Jailhouse Rock

Rani Mukerji with Meeran Borwankar, Additional DGP (Prisons)

Not everyone is comfortable visiting the jail and meeting and spending time with its inmates, but Rani Mukerji diligently paid a visit to the Yerwada Central prison in Pune when she was invited by its officers and staff to launch Radio YCP and Maka. While Radio YCP is a radio like facility for the prisoners where an hour of entertainment is provided with a prisoner playing the role of a Radio jockey, Maharashtra Prison Department with the help of commercial artist Falguni Gokhale started a brand called Maka that has products manufactured by the inmates. So impressed was the actress with the products that she bought some bakery items made by the prisoners to take back home. Rani even visited the barracks and prison cells where India’s freedom fighters were lodged during the independence movement. ‘It was a very humbling experience to visit the historic Yerwada prison where our freedom fighters like Gandhiji, Motilal Nehru, Sardar Patel and many others were lodged during the independence movement. I’d like to thank Meeran (Borwankar-Additional DGP (Prisons) for inviting me to launch the brand Maka, which comprises products made by the prison inmates. It’s a great initiative aimed at their vocational training and also to keep them in a positive frame of mind,’ said the actress in a statement. She also met female prisoners, one of whom even gifted her a crochet jacket. From her side, the actress donated an ECG machine for the infirmary.