New Delhi: Fire, jungle, bare feet, and fearless action — this is how Shivani Roy returns. The intro of Mardaani 3 was not just designed to impress, but to shock and excite. From the first frame, the team wanted something never seen before.
What followed was a powerful collaboration, full trust from the makers, and an actress who refused to step back from danger. This is the story of how Rani Mukerji became Shivani Roy once again — stronger, braver, and more real than ever.
Rani Mukerji insisted on doing dangerous action herself
According to action director Parvez Shaikh, the team designed a completely new introduction for Shivani Roy and first sent it for approval to Aditya Chopra, Rani Mukerji, and director Abhiraj Minawala. Since it was a new kind of intro, everyone was careful. Abhiraj Minawala shared his inputs, while Rani Mukerji loved the idea. She was very clear and told the team to execute it exactly as planned. Aditya Chopra also approved the concept, and the intro was shot just the way it was imagined.
One of the biggest moments came when Rani Mukerji decided to do the action herself. As Parvez Shaikh recalls, Rani ma’am clearly said, “I’ll rehearse as much as needed, but I’ll do this action myself.” The team warned her that the scene involved fire and could be dangerous. Still, she insisted on proper training and rehearsals. She trained at Yash Raj Studios, picked up the action quickly, and even shared useful suggestions. “We really liked her inputs,” Parvez Shaikh said.
The intro was shot in a jungle, and Rani Mukerji had to perform barefoot. It was physically tough, but she never complained and did everything herself. Parvez Shaikh said he has rarely seen an actress so deeply involved in action work. He added that the only other actor who showed similar dedication was Priyanka Chopra, who performed her own action in Mary Kom.
By the time the climax arrived, Rani Mukerji was fully comfortable with action scenes. She performed intense beating sequences and gun firing on her own. “She makes her action look as real as possible,” said Parvez Shaikh, adding that all scenes were done safely. Director Abhiraj Minawala supported the action team throughout and has a strong sense of action cinema.
The result was clear at the film’s premiere. People praised the action, calling it fresh and different. With Mardaani 3, Rani Mukerji has once again proved that she is truly Shivani Roy, fearless, real, and unmatched.