Tahir Raj Bhasin loves the cooler climes. In fact, he spent more than a month in the mountains when Coronavirus cases began rising across the country. However, the actor faced extremely chilly weather in Ladakh during his shoot this April, before he could rest it out in Manali. He was in the beautiful, but tough terrain to shoot for a web project.

Talking about the challenging schedule, Tahir says, “The Ladakh schedule was testing because we were shooting at -10 degrees. Also, Ladakh is at a higher altitude, so that was an issue, too, as you have to acclimatize before you get comfortable, and even then, you often find yourself out of breath. It looks stunning visually, but I have never battled so much with nature for a performance. For a 6 am call time, we had to wake up at 4 am. You have no idea what it feels like when hand sanitiser is sprayed on your hands at -10 degrees, but we had to keep doing it, along with following other protocols.”

The Chhichhore actor feels that leading the cast adds to an actor’s responsibility, especially during a time like this. “When you are shooting at a remote location, you may not have a medical facility nearby, but at the same time, you are checking your newsfeed, so you are aware of what’s happening around you,” he says, adding, “As the lead actor, I felt a certain sense of responsibility. During a shooting schedule, your first priority is to be healthy, so that the shoot isn’t impacted. Of course, it affects the studio and the producer, but the other thing at the back of your mind as the lead is that, if something happens to you, all those who have struggled to earn in the last year — set designers, carpenters, make-up artistes, spot boys, security guards — their livelihood would be impacted, too. We know that work was hard to come by in the last year for people across departments, and that’s motivation enough to keep working and going that extra mile to ensure that you stay safe.”

Actor Tahir Raj Bhasin was shooting for his next web project in Manali when the second wave of Coronavirus took over the country. Witnessing the situation, he decided to stay back for a longer period than intended.

“It was a lockdown all over, including Chandigarh, Delhi, Maharashtra and Himachal Pradesh. Leaving Manali would have meant taking cabs and multiple flights, so it wasn’t a good time. I took it as the universe sending a sign that this is where I had to be,” he muses.

Bhasin, who has a host of projects lined up next including Looop Lapeta and ’83, shares, “I first shot for Looop Lapeta in Mumbai and Goa, then came here for this series. It’s a complete lockdown here as well, just with a better view and weather.”

Amid all this, getting the first dose of the vaccine became a task for the 34-year-old. “When the slots for ages 18 and above started opening, I checked around, and the only one was available at a small village called Jagatsukh, which is an hour away from my place, and I also needed transportation. We had to apply for an e-pass,” recounts the Chhichhore (2019) actor.

Expressing his gratitude for managing to get the jab, he says, “They had converted a small primary school into a health centre. It was beautiful and surreal, looking at the whole Kullu Manali valley while waiting for vaccination.”

Tahir Raj Bhasin left his Mumbai home to shoot for a web show in March and hasn’t returned to the city in the last three months. The actor shot in many parts of the country, including Madhya Pradesh, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh, till the end of April. However, when it was time to return home, he decided to stay put at the last shooting destination, Manali. In fact, the actor even got his first jab of the vaccine there.

Talking about his long absence from Mumbai, Tahir says, “The show is such that it needed to be shot at various places. So, after shooting in Mumbai, we set out and filmed at various locations. The last part of the schedule was in Manali. But this place was chosen because we could see the signs of the second wave of the pandemic by mid-March. Shooting here with the minimum amount of people made sense as everyone would be at one place.”

The actor plans to come back to Mumbai soon, but before that he wants to stop over at Delhi to meet his family as he has not met them this year due to his work schedule and Coronavirus surge. Excerpts.

When asked why he decided to stay in Manali rather than return to Mumbai with the crew or head to Delhi where his family stays, the Chhichhore actor says, “After we finished shooting, I had to decide whether to stay back in Himachal or travel back. But the way things were back then, I would’ve probably had to take a car to Chandigarh, then a flight to Delhi and another flight to Mumbai. It didn’t seem like the wisest thing to do at that time, so I decided to stay put here.”

“It’s been over a month since I am in Manali, but I wouldn’t say that I am locked down here, I have stayed back by choice. People are expected to follow stringent safety precautions and protocol here, too,” says Tahir. Luckily, he managed to find accommodation there. “There’s a homestay that’s run by a family friend, which they opened for me. Luckily, I had an RT-PCR test done for the shoot, which you need to stay here. I just took it as a sign from the universe that I was here when the lockdown was announced in Mumbai,” he says.

The actor says that though rules are followed stringently, and he doesn’t get to venture out a lot, there are some perks to being in the midst of the mountains. He adds, “The rules here are pretty much the same, what’s different from Mumbai is the view and the weather.”

Tahir, a solo traveller, says he was conscious of the fact that this wasn’t a vacation. “I am fully aware that I am here only because of safety concerns, but as someone who has spent the previous lockdown in my apartment in Mumbai, I do know what that was like. Given a choice, this seemed to be a better option. Though I don’t get to be out a lot, everyone has a lawn and a little more space here in the mountains than in the cities, and the weather is definitely more hospitable. My friends in Delhi and Mumbai keep telling me that I am lucky to be surrounded by nature at a time like this, and I realise that, too,” he says.

Speaking about his routine in Manali, he shares, “My routine here is similar to the one I have in Mumbai. I have a workout routine at home and then I cook for myself. The only difference is the workout happens in the garden instead of a room in my apartment.”

Tahir says that the first lockdown emphasised the importance of human contact. He says, “That period really taught me the importance of family and being in touch with loved ones. When the pause button was hit due to the pandemic, everyone realised the importance of human contact. After the lockdown, when I stepped out and went for a short walk, it felt like such a privilege.”

Since his family lives in Delhi, he plans to meet them when he leaves Manali soon. “Due to the lockdown last year, I got an opportunity to meet them in November 2020. I haven’t met them this year due to my shooting schedule and the sudden surge in COVID cases. That’s another challenge when you are shooting,” he says, adding, “Even if you have two days off, you can’t meet someone else and put your crew at risk. On the other hand, you also meet people at work, and end up wondering whether it would be safe to go home and meet your parents and grandparents. This whole year has been challenging, especially for people living away from their families, because you have to pick whether you want to meet your family or you want to work.”

The Ranveer Singh-starrer biographical sports drama '83 is slated to release in June this year. The film directed by Kabir Khan chronicles India’s first Cricket World Cup win under the captaincy of Kapil Dev in 1983. While Ranveer Singh has portrayed Kapil Dev, Tahir Raj Bhasin has essayed the role of Sunil Gavaskar in the film.

Not just his impeccable batting, Gavaskar is also known for his sharp sense of humour, ability to mimic people and accents and his winning mindset. During the course of the film, he sat with Tahir to share some valuable details of his life and career.

Tahir says, “Playing a living legend is a massive challenge. There’s a lot of pressure. I met Sunil Gavaskar a couple of times before we started the shoot, and I read his biography, too. I watched all his interviews, but when you see that man walk into a room and the aura he carries, there’s a lot of pressure. On-field he was a tiger, but off the field, he is extremely charming and funny. To be able to portray that combination was a challenge.”

Tahir adds, “He also had a certain swag when he walked onto the field. I asked him if that is how he naturally walked or did he adapt a style while walking to the pitch. He told me, ‘When one is opening the innings for India against a side like West Indies, where every player is as tall as 6’3 or 6’4, and you are 5’4, you need to bring in a certain power, strength and confidence in your walk.’ That, for me, was a beautiful life lesson, not just as a screen cricketer but an actor as well. ‘How you walk into a room is how people perceive you.’ Nuggets like these, which emerged from our face-to-face conversation and weren’t in his biography, helped me mould into the character. I want to tell everyone who has been waiting for 83, that as actors, we can only portray the essence of a character. I haven’t mimicked Sunil Gavaskar. It’s an artiste’s impression of who he was as a player.” 

After getting delayed for over a year due to the Coronavirus pandemic and the makers insisting on a theatrical release, Ranveer Singh’s sports drama '83 is finally slated to release this year. The Kabir Khan-directorial, which chronicles India’s first ICC Cricket World Cup win under the captaincy of Kapil Dev in 1983, will hit the theatres on June 4. While Ranveer Singh portrays Kapil Dev, actor Tahir Raj Bhasin essays the role of Sunil Gavaskar in the film.

In a conversation with Bombay Times, Tahir spoke about the film, playing Gavaskar and what it’s like to work with Ranveer.

Tahir said, “Playing a living legend is a massive challenge. There’s a lot of pressure. I did my research well. As far as Ranveer is concerned, when he is in the same room as you, he’s like a thunderbolt... a live wire, who compels you to up your game. There’s this energy he exudes the moment he walks into a room.”

He further explained, “Before '83, I had only seen Ranveer’s interviews and seen him at a few places. I got to know him better during this film. A lot of people ask me whether he is really like that. All that energy, is that real? I feel it’s genuine. He commits to a part 110 per cent. When you have a guy like him playing the captain, it compels you to do better as well, and it shows. It helps the entire unit.”

Sharing the screen with Ranveer was important for Tahir for a special reason — the Sunil Gavaskar-Kapil Dev dynamic. He shared, “It was particularly thrilling for me because there was that Sunil Gavaskar-Kapil Dev dynamic. Gavaskar was the skipper before Kapil Dev. We had to feed off each other’s energy to get that dynamic right.”

Talking about the team functioning as one unit, he said, “The credit goes to Kabir Khan because he was clear that the team had to function as a unit. All of us started our cricket training six months before the commencement of the shoot. Even in the United Kingdom, we would travel in a team bus. We would eat, travel and stay together. By the end of it, we felt like a unit. It was a life-changing experience, and I am glad we finished the shoot then. Had it been delayed, it would have been extremely difficult to shoot during the pandemic.”

Two years ago, Tahir human Raj Bhasin's uncon ventional debut as a trafficker in Mardaani impressed the industry and the audience. The nuanced performance drew plum acting offers, of which he chose Force 2 as his next outing, where he plays the young baddie. What stays with us after a confabulation with this young turk is his clarity of thought and frankspeak. Excerpts:

Aren't you wary of being stereotyped as a villain, since you're playing one for the second time in Force 2?
Two films are too less to judge me. My character in Force 2 is more of an antihero. I'm sure the audience will find something relatable about him. I'm not the first actor to do this. And the audience is fairly mature enough to separate the actor from the character. They might hate the character but love the actor. Without revealing details of my role, I can say that he doesn't like violence, has strong Indian values and a sense of humour.

How did you prepare for the action scenes?
John Abraham and Sonakshi Sinha were my mentors. There was a rooftop chase sequence with John and me. There were six cameras following us. While I had to be aware of him following me, I also had to give the right look in different cameras and be in character. So, it was stressful. I underwent functional training for six months with John's trainer. It helped strengthen my muscles. It was like preparing for a marathon.

After making a mark as a baddie in a big film, you signed another after two years. Were you being particularly choosy about the films you signed?
I was clear I wouldn't play dark, gritty characters immediately after Mardaani. And I didn't want to play a lover boy either. The second film is more important than the first, so I was keen on doing something different and substantial. Five months after my debut, I started talking to Vipul Shah and Abhinay Deo and here we are with Force 2.

Few would have noticed that you played miniscule parts in KLPD: Kismat Love Paisa Delhi and Kai Po Che. Do you regret these roles?
Nope! I took them up because I was keen to act. When I came to Mumbai, I was stubborn that I'd only work in films. I could have done TV and theatre too, but that would have distracted me.

Are you as intense as the characters you portray on screen? Who's the real Tahir Raj Bhasin?
I'm not all that dark and intense. I'm a romantic guy, a traveller and like listening to romantic music. I'm also quite shy and don't easily mix up with people at parties. I guess, it's typical of Delhi boys.

You've admitted to being in a relationship, but you recently said that you don't have the time for love anymore...
Yes, I was in one, but right now, I am not in a steady relationship. I'm not in a committed relationship because I'm focused only on work. But never say never - if you meet someone nice, you can take it forward.

So far, you have worked with two big banners. But has it been a struggle making your way here?
I remember, during my first acting class, my acting coach Barry John said, 'You're very good'. It was a huge compliment because it came from a man who has trained Naseeruddin Shah, Manoj Bajpayee and Shah Rukh Khan. That's the first time I felt I could live my dream. I came to Mumbai four years before I bagged Mardaani. The interim was a period of aspirations. I don't perceive it as struggle. I had an air of arrogance that I'd land a big banner film in Bollywood and set my foot here. But I realised it doesn't work that way. It takes time. In those four years, I met filmmakers, auditioned for several roles and did workshops at dance classes, so when I get that one big chance, I can crack it. And Mardaani's audition changed my fate.

Did you ever consider joining the armed forces like other members of your family?
My father and grandfather are Air Force pilots. My younger brother is a civil pilot but my parents wanted me to pursue something I was good at. I was an above-average student who excelled in basketball and theatre. I virtually grew up at Air Force bases, and when I was younger, I'd dream of wearing a uniform like my father and grandfather. But when I turned 10, I felt theatre and acting were my calling. My family was supportive about my decision. They told me to educate myself in the field that I wanted pursue. I did a Masters Course in Film Studies before becoming an actor.

What's the next step after Force 2?
I'm reading a few scripts. I want to explore diverse genres. It's a great time for newcomers. My only criteria while selecting roles is that it should be a lead part in an interesting story where the character has depth and layers.