Why was 'Mardaani' actor Tahir Raj Bhasin worried about signing the film?

 Newcomer Tahir Raj Bhasin says his biggest worry while doing Mardaani was that girls were going to hate him for his portrayal of man running a women trafficking gang.The 27-year-old actor's role of a suave villain, who matches his wits with Rani Mukerji's tough cop in the Yash Raj Movie, has received phenomenal response.

Tahir says while his character was hated, women liked his look in the movie, which released last month.

"The biggest worry to be a part of this film was the reaction of girls. I was sure they were going to hate me and it happened. But there were many who hated my character but liked my look in the movie. Aamir Khan's tweet that he found me superb in the film was a cherry on the cake," Tahir told PTI in an interview.

Tahir, who hails from Delhi, was initially nervous to share the screen space with Rani but the Aiyaa star made him feel comfortable on the sets.

"I was very intimidated by her because it was a surreal feeling for me to act with the actor whose film you have grown up watching. But she made me feel very comfortable and gave me acting tips too. She never made me feel that I am a newcomer and acted as a mentor," Tahir said.

The Delhi boy bagged the role in the Yash Raj's banner after going through a rigorous auditions. "I have been staying in Mumbai for last four years to have a career in showbiz. I met YRF's casting director Shanoo Sharma some two years ago and shared my pictures, which she didn't like. One day she called me for a screen test for this film.There were around 200 boys already in the queue for the role.I cleared my screen test and was game for auditions which had many rounds," he said.

Ask him if he was not sceptical to start his Bollywood journey with the role of a bad man, Tahir says, "I am not worried. The role I played is very unlike to the villains in our industry. The character is more psychological and very subtle. There was a lot of scope for performance. In future too, I would like to take on characters with a third dimension."

Post the success of the film, the young actor has been signed by Yash Raj Films Talent Division, which will manage all his films, brand endorsements, events, appearances, PR and digital.

"I'm super excited to be managed by a team which is behind some of the emerging talents in the industry. It is every actor's dream to work at YRF and I feel very fortunate to be given this opportunity. I look forward to pushing the boundaries of my craft and taking new chances," he said.