Aaliyah Qureishi ‘Jhalli’ talks with Shah Rukh Khan in Jawan, her acting journey, music and upcoming 11-song album

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Aaliyah Qureishi opened up about working with Shah Rukh Khan in Jawan, her acting journey and her evolution as a musician.

Indian singer-songwriter and actor Aaliyah Qureishi, who prefers to be called Jhalli, made her Bollywood debut in 2023 with the Hindi-language action thriller Jawan. As part of Shah Rukh Khan’s girl gang in the film, she had the opportunity to spend considerable time with the actor and learn from him. In an exclusive interview with HT Lifestyle, Aaliyah opened up about her music journey, navigating the film industry, balancing acting and music, and her experience of working with Shah Rukh Khan.

Aaliyah Qureishi aka Jhalli on balancing acting and music, working with Shah Rukh Khan and finding her own path. (jhalliverse/Instagram)

Jhalli on her music journey

Before stepping into Bollywood, Jhalli had already established herself as a songwriter and musician. Sharing how her musical journey began, she said, “I was a musician when I was in choir in school, and ever since then I realised I loved singing. I used to sing as a kid before I could talk. And then, as a songwriter, I think it began around fifth standard when I saw a dead frog on the side of the basketball court. I ended up writing a song about it called ‘Coming Alive’ because I thought the frog was coming alive with me.”

Navigating between music and acting

Jhalli began her journey as a singer-songwriter and musician before becoming more widely recognised as an actor. Sharing how she navigated both worlds, she said, “I never really felt like I had to choose, to be honest, because all my childhood idols were actors and musicians — Whitney Houston, Miley Cyrus, a lot of them, even The Beatles, have been in popular movies. I always had a vision of doing more than both. I want to do as many creative things as I possibly can in this lifetime,” she added.

Jhalli on her experience working with Shah Rukh Khan

Jhalli made her Bollywood debut alongside Shah Rukh Khan in the action thriller Jawan, a milestone that opened up new opportunities for her in the industry. Recalling her experience of working with the superstar, she said, “He was like a mentor. I remember sitting and yapping with him next to the monitors, and he would answer all my questions about acting, handling the pressures of the industry, and even things like manifestation and memes.”

Jhalli also recalled some of the advice she received from Shah Rukh Khan while working with him. “There is no right or wrong. No one really knows what’s right or wrong, and sometimes the wrong thing is better,” she recalled. She remembered him explaining that the iconic dialogue, “Bade bade shehron mein chhoti chhoti baatein hoti rehti hain, Senorita,” was not originally conceived to become a hit, but audiences eventually loved it.

He also shared how some projects he expected people to enjoy did not turn out as anticipated. His advice was simple: “Just keep doing it. Just act.” She also remembered him saying, “I’m never happy with my acting because it pushes me to be better and better. If I ever become happy with my acting, it will become boring.”

Jhalli also recalled one of the most important lessons she learnt from Shah Rukh Khan: to stay grateful even on difficult days. She remembered how, even after long and exhausting shifts, he would often say, “I’m just happy to be acting.” His attitude stayed with her, inspiring her to focus on gratitude rather than complain when things get difficult. “I feel like he just genuinely still, to this day, has so much passion and love for the craft, and it shows. It manifests in him just being really happy to be there,” she said.

Jhalli on social media scepticism

Jhalli runs an Instagram account, Jhalliverse, which has around 152K followers. However, spending more time in front of the camera has changed the way she views social media and the information she consumes online. “I've become much more sceptical of everything I see on social media and in the media in general. I feel a lot of it gets lost in communication. So when I see other people's news, unless it's coming directly from the mouth of a person, I don't believe anything,” she said. “I use it a lot less and just live in the moment,” she added.

Jhalli on trust, boundaries and finding her way in Bollywood

While navigating the film industry, Jhalli said she learnt an important lesson about protecting her energy and being mindful of whom she trusts. “Not everyone is your friend in the industry. I think I came in a little bit naive, and I had such a good experience on Jawan with my six girls that I very naively assumed everyone was a beautiful person who wanted the best for you, like these girls and I want for them. But then I met a lot of people who weren't as open and didn't necessarily want to be friends, but had different agendas. I think the lesson I learnt the hard way is to protect your energy a little bit. Come in a little closer, and when someone shows you that they have good intentions, you can open up a bit.”