'Want to be remembered...': Tahir Raj Bhasin on career choices
What's the story
Tahir Raj Bhasin, who recently starred in the Netflix series Shaque, has revealed that he wants to be "remembered" through his work rather than just being "famous." The actor believes in choosing roles across genres based on this philosophy. Speaking to PTI, he said, "There is a difference between being famous and being remembered, and I choose the latter. I make all of my choices based on that."
Career journey
How Bhasin's career reflects his philosophy
Bhasin made his acting debut in 2012 with Kismat Love Paisa Dilli, followed by a cameo in Sushant Singh Rajput's Kai Po Che! and One by Two with Abhay Deol.
His breakout role came in Rani Mukerji's Mardaani, where he was the antagonist.
He later played the villain in Force 2.
"I want to be remembered as an actor...who led gripping stories and made people aware of the experience of being human and many emotions like thrill, emotion," he said.
Typecasting challenge
On being typecast in certain roles
Bhasin also spoke about the industry's tendency to typecast actors in certain roles. He realized early on that diversifying his filmography was important to avoid this.
"It was challenging at the start because when you debut with an anti-heroish part like in Mardaani, then people want to see you in the same thing, which I also took as a compliment."
Role diversity
Examples of diverse roles in 'Manto,' 'Chhichhore'
Bhasin cited Nandita Das's Manto, where he played Shyam Chadda, and Nitesh Tiwari's Chhichhore as examples of his effort to play diverse characters.
"In Manto, I had the opportunity to work with Nawazuddin Siddiqui, which was amazing. We were shooting in the villages of Gujarat and the next thing we were walking the red carpet in Cannes; it was incredible exposure."
His latest series Shaque also challenged him to explore a different understanding of masculinity.
Latest series
'Shaque' explores a different shade of masculinity
Bhasin said, "The challenge in Shaque was to display the masculinity that we don't often see in our cinemas."
"Being with a vulnerable female protagonist...but also being a son, a father, and a friend, and going through a traumatic experience but also facing consequences of one's own choices."
The show stars Parineeti Chopra as Anvita, a mother whose newborn daughter is abducted from a hospital. Nine years later, she remains determined to find her child.
Bhasin plays Chopra's husband.