mainstream Indian cinema at that time; in Hum Tum she played a widow who engages in pre-marital sex, in Kabhi

Alvida Naa
Kehna she is involved in an extra-marital affair with a married man, and in Bichhoo and No One Killed Jessica she smokes,
drinks and mouths expletives.[33][230][231] The media cites her as an "unconventional beauty" – her husky voice, eyes and smile being
her distinctive features.[232] Baradwaj Rangan believes that Mukerji's unusual "sandpaper-scratchy, I'm-recovering-from-a-bad-
cold" voice sets her apart from her contemporaries.[1] Filmfare termed Mukerji "Earthy, effervescent and emotional". It added that
her screen presence has "no parallel".[233]
Writing about her acting skills, Forbes India noted, "Regarded as one of the best actors of her generation, Mukerji went on to
master her skills to such an extent that she could easily absorb the nuances of the characters she played and effortlessly be-
come that person on screen."[223] Shraddha Jahagirdar-Saxena cited Mukerji as the "ruling star" of the silver firmament and
added, "Mukerji has achieved a certain standing in the industry. She is the embodiment of the modern, independent woman who
has made it on her own steam and on her own terms."[2] When Mukerji made her screen comeback with Hichki, Nayandeep Rak-
shit compared her to actress Sridevi and said that making a strong comeback, Mukerji has managed to still be "relevant".
[234]
Gautam Chintamani called the actress "effortlessly talented" and noted, "Mukerji mirrors the epitaph of being one of the last
true superstars in the conventional description of the word."[235] Mukerji became the first and the only Indian actress to win both
the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress Filmfare trophies in a single year. She later achieved another feat, when she won
both the Best Actress - Critics and Best Actress awards during the same year for the same film, the first ever actress to do so.[236]
[237]

Public image[edit]

Mukerji's husky voice, accentuated eyes and smile have been identified
by the media as her trademark [238]

Mukerji has featured in listings of the most attractive Indian celebrities, and was one of the highest-paid actresses in Bollywood.
[1][2]
Filmfare featured her in their "Ten Most Powerful People in Bollywood" list for two consecutive years (2005–2006).[239] Mukerji
featured in Box Office India's "Top Bollywood Actresses" list for six years and ranked first for two consecutive years (2005–
2006) and ranked 3rd in its "All Time Top Actress" list.[27][240] In Rediff.com's annual listing of "Best Bollywood Actresses", she
topped the list for three consecutive years (2004–2006).[241][242][243] She was further placed 2nd in 2003, 5th in 2007, 10th in 2012,[244]
[245][246]
7th in 2014, 10th in 2018 and 5th in 2023.[247][248][249] She was also placed in Rediff.com's other listing - "Powerlist: Top Bolly-
wood Actresses",[250] "Bollywood's Best Actresses of all time",[222] "Top 10 Actresses of 2000–2010" and "Best Dressed Woman".
[251][252]
Filmfare further placed her in their "Top Ten Actresses" list from 2003 to 2006.[253][254][255]
Mukerji is also known as a sex symbol and is among the most attractive actresses. The UK magazine Eastern Eye placed her in
their "Asia's Sexiest Women" list between 2006 and 2012.[256][257] The Times of India placed her 2nd in their "50 Beautiful Faces"
list.[258] She was placed in Outlook India's 75 Best Bollywood Actresses list.[259] India Today placed her in a similar list of top Bolly-
wood actresses.[219] Rediff.com placed her 5th in their "Bollywood's Most Beautiful Actresses" list.[260] Adding further to Mukerji's
star power, Femina listed her in their "50 Most Beautiful Women" list in 2007 and 2008.[261] American hip hop Blue Scholars,
named a song after Mukerji in their 2011 album Cinemetropolis.[262][263] Mukerji has been the brand ambassador for a number of
products, but since 2007, Mukerji's popularity was on a decline and she lost out on her brand endorsements to a number of
younger actresses.[118][264]
Mukerji featured among the "Greatest Bollywood Stars" in a UK poll celebrating 100 years of Indian cinema in 2013.[265][266] That
same year, Mukerji was honoured by the US Council on the day of Barack Obama's inauguration into office for Contribution to
Indian Cinema.[267] She has received the Rajiv Gandhi Award for her contribution to the entertainment industry.[268] In 2015,
the University of Mumbai felicitated her for her contribution to Bollywood. In 2017, she was honoured with the Outstanding Con-
tribution to Cinema Award by the Government of Mauritius, and in 2018, was received an award for Excellence in Cinema at
the Indian Film Festival of Mel