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After many a false start, Taha Shah Badussha may have finally hit the mark with Heeramandi. Srijani Roy Chowdhury notes down his elation

Taha Shah Badussha comes from a South Indian family residing in the United Arab Emirates. He is the son of Shah Sikkander Badusha, an orthopaedic doctor and Mahnaz Sikkander Badusha, a former biochemist turned entrepreneur. Taha has an older sibling, Abid, who graduated as an engineer from the University of Toronto. Taha began his modelling career at the age of 16, collaborating with many prestigious brands. Alongside modelling, he ventured into the business world, contributing to his mother’s enterprises. Taha’s Bollywood journey began unexpectedly when a planned two-day trip to Mumbai turned into a prolonged stay, ultimately leading to his debut as the main lead in Y-Films’ Luv Ka The End (2011) opposite Shraddha Kapoor. This role, where he portrayed an anti-hero in a youth-centric film, set the stage for his acting career. In 2013, he featured in Karan Johar’s Gippi and went on to appear in Excel Entertainment, Dharma Productions and Eros International’s Baar Baar Dekho (2016). None of his earlier ventures made him reach the kind of stardom as Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi. His journey from an ambitious actor to a heartthrob, especially with his portrayal of Tajdar Baloch in the series Heeramandi, has been transformative. Taha, however, is quick to attribute much of his success to his mother. “My mom was a huge supporter. She has been there throughout my journey. This success is more hers than mine. She put blind faith in me and believed that it would happen one day,” he acknowledges, underscoring the indispensable role she played in his ascent.