After his impressive debut as a baddie in Mardaani, followed by Force 2, Tahir Raj Bhasin will be seen as a romantic hero in the web series Timeout. He plays a regular guy who is dealing with everyday issues, which is an antithesis to his larger-than-life villainous filmi avatar. “It’s diametrically opposite to what I have played so far. Where I come from, if I am not killing someone or kidnapping someone, it means it’s a positive role,” laughs Tahir. He, however, adds that there are layers and dimensions to his character. “He is going through quarter-life crisis. He is having an internal battle — he feels stuck in his relationship and in his job. When director Danish Aslam approached me with the role, I immediately related to it because a lot of my friends today feel that way.”
A GUY NEXT DOOR
Was it easier playing this role compared to the dark characters he has essayed so far? “On the contrary, I found it more challenging. Playing a regular boy-next-door — without any big action sequences, dramatic music and lighting — being charming to a girl who you love but need some time off from was more exacting.”
THE SRK CONNECT
What also appealed to Tahir was his name in the series — Rahul, which is synonymous with Shah Rukh Khan’s characters. He says, “It was like a throwback to the ’90s. I grew up being an SRK fanboy and when I was told I will be called Rahul, I said bring it on. The icing on the cake would have been if the girl was called Anjali, but she is not!”
WEB MORE INTENSE
The actor finds shooting for a web series more intense and exacting as compared to films. “Films are shot over a period of eight months, but here in the span of one month, pulling a 12-hour shoot every day and shifting between two looks — one with a man bun and one without — with the character going through various emotions was taxing,” he says. Nevertheless, Tahir feels that the digital platform gives actors a chance to explore a new space. “Internationally, it’s a cool thing to be part of the web and here also it’s catching up,” he quips.
As for films, Tahir’s next outing will be in the biopic, Manto, where he plays the role of the ’40s superstar Shyam, who shared a great friendship with Sadat Hasan Manto.
