Tahir Raj Bhasin, who made a mark with his stellar performance in the 2014 film Mardaani as an antagonist, is back in the limelight with his Netflix series Shaque. In the series, Tahir Raj Bhasin plays Alok, husband of Anvita (Parineeti Chopra) and the son of Soni Razdan.
Torn between mother and wife, wife and her best friend, and constantly looking for a family to take refuge in, Alok is not an everyday character that Indian OTT has explored before. In an exclusive chat with NDTV, Tahir Raj Bhasin discussed his approach to the character, if he would ever play a hypermasculine man on screen, and if he feels insecurity for being part of an ensemble cast.
If The Story Demands…
Asked if Tahir would play a hypermasculine man on screen in an era of Dhurandhar, Animal, Toxic, the Shaque actor tells us, ‘It would really have to suit what the story is. For example, if I play in a gangster drama, if the story demands, then I would play it. So, I am for the story. I don’t think playing hypermasculinity as a character choice when the story doesn’t demand it, I would be in favour of.’
Played Heroes, Anti-Heroes And Now A Grey Zone
In the series Shaque, Alok Dutt is constantly grappling with different relationship choices in search of a perfect family. He and Anvita have lost their child after birth. He is having an affair with his wife’s best friend since she became pregnant for the first time.
‘I have played heroes, anti-heroes in the past. Alok operates in the grey,’ Tahir sums up.
‘The beauty lies in the fact the way the show is structured, you can see a new layer added to Alok’s character with each episode. My approach to any character is to find out what his core need is. Somewhere very deep in Alok is the need to have a perfect family — that is something that always remains unfulfilled. He, too, has lost a child. His wife has been searching for their lost daughter for 8 years. There’s a part of him that feels the loss of the child.
‘There’s another part of him that feels that his wife should move on and lead a normal life focusing on their second daughter, him and his mother. There’s also a choice of infidelity as he has feelings for his wife’s best friend,’ Tahir Raj Bhasin shares an insight into Alok’s psyche.
‘It’s a complex character. But it’s a world of complex characters. Every character is flawed and that makes playing the part enjoyable,’ says the actor.
Talking about the challenging part of the shoot, Tahir says, ‘It was challenging because it was never shot in a linear fashion. There were days when after breakfast Alok is pleading to Anvita (played by Parineeti Chopra) that this family needs her time. Sometimes, he’s trying to get her out of jail. So, the emotional graph is all over the place. It was not easy at all,’ he tells us.
‘Security Comes From The Script’
In a career spanning 10 films and web shows, Tahir Raj Bhasin has successfully played roles in an ensemble cast in films like Kabir Khan’s 83 and Nitesh Tiwari’s Chhichhore. Asked if he ever felt insecurity for losing his identity amid the crowd, Tahir says, ‘Be it 83, Chhichhore or Shaque, I have worked with brilliant directors, who are always at the top of their game. Security comes from the script. You know that the story can’t evolve unless the character evolves. I am very sure that my heart is with the character and the audience needs to know it.’
‘All these projects are different from each other. And you know the character will give the story a direction that gives security as an actor,’ adds Tahir.
Apart from Shaque, Tahir has featured in web shows like Special Ops Season 2, Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein, Sultan of Delhi, to name a few.
Also Read | Toxic: Does Female Pleasure Become A Pawn To Sell ‘Daddy Issues’?
