Long before Shah Rukh Khan became one of the biggest names in Indian cinema, he was a newcomer bringing a distinctly Delhi flavour to the sets of his early films. Dalip Tahil, who worked with him on ‘Baazigar’, recently recalled just how confident and full of energy the young actor was — and shared a hilarious incident that took place during the film’s Delhi schedule.Tahil, who has spent decades in the film industry, has recently found himself back in the spotlight after making his reality television debut with ‘The Traitors Season 2’. Yet, his performance as the ruthless Madan Chopra in Abbas-Mustan’s ‘Baazigar’ remains among his most remembered roles. He went on to share screen space with Shah Rukh in several films, including ‘Deewana’, ‘Darr’, ‘Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani’ and ‘Ra.One’, but ‘Baazigar’ remains particularly memorable.Tahil looked back at the time when ‘Baazigar’ was being shot in Delhi and Shah Rukh was still at the beginning of his career. Describing the actor’s personality at the time, he said, “He was full of Delhi Harkatein. A typical young man from Delhi — cocky, confident, with this energy — and it worked for him. I’m so glad it did,” he said in an interview with NDTV.Tahil explained why he believed that confidence helped Shah Rukh stand out in an industry where newcomers often struggled to make their presence felt. “You come from Delhi, you come from anywhere, and you want to make it as a hero — you’ve got to have a bit of confidence and cockiness. In this profession, those attributes work for you because most people around you don’t have that kind of confidence. So when you arrive with it, people notice.”At the time, Shah Rukh had only recently made his Hindi film debut with ‘Deewana’ in 1992. By the time ‘Baazigar’ arrived in 1993, he was still years away from becoming the superstar the industry knows today. Tahil recalled one encounter in particular that perfectly captured how unfamiliar Shah Rukh’s name was to the public then.“Shah Rukh was new. We were shooting in Delhi for Baazigar. I was in the hotel lobby waiting for a cab, and this couple — a typical ‘Tate Dilli’ couple — saw me and asked what I was doing. I said that I’m shooting for a movie. By then I’d already had quite a few films released, like Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. So I put my collar up, thinking I was the most recognised person at the time — though that didn’t last long once Shah Rukh came on the scene! I’m just kidding.“He continued, “This couple asked me, ‘Picture ki shooting chal rahi hai?’ I thought, Shah Rukh is new, so I should say his name with full emphasis. I said, ‘Shah Rukh Khan.’ And the man, in typical Delhi style, turned to his wife and said, ‘Shrukh.’ All my effort went flying out of the window — typical Delhi!”Tahil also had fond memories of filming the much-talked-about car sequences in ‘Baazigar’. What could have been a routine shoot turned into an enjoyable few days for the cast, with Tahil and Shah Rukh even turning the track into their own little competition.“It was great fun because we drove around and they literally had to drag us out even for lunch. I think Shah Rukh used to have his lunch in the car. We had a wonderful time driving around the Sri Sri Parahanbadur track, racing in earnest. Shah Rukh and I even had little side bets on who would beat the other. Of course, we had to adjust our speeds for the film, but otherwise it was four days of complete fun on the tracks.”Released in 1993, Abbas-Mustan’s ‘Baazigar’ starred Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol and Shilpa Shetty. Tahil’s portrayal of businessman Madan Chopra, whose family becomes entangled in Shah Rukh’s character’s revenge story, became one of the most memorable antagonist performances of the era. Decades later, the character continues to live on through memes and pop-culture references.
