Quality over quantity is Tahir’s career philosophy

Four years old in the mainstream Hindi film industry, actor Tahir Raj Bhasin first gained acclaim in the Rani Mukerji-fronted crime drama Mardaani (2014), which had him playing a trafficker. Tahir had also made appearance in Force 2 (2016). But with his third major film, Nandita Das’ Manto, premiering at the Cannes film festival in the Un Certain Regard category this year, the actor is looking forward to an interesting phase in his career.

“My philosophy has always been quality over quantity, and as an actor that’s a very personal choice on how much you want to take on. I like to take on projects which are distinct,” reflects Tahir on his approach to films and his own work. The 31-year-old plays the role of Bollywood superstar Shyam in Manto, which has Nawazuddin Siddiqui playing the eponymous lead, the partitionera writer Sadat Hasan Manto.

Tahir says he likes to pick characters that stand out from the rest. “If Mardaani was a negative role, and there was a shade of grey in Force 2. As long as you can give the audience something new and they can relate to it, it will keep the wheel turning, as far as an artist is concerned. That is my endeavour — to put out good content and explore different territories,” he says.

Meanwhile, walking the Cannes red carpet has still not sunk in for Tahir. “Cannes was phenomenal! To present the film to the global audience was a proud feeling. Very few films make it to the category, and to be judged and seen by such prolific people was great. Very few times in your career do you get an opportunity to mix passion with patriotism, and this was one such opportunity,” he gushes.

As long as you can give the audience something new and they can relate to it, it will keep the wheel turning, as far as an artist is concerned. That is my endeavour. TAHIR RAJ BHASIN ACTOR

Tahir Raj Bhasin stars as a yesteryear actor in Manto, which premiered at the Cannes film festival recently