Born in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), actor Taha Shah Badussha could not celebrate Diwali in a big way in his initial years. But it all changed after he moved to India, where he was mesmerised by the opulence of the festivities.

“In the UAE, celebrations were restricted to small sectors. Everybody would dress up in traditional attire and pray, but in India, everything is just so extravagant,” he tells us, adding, “When I first came here, I wasn’t used to it, but the celebrations made me fall in love with Diwali. I began to understand the culture and have even started playing cards with a few friends.”

Badussha, who did part of his schooling in India, looks back on that time with fondness. The actor shares, “In school, all the kids would gather and we would have a few fireworks. Being around those people, dressing up and just being a kid is something I cherish.”

The 36-year-old also says that he particularly enjoyed fireworks. “Those were really fun, except when there were a couple of mishaps — rockets flying into people’s houses, that wasn’t very fun. I remember a time when I lit a firecracker, and it fell on the ground and literally chased me!” he says.

As an adult, Badussha loves getting to share the warmth of the festival with others: “Diwali for me symbolizes the triumph of light over darkness. It touches my heart to have so many friends and being able to go all over with them celebrating Diwali.”

Ask about his favourite festive rituals and the actor replies, “Sending gifts to people that I love, and that list is growing exponentially. Making everybody happy is one of the best rituals.” He also notes that this year has been made so much more special due to the success of Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar. 

“The show and (filmmaker) Sanjay Leela Bhansali have given me so many blessings. It’s because of him that I’m here today and this Diwali has lit up my life,” he signs off.

Actor Taha Shah Badussha, who was seen in Heeramandi, had a "pinch-me" moment when he recently met Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise in London. The actor, who visited a studio there, shared a photo and a video on Instagram with Tom. "Pinch me! Just met my lifelong idol. The one and only Tom Cruise! (sic)," Taaha wrote.

While talking to us from London, Taha said, "Meeting him was like such an incredible surprise. Truly in awe of this man. He is my inspiration and definitely the greatest superstar of our time." He further added, "Speaking to him felt unreal. His words of wisdom really left me feeling motivated and encouraged. It's definitely a lifelong memory."

The Taj actor met Tom on Monday at the European premiere of Lee Isaac Chung's movie Twisters at Cineworld Leicester Square. Tom wore a white T-shirt, while Taha donned a suit. The Mission Impossible actor as well shared a picture from the special screening on Instagram. He posed with Glen Powell, who plays the role of Tyler Owens in Twisters.

Coming to Taha the actor who was also seen at Cannes Film Festival, spoke about networking at such film events. "I may not need to do this but I know where I come from. I always say that one day, you'll find one golden person, who will change your life. Out of the 500-600 people I met in Cannes and got the numbers of, I need one person to believe in me. I'll keep hustling. I'll keep building relationships and putting in my hundred percent," he had said in an interview.

“Nothing in 14 years, and then in a week, I got everything,” says Taha Shah Badussha, baffled at how his life has taken a turn since Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar dropped online on May 1. The actor plays the male lead Tajdar Baloch in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s period drama starring Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Shaikh and Sharmin Segal. But the journey to becoming a Bhansali hero was dramatic.

The actor remembers chasing casting director Shruti Mahajan for an audition. “After chasing her for 15 months, I got an audition for a three-day role,” he recalls. That it was a small role didn’t matter to him. “As long as I got even one day to show my work to Mr Bhansali, that was [enough]. I signed the contract.”

Then came the twist in the story. Bhansali called him for a meeting a few weeks later and told him that he would play the more significant character of Balraj. He happily agreed, unknowing that there was more drama in store. Two weeks on, he was told the filmmaker had changed his mind.

“I was very sad. I told Mr Bhansali ‘Sir, forgive me if I have done something wrong, but please don’t take this away from me.’ He sweetly sat me down and said, ‘There is [a spark] in your eyes. I want you to be the lead, Tajdar.’ When I was speechless, he said, ‘Tujhe nahin chahiye?’” 

Just like that, Badussha—who debuted with Luv Ka The End (2011) and then featured in forgettable films—found himself living the dream. However, a three-month wait followed during which he was offered three projects that had “a lot of money”. “The voice in my heart asked me to have faith. So, I turned down all three projects. Three days later, I got a call from Mr Bhansali, saying, ‘Come to the set,’” he smiles. 

It was worth the wait as the actor struck a solid partnership with the creator. While several actors have spoken about how Bhansali tends to be a taskmaster, Badussha says the director simply strives for perfection.

“I didn’t feel he was a taskmaster. He was cracking jokes and making fun of me. You are only a nervous actor when you are unprepared. If you put in the hours, you go on set prepared, and not as somebody who expects Bhansali to do everything for you. He’d push me, but he isn’t strict. He wants things to turn out exactly how they are in his mind, and if people aren’t giving their all, he gets frustrated. When someone wants that kind of perfection from himself, people around him have to be at that level.”