Special Ops 2 actor Tahir Raj Bhasin on evolution of antagonists: Indian series have redefined the way we look at heroes

Hindustan Times

19 hours ago

Tahir Raj Bhasin recently appeared in the web series Special Ops 2, and the actor is 'on top of the world' with the reception he received for his stint. 'It was a very challenging shoot. It had a lot of psychological drama but also physical action spread across so many locations. So, when the audience and industry appreciates it, all that hard work seems to have paid off,' he says. Tahir Raj Bhasin(Photo: Instagram)
The role marked the actor's return as an antagonist 11 years after he made his debut as a villain in Rani Mukerji-starrer Mardaani. Ask Tahir Raj Bhasin if he found any familiarity returning to the negative shade and he says, 'It didn't seem like a familiar territory because this was a completely different world and (creator of Special Ops 2) Neeraj Pandey has his own style of working. But it definitely felt like this was an antagonist with a difference. He has his style and charm but with an intensity at the same time. He was part gangster, part tech tycoon, and it just made it very interesting.'
Tahir insists that there has been a 'steep change' in how antagonists are perceived in these 11 years. 'Definitely there's been a change in not only antagonists but also who we define as a hero today. Both the industry's writing as well as the audience appreciates the shades of grey. There are flaws in a hero, whether they are moral or psychological flaws. They make our protagonists and antagonists a lot more relatable,' he says, adding that it is because of the digital wave that started after COVID: 'The audience watched so much more international content. Even our own Indian series have redefined the way we look at heroes and stories.'
The actor feels fortunate that with diverse roles in his repertoire, he has not been boxed in a certain category, even after starting off as a villain. 'That is something an actor builds up over a certain number of years, as a result of choices and the parts he plays. I've had the good fortune of working with some incredible directors who broke the mould with me. It's been a journey of creating recall in both the industry as well as the audience's perception that you are malleable. To sum it up in one line, I enjoy playing parts that are disruptive,' he says.
Up next, Tahir will be seen in actor Parineeti Chopra's web series debut, directed by Rensil D'Silva. While he remains tight-lipped about it, he does share, 'It's a mystery drama and I haven't done that genre before. Rensil comes with decades of experience in both advertising and films, so he's going to bring a great aesthetic to the show.' The actor adds that now he has a few different genres in his wishlist: 'I haven't done an all out comedy. I would love to do something like that and also, when I sit down to watch a series or a film, I really enjoy watching detective dramas. So a good detective driven story is something that I'd love to be a part of,' he ends.