Aaliyah Qureishi ‘Jhalli’ talks with Shah Rukh Khan in Jawan, her acting journey, music and upcoming 11-song album
Here's the latest update from the Bollywood world:
Indian singer-songwriter and star 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 movie, she had the opportunity to spend considerable time with the star and learn from him. In an exclusive interview with HT Lifestyle, Aaliyah opened up about her music journey, navigating the movie industry, balancing acting and music, and her experience of working with Shah Rukh Khan.
Adding to this, Before stepping into Bollywood, Jhalli had already established herself as a songwriter and musician . Sharing how her musical journey began, she shared, “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.”
Meanwhile, Jhalli began her journey as a singer- songwriter and musician before becoming more widely recognised as an star. Sharing how she navigated both worlds, she shared, “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.
Notably, View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jhalli ~ Aaliyah Qureishi (@jhalliverse)
As per the latest buzz, 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 shared, “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.”
In further updates, View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jhalli ~ Aaliyah Qureishi (@jhalliverse)
On top of that, 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.”
Source: Hindustan Times