Tahir Raj Bhasin on how 'Chhichhore' changed his life

For versatile Bollywood actor Tahir Raj Bhasin, Nitesh Tiwari’s Chhichhore has been a life-changing film. After his debut film 'Mardaani' got him huge critical acclaim and incredible success at the box office, Tahir once again was applauded for his performance in 'Chhichhore'. He thanks his producer Sajid Nadiadwala, his director Nitesh and his co-star late Sushant Singh Rajput for an unbelievable shooting experience.

“My fondest memories of shooting for Chhichhore were the parts we shot in IIT Bombay. Hostel 4, on which the film is based, really exists and shooting in the real corridors and canteens helped get the entire cast to reminisce their own college life and instantly bond. It was also a challenging film to be a part of; Nitesh Tiwari is a perfectionist and had me train with national level sports coaches to prepare for Derek. I was in training for 4 months for athletics, football and Kabaddi. This developed the character's physicality,” says Tahir on the film’s second release anniversary.

The young actor adds, “Watching Sushant work and spending time with him behind the scenes was an absolute joy. His focus and complete commitment to his personal growth was very motivating to watch. His intellect was unparalleled and the vastness of his topics of interest always entertained and enthralled the set. Sajid Nadiadwala has an instinct for great scripts, watching him mentor the project yet give the actors their space is a huge learning in leadership. One of my proudest moments after we premiered the film was when he congratulated me on how Derek had turned out in the film.”

Tahir is proud that he has Chhichhore in his body of work. He says, “There’s a great sense of achievement when I think of Chhichhore today. Doing a box office smash hit and celebrating the film’s National Award is a rare combination. I smile every time I catch Chhichhore on TV. The shot of Derek running the relay race in the climax of the film brings back memories of Mumbai’s humidity, 500 people cheering me on and physiotherapists between takes to get me back in shape just to do another take right. I smile, only because it was all so worth it!”

Chhichhore catapulted Tahir to new found recognition and he hasn’t looked back ever since. He says, “Chhichhore was an absolute blast to make. The part of Derek allowed me to explore a softer character than I had ever done before. Although he was the designated ‘hostel ka baap’, Derek was extremely emotional about his gang of brothers at hostel 4 . The audience related to this vulnerability which was the real challenge about playing the character. The film definitely catapulted how Studios and the audience saw me and it will always be a very special chapter on the road from Mardaani’s anti-hero to the more romantic hero parts I am exploring this year.”

Tahir will now be seen in Looop Lapeta as a romantic lead opposite Taapsee Pannu and in Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein, in which he has been paired with Shweta Tripathi. Tahir also plays the role of Sunil Gavaskar in Kabir Khan’s 83!