His father flew Mirage 2000 for Indian Air Force, son faced 3 years of auditions. Rani Mukerji's co-star shares unusual Bollywood journey

Tahir Raj Bhasin became a household name with the 2014 blockbuster Mardaani. Although he essayed the role of an antagonist, Karan ‘Walt’ Rastogi, he gained appreciation overnight. Over the years, Bhasin made a name for himself and appeared in critically acclaimed hits such as John Abraham’s Force 2, Dangal director Nitesh Tiwari's feature film Chhichhore, Manto, the Netflix hit Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein, etc. It was while he was a student at the Hindu College, University of Delhi, that he decided to become an actor. He moved to Australia to obtain a degree in media from the University of Melbourne and later moved back to Mumbai to work as a model. In an interview with Rediff, the actor opened up about his journey in Bollywood.

The actor said it took him three years of going to auditions and facing rejections to finally land the role in Mardaani. He also opened up about how he faced opposition from his family, who consist of many Air Force officers, but later they came around.

“Initially, there was a little bit of concern. But then, when work started coming, Mardaani came. It was a very emotional moment for me when my parents first came to Bombay. They were crying because they were so excited that I was on screen, that it was an YRF film, and that it was opposite Rani Mukerji. It's been 12 years since that film, but that's the moment I still look back at and feel grateful for," he told the magazine.


He is the older of two siblings, and his father served in the Indian Air Force. His mother was employed by Aptech Computers and the Confederation of Indian Industry. His younger brother works for Cathay Pacific as a pilot. Both his grandfather and father were Indian Air Force jet pilots. During his tenure with the Indian Air Force, Group Captain Rajan Bhasin served as a pilot of the Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft.

On the work front, Bhasin will next appear in a film called Pal Bhar Ke Liye, which is the directorial debut of fashion designer-turned-filmmaker Vikram Phadnis in the Hindi language. Phadnis has directed some Marathi films. The movie is apparently about a taboo subject in Indian culture – mental health and how it affects family dynamics. He would also be seen in another film Calling Karan.