If you come across pictures of her on social media today, we bet you wouldn't be able to recognise Pooja Ruparel.
There's no denying that Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol starrer 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge is an iconic film. An out-and-out blockbuster, DDLJ is remembered most for its dialogues and an album that featured songs for every die-hard romantic. Not to mention of course the classic performances by the cast including Pooja Ruparel who essayed the role of Kajol aka Simran's younger sister 'Chutki' in the film.
A feisty young girl with a valid opinion on things beyond her purview, Chutki was an icon in her own right. A reason why many still remember her vividly from the film.
But, if you come across pictures of her on social media today, we bet you wouldn't be able to recognise Pooja Ruparel.
Let us take you through some latest pictures of Pooja and tell you about what she is up to now. Take a look.
1. Pooja Ruparel: Hindi film debut
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Pooja Ruparel made her Hindi film debut with the 1993 film 'King Uncle' starring Shah Rukh Khan. Later, she went on to star in 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge' as Kajol aka Simran's younger sister Chutki. Since her appearance in DDLJ, Pooja starred in 'X: Past Is Present' and the Hindi remake of the television series '24'. However, she hasn't been seen much in films or TV shows since.
2. Pooja Ruparel on her character Chutki
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Talking to TOI about Chutki in DDLJ, Pooja had said, "Her wit, humour and way of looking at things... I was like that in real life as well. In fact, no character has been as close to me as Chutki. Her really bad people skills and terrible sense of timing when it came to giving advice made her more human - it’s a typical trait of teenagers. At home, my family used to call me ‘dadi maa’ when I was a kid, and I was the only child till I turned six. I would talk like adults, because I hung out with them. Chutki, too, had all these traits. She was an extension of me in many ways."
3. Pooja Ruparel: Background
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Pooja aka Chutki belongs to a film family. She ofte4n mentioned in her interview that she grew up around actors. For the unversed, veteran actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha is her uncle and by that virtue Sonakshi Sinha her cousin. However, Pooja lost her father at a very young age and so ventured out on her own after featuring in a few films to survive.
4. Pooja Ruparel: Stand-up comic
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Yes, Pooja is a stand-up comic now and a good one at that! Speaking about her career change, in an old interview Pooja had once said, "You need people to make you laugh. Women always want to marry a guy who is funny. But why not be the funny one? Why is the responsibility of being funny on the man? So this is how stand-up happened. I also dabbled in doing voiceovers. I am also a qualified corporate trainer. I have done my masters in industrial psychology."
5. Pooja Ruparel: Tired of answering questions about Shah Rukh Khan
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In one of her interviews, as per an HT report, Pooja had said that she was tired of answering questions about Shah Rukh Khan, one of the reasons why she thought a change in career could be a good idea. She said, "I just didn’t think that I was going to get back into films. I was of the opinion that you need to sleep with producers to bag a part. I also lost my father at a young age and so I had the outlook that I’ll just get a job and work and earn money. But that didn’t work out as wherever I went, everyone would like 'Batao Shah Rukh Khan kaisa hai (What's Shah Rukh Khan like)'. And I was like 'He bhagwan (Oh God)'! And this was the time when the stand-up comedy scene was just starting out in India."
