Taapsee Pannu says she was cast in Shah Rukh Khan’s Dunki ‘purely on talent’: Nobody picked up phone for recommendation

Taapsee Pannu has opened up about working with Shah Rukh Khan in Rajkumar Hirani's Dunki, saying she is happy she got the role purely on her talent.

Taapsee Pannu is currently gearing up for the release of her Mithali Raj biopic Shabash Mithu but the actor is quite excited for another project of hers, the release of which is still quite some time away. Next year, Taapsee will be seen in Rajkumar Hirani’s Dunki opposite Shah Rukh Khan. In a recent interview, Taapsee said she was happy about bagging the role only ‘on the basis of credentials and talent’.

Shah Rukh Khan and Taapsee Pannu will be seen together for the first time in Rajkumar Hirani's Dunki.

Dunki marks the first collaboration between Shah Rukh and director Rajkumar Hirani. The film is slated for a December 2023. According to reports, the shoot is set to commence later this year. This will also be the first time Taapsee will act opposite Shah Rukh and in terms of scale, it will be one of her biggest films.

Talking about the project with Indian Express, Taapsee said, “I feel so happy that this has happened purely on the basis of credentials and talent. Nobody picked up the phone for a recommendation. I got the film only because someone liked I what did.”

She also shared her excitement about being paired with Shah Rukh Khan. “I have to pinch myself every day to believe that this is happening. I have grown up watching his (Shah Rukh’s) films. For me, Shah Rukh Khan is the introduction to Hindi films. So just standing next to him in a frame is surreal. I just hope I don’t mess it up,” she said.