thoda Pyaar... and then I got caught up with work on my house. Suzanne (Roshan) was doing the interiors and then her baby was due, so in the last stages I had to take over the supervision of the work which took up a lot of my time but soon I will start working on my next film with Shahid Kapoor.

The Yash Raj film wherein you play a cricketer… which brings me to the other gripe people have that you no longer do films outside Yashraj banner?
The way I work is that a role has to excite me. Yash Raj films have offered me a variety of roles that have been challenging and satisfying, whether it’s Hum Tum, Veer-Zaara, Ta Ra Rum Pum or Thoda Pyaar...

A few of your movies last year with YRF did not do well, so would you not look outside of the banner for projects?
I would agree that Laaga... did not meet expectations but Ta Ra Rum Pum, unlike the popular perception, did quite well…perhaps not as well as Chak De! India but in its own way it did rather well. Everywhere I go, I have kids and their mothers tell me that they loved the movie. The media is very kind to certain movies and therefore creates a perception about its success which may be slightly exaggerated and so too for movies that they are not as convinced about. That Jhoom Barabar... which was next in line from YRF didn’t do well made matters worse – the performances of the two films were clubbed together.

It’s often been said that nobody can quite cry like Rani Mukerji on screen, so do we see you turn on the waterworks in this movie?
(Laughing) Actually I have had a lot of practice courtesy my brother Raja who resented my arrival. All through my growing- up years I was bawling out loud complaining about Raja but as we grew up things changed. This film in fact is a clear departure from all the crying because I play an angel and angels don’t know what sorrow is. They only know about happiness and laughter. There is a scene where I am examining Saif’s tear because I don’t know what it is and I want to experience that emotion.

You are supposed to be quite a mischievous angel at that?
Yes, I cause eclipses and all sorts of turmoil.

What else is different from your earlier films?
I get to fly! I was harnessed all the time and I could empathise with Hrithik Roshan. People would often joke about it and call me the female Krissh.

Speaking of being a brat, are you anything like that in person? Any starry tantrums?
Well, I am a brat with those that are close to me like my family, but no starry tantrums really.

You have acted with almost all the top drawer actors and filmmakers and many of them are friends to you…what’s been the learning?
The most valuable thing in all these years has been my interaction with actors such as Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and Kamal Haasan and filmmakers such as Karan Johar, Sanjay (Bhansali), Yash uncle and Mani Ratnam who are all icons in their own right…It’s been very rewarding. There are some people with whom I have hit it off right at the beginning of my career like Karan, Sanjay and Vaibhavi Merchant who I met during Bunty Aur Babli. Aamir and Shah Rukh have always been there for me – they are people for whom I have a lot of respect. Also because of a career in films, I have met so many people like heads of state and many others and it has all been very enriching.

And what about Abhishek Bachchan with whom you have done some good films?
Abhishek and I are great as co-stars, but we were never buddies.