30 Under 30: How anti-hero Tahir Raj Bhasin gets into the actor's skin

Tahir Raj Bhasin | 29
Actor
Category: Entertainment

The biggest thing for an actor is to not have to introduce himself to a producer or a casting director. And that happened,” says Tahir Raj Bhasin, about the impact of his performance in Mardaani (2014). “It’s a filmy thing to say that life changes on a Friday, but I experienced that in real life.”

His menacing portrayal of the kingpin of a prostitution racket was followed by another impressive turn as an anti-hero in the espionage thriller Force 2 (2016) which also earned critical acclaim. “Tahir is a thinking actor who is superb at giving subtle nuances in performances. That is a rare commodity in today’s age,” says Abhinay Deo, director of Force 2.

Bhasin, who believes acting is a philosophical craft and a psychological process, likes to go into the depths of a character. As a result, he prefers quality over quantity and spends 2-3 months to develop a character once the bound script is ready. “Your first film is your resume. After that, your talent counts. And in the two years between Mardaani and Force 2, I realised that you are only as good as your last film. If you are not constantly reinventing yourself, you are going to lose to someone who is better,” says Bhasin, who trained under theatre veteran Barry John for two years when he was 15.

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Deo also points to Bhasin’s versatility. “Tahir has the potential to ride both the horses, to be both the hero and the villain,” he says.

That will be a significant advantage in his journey towards stardom. After all, though his short resume is already impressive, Bhasin—who holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s in film from the University of Melbourne in 2010—has set his sights on bigger things. “The ultimate goal for an actor is stardom… I want to be an actor who is a star,” he says.

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