It usually irks to watch the same actor popping up on screen again and again until it’s Tahir Raj Bhasin who slips into offbeat characters and reigns supreme.
Last night, I streamed Netflix’s latest Looop Lapeta which worsened the loop of dark circles around my eyes but the screen tinted with hues of orange and green satiated my hunger for a crisp visual. Yet, what was more refreshing was Tahir essaying a passive male lead (Satya) yet effortlessly controlling the narrative.
Satya in Looop Lapeta owns up to his screw-ups and does not shy away from being rescued by his girlfriend Savi (Tapsee Pannu) from life-threatening situations he finds himself trapped in.
Regardless of how meek the male leads are, Bollywood films usually climax on a note that glorifies the ‘hero’ in them. And the fact that Tahir never tries to be your mainstream hero, comes as a breath of fresh air.
Dissecting the equation between Bollywood and powerless male leads sails my ship to Netflix’s romantic-thriller Yeh kaali Kaali Ankhen. Tahir delivers a spectacular performance as Vikrant, an emasculated protagonist.
It’s unique because a plot with a male protagonist pursued by two women characters gives us the impression that he’s a macho man, but Tahir’s character is miles away from that trope.
Shattering the stereotype of irrational masculinity that’s been injected in our minds for years successfully dilutes the unrealistic expectations society has from men. Yes, ‘mard ko dard nahi hota’, we are pointing fingers at you!
Apart from this, Tahir also single-handedly lifts the weight of a script that isn’t up to par with his phenomenal acting like he did in Voot’s Ranjish Hi Sahi.
Reel or real, slipping into characters comes as naturally to him as breathing and with that, he miraculously keeps a sinking show afloat.
The bliss of watching him dominate the screen kicked off when he played the batting legend Sunil Gavaskar in 83, a film based on India’s historic win at the 1983 World Cup.
For the same, Tahir received undivided love and accolades for his nuanced and terrific performance.
Can we ever end crushing on Tahir without mentioning Chhichhore’s Derek who was rebellious, badass, football-playing college senior who we still can’t get enough of!
From fetching a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor in his debut film Mardaani alongside Rani Mukerji to ruling over our screens, Tahir Raj Bhasin’s persistence seems to have cracked the code of being an on-screen stunner.
