Actress Rani Mukerji, who was last seen on screen in "Hichki", will be starring in the second instalment of "Mardaani". She says the first part of the movie is very close to her heart and cannot wait to start filming "Mardaani 2".

"'Mardaani' is and will always be extremely close to my heart. Right since its release, everyone has asked me time and again when I would be doing 'Mardaani 2' and I'm sure this announcement will come as a pleasant surprise to them all. Gopi has written an extraordinary script that we all love and I can't wait to start shooting this film soon," Rani said in a statement.

"Mardaani", which released in 2014, featured Rani as a feisty senior inspector named Shivani Shivaji Roy, who took on the kingpin of a child trafficking racket played by Tahir Raj Bhasin.

Yash Raj Films' edge-of-the-seat entertainer, "Mardaani 2" is set to go on floors next year and will release in the later half of 2019.

Rani gave a sneak peek into the character of the chilling villain who she will have a big face off with.

"Shivani will face a cold, merciless villain who has no empathy, no fear of God and is pure evil. The character has been written superbly and I'm excited to find out who the actor will be," she added.

The film will be produced by Aditya Chopra.