RISING LIKE A PHOENIX!
Taha Shah Badussha, who made his Bollywood debut in 2011 with the romantic comedy Luv Ka The End, alongside Shraddha Kapoor, was recently featured in the music video Nikal Jaana. In a candid interview with The Free Press Journal, Taha shares the roadblocks he faced as an outsider, dealing with failures and more. Taha came to Mumbai from UAE in search of opportunities. His family was extremely supportive of his decision to become an actor. “My parents were all for it, actually. They’re very open-minded people. My mom wanted to be part of the industry when she was younger. Her parents were not budging even though she was getting offers. When I told her this, she could see that I am somehow doing what she wanted to do,” he says. After starring in films, Taha went missing in action on the big screen until the invasion of OTT and hopping on the bandwagon of music videos like Ekk vari and Aaj sajeya. Opening up about his journey, Taha shares, “I joined this industry when I was like 20. I wish I could when I was 14 because it could give me a lead. Because Dubai mein kaunse opportunities
hain? Looking back, I believe everything that happened was to make me stronger. I also wish somebody was there to guide me. Hum bas bag
uthake aa jate hain, par yahan pe hai kaun? You make your own silly decisions sometimes.”
The actor maintains that he faces roadblocks every day but is reliant on real-life experiences in order to survive. “Only experience will give you a heads up of what lies ahead. You don’t learn by reading incredible biographies about people from the past. You breathe and understand, and that is when you know the pain. Failure is inevitable. The only way is to accept it and then try to overcome these obstacles is through a creative method because that’s what keeps you engrossed in your passion. By hook or crook, you’re going to make it,” he avers.
He leaned on his family during low times. “There have been moments when I’ve felt low, and I would mostly call up my mom or my brother. If not them, then I would just sleep it off, wake up, and somehow the pain was less. The problem is I don’t know anything else. This is all I know – acting, anything to do with performing or entertaining. This is what I do. So, there is no way to go,” he reveals.
Taha’s latest music video
Nikal jaana speaks of heartbreak. When asked if he has had his heart broken, Taha says, “Who hasn’t? If you haven’t experienced this part of life, you will never grow. My first heartbreak was when I was
16 or 17. That’s when I fell in love or thought it was love. So many girls have broken my heart. There’s always onesided love, I have faced that, and I’ve learned from it. But I still believe in love. There can be a thousand meanings or ways of showing love because it varies from love for friends, parents, platonic, passion or God.”
Taha is a busy bee and is currently working on multiple projects. “I am currently working on a revenge drama which will release on OTT. There’s another historical show that I’m doing with a huge cast that includes experienced legendary people, who I have learned from,” he signs off.