DYK Taapsee Pannu turned to Shah Rukh Khan for inspiration on Shabaash Mithu sets? | Exclusive

Taapsee Pannu took inspiration from Shah Rukh Khan for her role in Shabaash Mithu. The film, based on Mithali Raj's life and career, will hit the theatres on July 15.

Taapsee Pannu plays the lead role in Srijit Mukherji's Shabaash Mithu, which is based on the life of former Indian women's cricket team captain, Mithali Raj. The sports film that depicts the challenges that Mithali faced and overcame to achieve her dream. Taapsee not only learnt to play cricket but also turned to other ways to find motivation on set.

Talking about drawing inspiration from the famous 70-minute-long scene from Shah Rukh Khan’s Chak De! India, Taapsee recalled the first time she saw the scene. She said, “I was ready to run through a brick wall when I heard that speech for the first time. That is an iconic moment and it is a classic. So, I think I keep going back to the film whenever I need encouragement or inspiration. For this film, especially Shabaash Mithu, there were so many times I used to tell my colleagues - the girls who were acting with me - 'I think we should watch Chak De before we start filming our climax to get into that zone.' That really helps.”

Interestingly, Taapsee is also working with Shah Rukh Khan in her upcoming film, Dunki, with Rajkumar Hirani. When asked about the excitement of working with SRK, Taapsee said, “I think I will talk in detail about that when the film releases. For now, I will still say that you know that excitement of shouting on top of my voice from my rooftop, that is still there. 'It is still a hard to believe' kind of a moment. But, it is still sinking in slowly that it is happening.”

Shabaash Mithu hits the theatres on July 15, 2022.