As the 17th edition of the Indian Film Festival of  Melbourne (IFFM) 2026 kicked off, actress Rani Mukerji was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters by Australia's La Trobe University on the festival's opening day. She was honoured for her three decades of work in Indian cinema and her contributions off-screen. Notably, before Rani, Shah Rukh Khan was awarded the doctorate degree back in 2019. Additionally, a scholarship was also named after him. While receiving the degree, Rani was seen getting emotional on stage.

Rani Mukerji receives La Trobe Honorary Doctor of Letters degree

In a video shared by paparazzo Viral Bhayani, Rani was seen getting emotional and fighting back tears as she received the honorary Doctor of Letters degree from La Trobe University. She was seen wiping away her tears of joy while smiling.