She may play a tough-as-nails cop in Mardaani 2, but mention daughter Adira and Rani Mukerji turns mushy. "I understood what true love is when I had Adira," beams the actor at the recording of Neha Dhupia's podcast, No Filter Neha. "It would matter to me if my husband [Aditya Chopra] didn't reciprocate my love, but it doesn't matter if Adira loves me or not. My affection for her is unconditional." It is evident that the little one has Mukerji wrapped around her little finger as she laughs, "More than my husband, I can be manipulated by Adira."

The actor had traded the arc lights for mommy duties after her daughter's birth in 2015. She ended her three-year sabbatical with Hichki (2018), following it up with the cop drama this year. She credits her filmmaker husband for her return to the big screen. "He told me that I should not let go of my individuality. He pushed me to read scripts; that is how Hichki happened. Women need supportive husbands at that point [post pregnancy] because it is in our nature to sacrifice."