Jackie Shroff reveals how he picked up his ‘tapori’ lingo in true ‘bhidu’ style!

Jackie Shroff, affectionately known as Bollywood’s ‘Bhidu’, has long been celebrated for his effortless charm and signature Mumbai street slang. But have you ever wondered where the veteran actor picked up this tapori style?

Jackie recently shared the story behind it on the popular quiz show ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ (KBC), leaving everyone smiling with his nostalgic memories.

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He appeared on the show alongside his ‘Border’ co-star and close friend Suniel Shetty. During their lively conversation, host Amitabh Bachchan couldn’t resist asking him the question fans have always been curious about: “Where did you learn the ‘Bhidu’ language? How did you master it?”

In his trademark laid-back style, Jackie Shroff explained, “Sir, I grew up in an area where people spoke like that. You just had to keep your ears open and your mouth shut, and you’d learn it automatically. And sir, we learnt a lot from you too.”

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The veteran actor didn’t hesitate to credit Amitabh Bachchan for popularising the Mumbai street dialect in films. “Sir, you were the one who gave us that flavour. We came after you. You’ve gifted us the beautiful Mumbai language through your films. We’ve learnt from watching you.”

Jackie even reminded Big B of one of his legendary dialogues from ‘Amar Akbar Anthony’, which is still quoted by fans today: “Aisa toh aadmi life mein doich time bhagta hai – Olympic ka race ho ya police ka case ho” (A person only runs like that twice in life – either in an Olympic race or when chased by the police).

Amitabh laughed as he recalled the scene, sharing that it was one of those spontaneous moments that went on to become a cinematic classic.

Jackie’s love for Mumbai and its unique street culture has always been a big part of his identity. Born and raised in the bustling Teen Batti area, Jackie grew up soaking in the everyday language of the city.