Dark is the new cool: Tahir Raj Bhasin on playing a baddie

Tahir Raj Bhasin’s making bad look good and it’s becoming something of a habit. The actor was last seen as a baddie in Rani Mukerji-starrer Mardaani. This time, he goes dark for Force 2. Here, the actor talks about playing negative characters on-screen and his passions, off it....

You’re playing a negative character in Force 2 again after Mardaani.
I fell in love with the story and the concept. My character, Shiv, is a grey character. There’s a certain charm to the relationship he has with John (Abraham) and Sonakshi’s (Sinha) characters in the film, exploring that aspect made him interesting to play.  

In the trailer, you have been given as much footage as John. Did that surprise you?
No, not at all!  John and our director Abhinay Deo were always clear that this is a might vs mind story and that is what the trailer will reflect. John has been more than a mentor to me — his work ethic and openness is a huge inspiration on the sets. The only thing that surprised me about the trailer was the scale of our action and how slick it looked. I’ve been a part of the process, but that first time I saw the finished trailer, I was awestruck. My father is with the Indian Air Force and that’s what makes this film special — it makes a statement about men in armed forces.

Did you get to showcase your action skills?
Yes, particularly the roof-top chase scenes — the parts where we’re on a cable sliding between buildings and the hanging off balconies, were all done on real locations in Budapest. It was demanding and I was in functional and calisthenics training for eight months, with John’s trainer Vinod Channa, to be able to work on set. There was also the handling weapons and the rush of using a loaded firearm. The challenge really was to be able to respond to the action, act and be aware of multiple cameras that were being used.

After Mardaani and Force 2, do you want to turn positive now for your next?
(Laughs) It’s too soon to say. Dark is the new cool. My focus continues to be a lead actor in great stories worth telling. I look forward to parts that have a dimension or depth to them. This makes it interesting for me to do and the audience to watch. Whether he’s a chocolate boy die hard romantic or a gangster with swag, every good has a little bad and every bad has a little good in them.

What about you?
I am not completely good. And I’ve often been motivated by the bad. I get very competitive with myself and always look to better myself from my previous projects. I have learned that it’s important to work on the craft than the project. I am not choosy, but just particular about quality over quantity. Things that matter are a great story, entertainment, how the lead part moves the story forward and who the directors are. 

What kind of films do you like watching?
I’m a 90’s child and I have grown up on a staple diet of David Dhawan films, Baazigar, Rangeela and Dil Chahta Hai. A great thing in Bollywood today is that the same producer can make different films and the audience accepts it. It’s become very perceptive today and doesn’t not only think of a hero or villain but also a grey space in between like the Netflix series like Narcos and The Night Of, both of which are my favourites.

Which are three fav roles?
Leonardo di Caprio in Catch Me If You Can, Amitabh Bachchan in Agneepath and Shah Rukh Khan in Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa because all of them were flawed characters. They were not perfect, but you loved them for their vulnerability and that’s what attracts me.