Rani Mukerji who was recently seen essaying the role of a woman with Tourette syndrome in Hitchki, was in Melbourne for the Indian Film Festival. The actress who was the chief guest at the festival was awarded with the best actress award and the Excellence in Cinema award.

At the event, Rani spoke about her beginnings in Bollywood, her characters, co-stars and juggling a career after marriage. The actress spoke highly of her Hey Ram co-star Kamal Haasan who made her comfortable in her own skin. “For me, Hey Ram was a turning point. I went to the set and Kamal Haasan told me to wash off my make up. So I went back to my room, dabbed my face and came back. Kamal sir asked me to go back again and actually wash my face. I then removed all my makeup and for the first time, I felt confident. Back then, heroines were expected to put a lot of make up and that was the normal. But he changed me. I think an artist should be able to forget about their looks, hair and weight. Rather the focus should be on their act on screen. That’s when you truly evolve,” said Rani.