Rani Mukerji says Gen Z would have made Aiyyaa a superhit today, celebrates film’s bold take on women’s fantasies

Rani Mukerji talks about her song Aiyyaa

• Rani Mukerji says Aiyyaa was ahead of its time in portraying female fantasy
• She believes Gen Z would make Aiyyaa a superhit if released today
• Aiyyaa celebrated women's right to imagine and express desire on screen

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Rani Mukerji says her cult film Aiyyaa was ahead of its time and believes it would be a superhit with today’s Gen Z audiences due to its bold portrayal of female fantasy.

She fondly recalled the film as one that celebrated a woman’s right to imagine and express desire.

Rani Mukerji recently reflected on her 2012 film Aiyyaa, saying that if it were released today it would have been a superhit among Gen Z audiences, thanks to its unconventional portrayal of female desire. In a conversation with Zoom, the actress — currently promoting her new release Mardaani 3 — said the quirky romantic comedy was ahead of its time and broke ground by showing that it’s perfectly normal for a woman to fantasise and express her desires on screen.

Rani Mukerji said, "I love Aiyyaa. I've had the most fun shooting this film. We shot in Pune and I met some of the most amazing actors from Marathi cinema. I adore them because they are hugely talented."

She continued, "The story was so quirky. Imagine falling in love with somebody who smells good. It was too much fun and way ahead of its time. I think if it had released today, Gen Z would've made it a superhit. Because it was the first time we showed how a woman can fantasise. And it's okay to do that, and I celebrate that on screen."

"It would be a common thing for Gen Z, but at that time, it wasn't. It was one of the films that spoke about the fact that it's okay to fantasise and it's okay to express a good-looking body," added Rani Mukerji.

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Aiyyaa, starring Rani alongside Prithviraj Sukumaran, embraced a playful yet bold depiction of female emotions and agency that was uncommon in mainstream Bollywood at the time. The film’s quirky tone, catchy soundtrack and Rani’s effervescent performance made it memorable, even if it didn’t become a major box office blockbuster in its original run.

The actress, whose career in Indian cinema spans nearly three decades, said she loves that the film dared to be different and that it still provokes thought and laughter years later. On the work front, Rani Mukerji's Mardaani 3 has just released in theatres today.