The 14th edition of Rajnigandha Presents Jagran Film Festival (JFF) continued its Delhi chapter with candid conversations that offered audiences glimpses into the people behind some of Indian cinema’s biggest stories. Among them, Taapsee Pannu opened up about her experience of working with Shah Rukh Khan, sharing an amusing yet insightful exchange about his unmistakably Delhi-style humour and the lessons she picked up from the superstar.
Reflecting on the humour that comes naturally to Delhiites, often sarcastic, blunt and occasionally misunderstood, Taapsee revealed that she once asked Shah Rukh how he had managed to hold on to that part of himself despite decades in the Mumbai film industry. For Taapsee, the conversation went beyond humour, offering her a lesson in staying true to oneself while knowing where to invest one’s energy.
Speaking at the festival, Taapsee Pannu said: “I actually asked him this, that sir, this humour, which I think a lot of people will understand, Delhi humour, which is a little sarcastic, or people find it a little rude and rough. How did you deal with it, to keep that humour intact? Because he still has it. He is still a Delhiwala. His humour is so Delhiwala. So , I learnt a lot of subtle things about profession, about life, in general, from that man. And that, obviously, given, considering his experience, both ways, professionally and in life, in general. But yes, one thing I remember about him, which he must have said in a joke, is that the Bombay industry looks like Delhiwala is running it.”
Taapsee’s anecdote captured a lesser-seen side of Shah Rukh Khan the Delhiwala beneath the superstar while also revealing how his approach to humour, authenticity and life has stayed with those who have worked alongside him. At JFF, the story became more than a memory from a film set, offering a glimpse into the personality that continues to make Shah Rukh unmistakably Shah Rukh.
