Tahir Raj Bhasin

Tahir Raj Bhasin (born 21 April 1987) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi films.

Born in Delhi, he holds a master's degree in media from the University of Melbourne.

Bhasin made his screen debut with Kismat Love Paisa Dilli (2012) and made brief appearances in Kai Po Che! (2013) and One by Two (2014).

Tahir committed to acting professionally in 2012, when he featured in four short films for the Film and Television Institute of India and appeared in Indian television advertisements for companies like Samsung and Canon camera.

That year, he was seen in a cameo appearance in the comedy thriller film Kismat Love Paisa Dilli, directed by Sanjay Khanduri.

In 2013, he took part in the summer intensive acting and voice training program conducted by Naseeruddin Shah.

After starring in a seven-second role in Abhishek Kapoor's Kai Po Che! (2013), playing the role of senior Ali—the cricketer in the film—Tahir appeared in the romantic comedy One by Two (2014), directed by Devika Bhagat.

He made his official film debut with Mardaani (2014), which fetched him a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor nomination and the Screen Award for Best Actor in a Negative Role.

He also played the antagonist in Force 2.

In 2014, Tahir made his Bollywood film debut—in a lead role—in Pradeep Sarkar's crime thriller Mardaani alongside Rani Mukerji, in which he played the role of Karan Rastogi, a Delhi-based human trafficking kingpin.

His character in the film, inspired from the American TV series, Breaking Bad, was critically acclaimed and critics praised the representation of a "new, young, chilling face of crime" in Indian cinema.

Mohar Basu of Koimoi called Bhasin a "revelation", and Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama mentioned that Bhasin made sure he leaves an "ineradicable impression" even if "pitted against a powerhouse performer" like Mukerji.

With the role, Bhasin topped "The Times hotlist'14" in the Best actor in a negative role category, and was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the annual Filmfare Awards ceremony.

In 2016, Tahir starred in the action spy thriller Force 2 as the antagonist opposite John Abraham and Sonakshi Sinha.

His acclaimed portrayal won him a Star screen nomination for best supporting actor.

For his work in Mardaani and Force 2, Tahir ranked in the Forbes magazine 30 under 30 list for 2017.

The same year, he was ranked in The Times of India list of top 50 most desirable men.

Tahir walked the red carpet at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival as part of the cast for Nandita Das’s Manto, in which he portrays the 1940s Bollywood star Shyam.

His next film Chhichhore (2019) was a critical and commercial success.

In 2021, he played cricketer Sunil Gavaskar in 83 (2021).

Bhasin was born in New Delhi; his father worked in the Indian Air Force and he is the elder of two siblings.

His mother worked for Confederation of Indian Industry and Aptech Computers.

His younger brother is a pilot with Cathay Pacific.

His father and grandfather both served as fighter pilots in the Indian Air Force.

During his school days, he participated in many extra-curricular activities.

He played basketball during school and did a lot of dance and theatre during college.

At the age of 13, Bhasin started acting and began his fundamental acting training at the age of 15 at the Barry John Acting School.

He studied political science at Hindu College, University of Delhi and did a workshop with Aamir Raza Hussain, who is a theater personality in Delhi.

It was when he participated in the IIT Bombay's Mood Indigo festival that he decided to become an actor.

He holds a master's degree in media from the University of Melbourne, Australia with special papers in screen media and the history and philosophy of film.

At the age of 18, he worked at a national news production company where he hosted a campus talk show for a news channel.

Bhasin moved to Mumbai at the age of 23 to pursue acting and concentrate on modeling.

He joined the Institute of Advanced Acting and Behavioural Studies for a year, where he learnt about body language and behavioral analytics.

In 2019, he portrayed one of the lead roles in Dangal director Nitesh Tiwari's feature film Chhichhore.

The film became a blockbuster hit, grossing over 200 crores at the Indian box office and was awarded the prestigious National Award for best film.

In 2021 Tahir starred In Kabir Khan’s 83, a film about India’s first cricket World Cup victory in 1983.

He has essayed the part of the legendary test cricketer Sunil Gavaskar.

In 2022 Tahir had three back-to-back releases: Ranjish Hi Sahi, Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein and Looop Lapeta, where he transitioned to playing the romantic lead.

The Netflix series Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein became a blockbuster hit and shot to number 1 on Netflix India.

The Times of India said in its critique, "Tahir Raj Bhasin (who recently played Sunil Gavaskar in Kabir Khan's ‘83’) is delightful as a trapped Vikrant who is unable to escape. When he discovers that everything in his life is falling apart, including his true love, he makes the audience empathise and sympathise with his character's claustrophobic condition. Tahir's character arc is impressive, and he pulls it off like a pro."