Reel meets real: Rani acknowledges Borwankar’s contribution to role

“We served her biscuits made by the jail staff and I asked her if she would be willing to come and inaugurate the sale, during Diwali, of goods made by inmates and she promptly agreed,” adds the ADG, Prisons.

While Mukherjee adopted a gait similar to Borwankar’s in Mardaani, a more close association lies in the fact that the actor is shown taking on human trafficking in the film. Borwankar has been known to have focused on this scourge during her tenure as Commissioner of Police in Pune. In fact, according to her team members, Borwankar closed down 22 brothels in the city, the highest number ever achieved by any other commissioner. “That was a part of my job and mission too, so I don’t talk too much about it,” says the former CP, though.

Incidentally, Borwankar feels Rani’s persona in the film is modelled more after Rasam, a seasoned crime branch officer. Her role is that of an inspector who goes out on the field.

Rasam admits to having guided Mukherjee for about a week on the methodology adopted by the crime branch when it comes to raids, interrogation and tactics employed to extract information. “I think Rani essayed the role very well,” says Rasam, who is posted at the state intelligence department in Mumbai. She has handled several important cases, including Laila Khan murder and Telgi stamp scam. “In fact, I am very thankful that someone finally portrayed women officers in the crime branch in just the right light,” adds Rasam.