MUMBAI : Bollywood icon Rani Mukerji played the role of a sensitive and visionary teacher, Naina Mathur, in her big hit Hichki (2018). On Teacher’s Day, Rani credits her teachers for shaping her into the person that she is today and thanks them for making her believe in her abilities!

When contacted, Rani says, “Teachers and mentors have played a very important role in my life. Thankfully, I was blessed to have found teachers who guided me and shaped my foundation as a child for the person that I have become today. I cannot thank them enough because they are the most important people for a child outside their home.”

She adds, “So, when I got the opportunity to play a teacher in Hichki, I was thrilled! I tried to emulate the kind-hearted, noble teachers that I had interacted with as a child because I have a lot of fond memories of them. My teachers made me dream big, told me that nothing was impossible to achieve if we put our head down and work hard to realise that dream.”

Rani feels Hichki made her a more aware human being. She says, “Like Black, Hichki was a life-changing film for me. I think it made me a better human being, someone who was more aware of the needs of others. I had to find everything that was unfiltered, pure, uninhibited within me to bring Naina Mathur to life.”

She adds, “We have had some really good teachers on screen but Naina is very special because she had to overcome her own limitations without becoming caustic about the world and the harshness she faced from people. She showed everyone that you are never limited by who you are but you have the power to change the world with your abilities because we all are exceptional human beings. We just need to tap into that belief!”