GANGSTA RAP!

TAHIR RAJ BHASIN HAD A ROLLICKING TIME PLAYING A MAFIA DON IN MILAN LUTHRIA DIRECTED SULTAN OF DELHI. TANZIM PARDIWALLA NOTES DOWN THE VIBES

It took Tahir Raj Bhasin, who started out with cameo appearances in Kismat Love Paisa Dilli back in 2012 and Kai Po Che! In 2013, years to land a leading role. His breakout moment came with Mardaani, a year later, alongside Rani Mukerji. Since then, the Delhi-born actor has come a long way to playing the main character in Milan Luthria's Sultan of Delhi - one of the most-watched shows of the year. "The universe and the stars align," quips Tahir as he reflects on his filmography full of unique roles. He goes on to muse about notes on acting he collected from his co-stars and the journey of discovery that his method is, in fact, not having a fixed method. Excerpts:

Why do you think people are so hooked on shows like Sultan Of Delhi?

There's something very sexy about gangsters, like people who live in the grey and that's what Sultan Of Delhi is about. It's about hustlers and at the base of it, it's a human story. It's a story about human politics and about relationships. Crime just happens to be in the backdrop. And I think the Indian audience or any audience loves to live vicariously through the characters that they watch on screen. And that's what makes Arjun Bhatia, my character, interesting to watch.

Who are some iconic movie gangsters that you may have looked at for inspiration?

Internationally, AI Pacino's portrayal in Scarface is something that comes to mind. I also like the characters in Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs. Closer to home, there's Once Upon a Time In Mumbai, Company and Satya. I found this genre interesting because, in all of these films that I've named, there is always a human aspect with a backstory or something in the story arc of the character that leads him to where he gets. That's always very interesting to create as an actor.

What was your collaboration with Milan Luthria like?