Pooja Ruparel reveals she feels 'immense love' when people still call her “Chutki' from DDLJ

Mumbai Oct 17
Actress Pooja Ruparel revealed she feels 'immense love' when people still call her “Chutki' from "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge".

During an exclusive conversation with IANS, Pooja was asked, "Even today, people fondly call you “Chutki.” Does that tag ever bother you?"

Answering the question, she shared, "Not at all! In fact, I feel immense love when people call me that. The warmth in their eyes and smiles means so much to me. Even after thirty years, if one expression or one scene from my performance still lives in people’s hearts, that’s a huge blessing."

Pooja added that she does not see it as being typecast, but a sign of pure love.

"And everyone knows I’m a good actress—picture abhi baaki hai doston!" she said.

Revealing what she feels after seeing her performance as Chutki in the iconic film, Pooja revealed, "I think sometimes the best work happens when you don’t overthink. Chutki’s character is a lot like me."

She went on to share, "In real life too, I’m someone who can’t hold back—if I see something, I speak up immediately, and then a “Chutki moment” happens! I still feel my performance was quite natural."

Talking about director Adita Chopra, she said, "Adi (Aditya Chopra) is such a simple and clear-minded director. I’m sure if something could have been better, he would have told me. Since he didn’t, it means he genuinely liked what I did—it matched what he wanted in that scene."

Sharing her experience of working with Shah Rukh Khan in the 1995 release, Pooja called it 'amazing'.

"He was so sweet and supportive. My mom had brought theplas during one of our outdoor shoots, and Shah Rukh would often come to our room to eat them. Once, he even put a banana inside a thepla and ate it! I was so amused—I remember saying, “Who eats thepla with banana?” I was just a nine-year-old kid then, and it all felt so much fun," she recalled.