When Yash Chopra Locked Up Rani Mukerji's Parents in a Room: 'I'm Not Letting Them Out Till...'

Rani Mukerji had once revealed that her father-in-law, late Yash Chopra locked her parents up in a room but for her benefit. The actress, in an old interview with News18, revealed that she was offered the role of Saathiya but she turned it down. She revealed that her parents, Ram Mukherjee and Krishna Mukherjee, had visited Yash’s office to convey her message and the director locked them up in his office.

The actress revealed that Yash had offered to release them only if she agreed to do the role. For the unversed, Saathiya was a remake of Mani Ratnam’s Tamil film, Alai Payuthey. The Hindi version starred Vivek Oberoi as well and was directed by Shaad Ali. In an old interview with our platform, Rani revealed that Yash wanted her to do Saathiya and she refused. He had no option but to take the drastic step.

Rani had not signed a film since the failure of Mujhse Dosti Karoge and was without work for eight months. “At that time, (I was) refusing work, like my mother thought I had gone mad because anything that was getting offered to me I was just like ‘no, no, no’. I started taking decisions then.” Rani added she was not doing anything at the time, “I just sat at home”.

“A lot of film critics and magazines had written me off and they said ‘her career’s over’ and I was okay with that. I was like probably they are right but I’m not going to give up. I’m going to take up something that my heart believes in. Then luckily Saathiya came along and I remember Yash (Chopra) uncle calling my parents to the office. My parents had gone to tell Yash uncle that ‘Rani is not interested to do this film’. He called me up and said, ‘Beta, you’re making a very big mistake. I’m locking the door of my room and I’m not letting your parents out till you say yes to the film’. And I thank him for that,” she added.

Yash Chopra worked with Rani on a few movies as a producer and director. He directed her in Veer-Zaara while doubled up as producer in several films via YRF. The filmmaker died on 13 October 2012. Rani married his son, Aditya Chopra, in 2014. The couple welcomed their daughter, Adira, in 2015.