Rani Mukerji has taken on effervescent roles in the past -- but for the forthcoming entertainer "Mardaani", where the recently married actress essays a police officer's role for the first time, she has shed frills and style to get under the character's skin.

In the Yash Raj Films (YRF) movie, produced by her husband Aditya Chopra, Rani plays Shivani Shivaji Roy, an astute police personnel working in a Mumbai Crime Branch unit.

The raw and gritty film, a distinct departure from Pradeep Sarkar's style of filmmaking, will hit the screens Aug 22.

In the newly launched poster, Rani sports a black kurta and has her hair tied loosely, and she holds up a revolver with the confidence of any action hero that tinsel town has ever seen.


Describing the film and Rani's character, a statement from YRF read: "Deft at picking up hidden clues and fearless in confronting hardened criminals, Shivani stumbles into the world of debauchery, cruel desires and exploitation and onto a case that will change her life forever."

The film's story takes an interesting curve when a teenage girl is kidnapped by the child trafficking mafia and smuggled outside the city. Shivani then embarks on a relentless hunt for the girl and what follows is a cat and mouse game between the fearless cop and a ruthless mafia kingpin.