Tahir Raj Bhasin | |
---|---|
![]() Bhasin in 2021 | |
Born | |
Occupations | |
Years active | 2012–present |
Known for | Mardaani (2014) Force 2 (2016) Chhichhore (2019) Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein (2022) Looop Lapeta (2022) |
Tahir Raj Bhasin (born 21 April 1987)[1] is an Indian actor who works in Hindi films. Born in Delhi, he holds a master's degree in media from the University of Melbourne. Bhasin made his screen debut with Kismat Love Paisa Dilli (2012) and made brief appearances in Kai Po Che! (2013) and One by Two (2014).
He made his official film debut with Mardaani (2014), which fetched him a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor nomination and the Screen Award for Best Actor in a Negative Role. He also played the antagonist in Force 2. His next film Chhichhore (2019) was a critical and commercial success.[2] In 2021, he played cricketer Sunil Gavaskar in 83 (2021).
Early life and work
[edit]Bhasin was born in New Delhi; his father worked in the Indian Air Force and he is the elder of two siblings.[3] His mother worked for Confederation of Indian Industry and Aptech Computers.[3] His younger brother is a pilot with Cathay Pacific.[3] His father and grandfather both served as fighter pilots in the Indian Air Force. During his school days, he participated in many extra-curricular activities.[4] He played basketball during school and did a lot of dance and theatre during college.[4]
At the age of 13, Bhasin started acting and began his fundamental acting training at the age of 15 at the Barry John Acting School.[5] He studied political science at Hindu College, University of Delhi and did a workshop with Aamir Raza Hussain, who is a theater personality in Delhi.[6] It was when he participated in the IIT Bombay's Mood Indigo festival that he decided to become an actor.[4] He holds a master's degree in media from the University of Melbourne, Australia with special papers in screen media and the history and philosophy of film.[7] At the age of 18, he worked at a national news production company where he hosted a campus talk show for a news channel.[6] Bhasin moved to Mumbai at the age of 23 to pursue acting and concentrate on modeling.[8] He joined the Institute of Advanced Acting and Behavioural Studies for a year, where he learnt about body language and behavioral analytics.[3] In 2013, he took part in the summer intensive acting and voice training program conducted by Naseeruddin Shah.[3][9]
Career
[edit]Tahir committed to acting professionally in 2012, when he featured in four short films for the Film and Television Institute of India and appeared in Indian television advertisements for companies like Samsung and Canon camera.[3] That year, he was seen in a cameo appearance in the comedy thriller film Kismat Love Paisa Dilli, directed by Sanjay Khanduri.[10] After starring in a seven-second role in Abhishek Kapoor's Kai Po Che! (2013), playing the role of senior Ali—the cricketer in the film—Tahir appeared in the romantic comedy One by Two (2014), directed by Devika Bhagat.[11]
In 2014, Tahir made his Bollywood film debut—in a lead role—in Pradeep Sarkar's crime thriller Mardaani alongside Rani Mukerji, in which he played the role of Karan Rastogi, a Delhi-based human trafficking kingpin. His character in the film, inspired from the American TV series, Breaking Bad,[12] was critically acclaimed and critics praised the representation of a "new, young, chilling face of crime" in Indian cinema.[6][13] Mohar Basu of Koimoi called Bhasin a "revelation",[14] and Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama mentioned that Bhasin made sure he leaves an "ineradicable impression" even if "pitted against a powerhouse performer" like Mukerji.[15] With the role, Bhasin topped "The Times hotlist'14" in the Best actor in a negative role category,[4][16] and was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the annual Filmfare Awards ceremony.[17]
In 2016, Tahir starred in the action spy thriller Force 2 as the antagonist opposite John Abraham and Sonakshi Sinha. His acclaimed portrayal won him a Star screen nomination for best supporting actor.
For his work in Mardaani and Force 2, Tahir ranked in the Forbes magazine 30 under 30 list for 2017.[18] The same year, he was ranked in The Times of India list of top 50 most desirable men.[19]
Tahir walked the red carpet at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival as part of the cast for Nandita Das’s Manto, in which he portrays the 1940s Bollywood star Shyam.[20]
In 2019, he portrayed one of the lead roles in Dangal director Nitesh Tiwari's feature film Chhichhore. The film became a blockbuster hit, grossing over 200 crores at the Indian box office and was awarded the prestigious National Award for best film.[21]
In 2021 Tahir starred In Kabir Khan’s 83, a film about India’s first cricket World Cup victory in 1983. He has essayed the part of the legendary test cricketer Sunil Gavaskar.
In 2022 Tahir had three back-to-back releases: Ranjish Hi Sahi, Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein and Looop Lapeta, where he transitioned to playing the romantic lead.[22]
The Netflix series Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein became a blockbuster hit and shot to number 1 on Netflix India. The Times of India said in its critique, "Tahir Raj Bhasin (who recently played Sunil Gavaskar in Kabir Khan's ‘83’) is delightful as a trapped Vikrant who is unable to escape. When he discovers that everything in his life is falling apart, including his true love, he makes the audience empathise and sympathise with his character's claustrophobic condition. Tahir's character arc is impressive, and he pulls it off like a pro."[23]
KoiMoi stated in its review, “Tahir Raj Bhasin is literally everywhere. In theatres with 83, on Voot with Ranjish Hi Sahi, on Netflix with Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein and Looop Lapeta trailer. And he deserves to be there. The actor has the capability to handle an entire show on his back. As a character that see a 180-degree transformation, there are a lot of expectations from him, and he doesn’t disappoint. Watch out for the scenes he is helpless in, the man knows his craft and how!"[24]
Miss Malini wrote, “Tahir is a revelation. He carries the nuances of Vikrant so effortlessly well and his journey from a small-town boy to a man-on-a-mission is a treat to watch."[25]
He starred in the Netflix film Looop Lapeta opposite Taapsee Pannu, which soared to number 1 on Netflix India's charts and was ranked in the top non-English films worldwide.[26] Tahir's performance as Satya opened to resounding critical acclaim. KoiMoi stated “This is a 2-balls-2-sixes situation for Tahir Raj Bhasin after proving his unerring mettle of acting skills in Yeh Kaali Kaali Aankhein. He underplays Satya big time without crossing the lines to be a caricature."[27] A CNBC TV18 critique said, “Tahir Raj Bhasin is on a dream run right now. Already basking in adulation for his performances in web shows Ranjish Hi Sahi and Yeh Kaali Kaali Aankhein, he’s wild and nimble in Looop Lapeta as Satya."[28] The film is the Indian adaptation of the hit German classic Run Lola Run.
Personal life and off-screen work
[edit]In a 2015 interview, Bhasin stated that he had relationships during his school and college days but after being committed to acting, he does not have time for relationships.[4] Bhasin walked for the ninth edition of the fashion show "Ramp For Champs" in 2015 and lent his support to the charity organisation Smile Foundation. The profits made from the event were used to educate girls.[29]
In 2022, he was ranked 20th in GQ India's "30 most influential young Indians" list.[30]
Filmography
[edit]† | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
Films
[edit]Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2012 | Kismat Love Paisa Dilli | Bamby | Cameo appearance; Film debut | |
2013 | Kai Po Che! | Adult Ali Hashmi | Cameo appearance | |
2014 | One by Two | Mihir Deshpande | Cameo appearance | |
Mardaani | Karan "Walt" Rastogi | Nominated - Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor | [31][17] | |
2016 | Force 2 | Shiv Sharma/Rudra Pratap Singh | [32] | |
2018 | Manto | Shyam | [33] | |
2019 | Chhichhore | Derek D’Souza | [34] | |
2021 | 83 | Sunil Gavaskar | [35] | |
2022 | Looop Lapeta | Satyajeet a.k.a. Satya | Netflix film | [36] |
TBA | Calling Karan † | TBA | Filming | [37] |
Web series
[edit]Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2016 | Love Shots | Nikhil | Episode: "The Road Trip" | |
2018 | Time Out | Rahul Trivedi | [38] | |
2019 | Pyaar Actually (Real is Rare) | Vivek | 2 episodes | |
2022 | Ranjish Hi Sahi | Shankar Vats | ||
Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein | Vikrant Singh Chauhan | [39] | ||
2023 | Sultan of Delhi | Arjun Bhatia | [40] |
Awards and nominations
[edit]Year | Award | Category | Film | Result | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2014 | Filmfare Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Mardaani | Nominated | [17] |
Screen Awards | Best Actor In a Negative Role | Won | [41][42] | ||
Most Promising Newcomer (Male) | Nominated | ||||
Stardust Awards | Superstar of Tomorrow – Male | Nominated | [43] | ||
Star Guild Awards | Best Performance in a Negative Role | Nominated | [44] | ||
Most Promising Debut – Male | Nominated |
References
[edit]- ^ "Happy Birthday Tahir Raj Bhasin " Mardaani Movie Actor"". Rajasthan Patrika. 20 April 2015. Archived from the original on 26 September 2015. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
- ^ Hungama, Bollywood (14 January 2015). "Winners of 21st Annual Life OK Screen Awards - Bollywood Hungama". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 3 November 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f "'If I am not shown in Mardaani, who will Rani's Shivani fight with?'". Rediff.com. 2 September 2014. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
- ^ a b c d e Khuranaa, Amann (13 August 2015). "Tahir Raj Bhasin: I am focusing on my work and don't have time for relationships". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 11 October 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
- ^ Bedi, Shibani (1 September 2014). "Rising Star Tahir Raj Bhasin on Rani, Aamir and 'Luck by Chance'". NDTV. Archived from the original on 26 September 2015. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
- ^ a b c Vaishnav, Anand (30 August 2014). "The Bad Boy Every Girl Loves To Hate". Indiatimes. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
- ^ Vijayakar, R.M (26 August 2015). "'Mardaani' Actor Tahir Raj Bhasin Signs Onto 'Force 2'". India West. Archived from the original on 11 February 2018. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
- ^ Varma, Lipika (1 September 2014). "Tahir Raj Bhasin - This new baddie is here to stay". Deccan Chronicle. Archived from the original on 26 September 2015. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
- ^ Rakheja, Henna (7 October 2014). "'Acting has always been my hobby'". Deccan Herald. Archived from the original on 26 September 2015. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
- ^ "From Sonali Raut to Surveen Chawla: What are the debutants upto?". Hindustan Times. 17 January 2015. Archived from the original on 26 September 2015. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
- ^ Thakker, Namrata (2 September 2014). "Tahir Raj Bhasin: I was really scared about working with Rani Mukerji!". Daily News and Analysis. Archived from the original on 26 September 2015. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
- ^ Basu, Mohar (29 August 2014). ""SRK Began With Darr & Few Years Later Women Were Falling In Love With Him" – Tahir Bhasin". Koimoi. Archived from the original on 26 September 2015. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
- ^ Shetty, Shakti (22 August 2014). "Movie review: 'Mardaani'". Mid-Day. Archived from the original on 26 September 2015. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
- ^ Basu, Mohar (23 August 2014). "Mardaani Review". Koimoi. Archived from the original on 27 July 2015. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
- ^ Adarsh, Taran (22 August 2014). "Mardaani Review". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
- ^ Sharma Garima; Gupta, Priya (23 July 2015). "Tahir Raj Bhasin of 'Mardaani' is the top negative actor of 2014". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 25 July 2015. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
- ^ a b c "60th Britannia Filmfare Awards 2014: Complete nomination list". The Times of India. 20 January 2015. Archived from the original on 20 January 2016. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
- ^ Kunal Purandare (7 February 2017). "30 Under 30: How anti-hero Tahir Raj Bhasin gets into the actor's skin". Forbes. Archived from the original on 26 June 2017. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
- ^ Sushmita Sen (27 June 2017). "3Most Desirable Men 2016: Hrithik, Ranveer, Shahid in top 10; Mr World Rohit Khandelwal tops the list". International Business Times. Archived from the original on 3 July 2017. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
- ^ "'Manto' at Cannes: Nandita Das-Nawazuddin Siddique film premieres at the French Riviera". dna. 13 May 2018. Archived from the original on 25 June 2018. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
- ^ KoiMoi (3 October 2019). "Chhichhore Box Office (Worldwide): Crosses The 200 Crore Mark! Topples Jolly LLB 2". Koimoi. Archived from the original on 17 February 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
- ^ "Tahir Raj Bhasin on back-to-back releases, playing the 'hero': 'I always wanted to play the romantic lead'". The Indian Express. 10 February 2022. Archived from the original on 18 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
- ^ Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein Season 1 Review: A twisted and gripping tale of power, love and deceit, archived from the original on 28 January 2022, retrieved 18 February 2022
- ^ "Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein Review: Tahir Raj Bhasin & Shweta Tripathi Starrer Is An Unsettling Poetry Of Love, Lust & Power With A Shakespearean Soul". Koimoi. 14 January 2022. Archived from the original on 18 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
- ^ "Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein Review: A Haunting Love Triangle That Keeps You Hooked Throughout". MissMalini | Latest Bollywood, Fashion, Beauty & Lifestyle News. 15 January 2022. Archived from the original on 18 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
- ^ Jha, Lata (12 February 2022). "'Looop Lapeta' makes it to Netflix's non-English top 10 films globally". mint. Archived from the original on 18 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
- ^ "Looop Lapeta Movie Review: If I Get To Go Back In Time, I'll Watch This Film Thrice!". Koimoi. 4 February 2022. Archived from the original on 18 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
- ^ "Looop Lapeta movie review: Let Taapsee Pannu and Tahir Raj Bhasin take you on a mind-bending ride". cnbctv18.com. 4 February 2022. Archived from the original on 18 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
- ^ "Ramp For Champs: Bollywood stars walk for girls education". Mid Day. 4 August 2015. Archived from the original on 26 September 2015. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
- ^ "Meet GQ's 30 Most Influential Young Indians of 2022". GQ India. 29 April 2022. Archived from the original on 24 July 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
- ^ Divya Goyal (22 January 2015). "From Mogambo to Mardaani: New Age Villains Are Taking Over the World". NDTV. Archived from the original on 26 September 2015. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
- ^ "Mardaani's Tahir Raj Bhasin Returns. May The Force (2) be With Him". NDTV. 4 September 2015. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
- ^ Scroll Staff. "Nandita Das's 'Manto' to be premiered at Cannes Film Festival". Scroll.in. Archived from the original on 4 December 2018. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
- ^ "Here's how 'Chhichhore' cast transformed into their characters". Times of India. 30 May 2019. Archived from the original on 7 November 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
- ^ "He loves challenges and that's why he is a part of '83, playing the role of the legendary #SunilGavaskar aka Sunny. #CastOf83". Reliance Entertainment Twitter. 14 February 2019. Archived from the original on 15 September 2020. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
- ^ "After Taapsee Pannu, Looop Lapeta makers unveil Tahir Raj Bhasin's first look". Bollywood Hungama. 9 February 2021. Archived from the original on 2 March 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
- ^ "Birthday boy Tahir Raj Bhasin is shooting for a new feature film; Says 'It will be a clutter breaker'". Pinkvilla. 22 April 2022. Archived from the original on 21 April 2022.
- ^ "B-Town's bad boy turns good for a web series!". 13 November 2017. Archived from the original on 17 November 2017. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
- ^ "Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein: Tahir Raj Bhasin is what Shah Rukh Khan could have been in a Netflix show". 18 January 2022. Archived from the original on 15 February 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
- ^ "Sultan of Delhi teaser: Milan Luthria's OTT debut reminds you of 60s charm; will release in October". India Today. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
- ^ "Winners of 21st Annual Life OK Screen Awards". Bollywood Hungama. 14 January 2015. Archived from the original on 16 January 2015. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
- ^ "21st Annual Life OK Screen Awards nominations". The Indian Express. 8 January 2015. Archived from the original on 8 January 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
- ^ "Nominations for Stardust Awards 2014". Bollywood Hungama. 8 December 2014. Archived from the original on 7 January 2015. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
- ^ "Nominations for 10th Renault Star Guild Awards". Bollywood Hungama. 8 January 2015. Archived from the original on 11 July 2015. Retrieved 24 September 2014.