Rani Mukherjee in a hot pink top

Mukerji's first 2007 release, Ta Ra Rum Pum, where she played a pianist turned housewife and a mother for the first time on celluloid, was a semi hit. Her performance was generally well received, with one critic noting, "Rani enacts the role of the mother/wife proficiently." Her last two releases of the year, Pradeep Sarkar's drama Laaga Chunari Mein Daag where she played the role of a women who is forced to take up prostitution due to family problems and Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Saawariya where she again essayed the role of a prostitute, were critical and commercial failures in India. Mukerji's role in Kunal Kohli's Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic, which released on 27 June 2008, received positive reviews from critics; however, the film failed to do well at the box office. Her most recent release, Dil Bole Hadippa was screened at the Toronto International Film Festival, opened on 18 September 2009 under the Yash Raj Films banner and performed averagely at the box office. Mukerji starred as a feisty Punjabi village girl who dreams of playing first class cricket, no matter what it takes. Her performance in the film was generally well-received by critics. The movie co-stars Shahid Kapoor and Anupam Kher. Mukerji is currently shooting for No One Killed Jessica which is being produced by UTV Motion Pictures and directed by Rajkumar Gupta who had previously directed the critically-acclaimed film Aamir, the film is believed to be based on the controversial Jessica Lal murder case.

Personal life

Mukerji changed the English tranliteration of her surname from Mukherjee to Mukerji several years ago. At the time, it was reported that she did this for numerological reasons. In 2006, Mukerji stated that numerology was not a concern; her name had been put down as Mukerji on her passport, and she wanted to be consistent. Mukerji has three homes in Mumbai, including her childhood home. She bought a bungalow in Juhu for herself and her parents in mid-2005. The house went through a two year renovation with the interiors done by Twinkle Khanna and Sussanne Roshan.