Amid Saiyaara's blockbuster success, Tahir Raj Bhasin on OTT vs Theater: 'On a larger picture, both of them can co-exist' | Exclusive

In an exclusive chat with OTTplay, Tahir Raj Bhasin opened up about his Special Ops 2 journey, OTT vs theater, his upcoming project, and more!

Tahir Raj Bhasin/Instagram

Tahir Raj Bhasin is a popular face in the entertainment industry. He has done several big films and series and was recently seen in Special Ops 2, starring Kay Kay Menon. He played the main antagonist, Sudheer Awasthi, and grabbed attention. In an exclusive chat with OTTplay, Tahir opened up about his Special Ops 2 journey, OTT vs theatre, his upcoming project, and more!

Tahir Raj Bhasin on OTT vs Theater

Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda's Saiyaara has become a blockbuster, brushing off all the speculations that the audience doesn't go to theaters anymore. Mohit Suri's directorial has changed the whole dynamics, and it has already crossed the Rs 200 crore mark at the box office. Amid Saiyaara's success, Tahir was asked about OTT vs theater debate.

He said, "The audience connects differently on both platforms. Because there are two different experiences, but I feel like in the larger picture, there's space for both of them. There are some experiences that are best enjoyed on a big screen in a community viewing and there are some stories that have chapter-wise storytelling, which are better told in episodic form and watched with a bunch of friends in your home. Definitely, there's a different appeal. But in the larger picture, both of them can co-exist."

Tahir Raj Bhasin on Special Ops 2 journey

Talking about his Special Ops 2 experience, Tahir said, "It was mind-boggling because of the sheer scale of what the series was and the complexity of the character. Most of my parts were shot in Tbilisi (Georgia), Budapest and that was exiciting but also to get into the genre, espionage and a thriller was super and the part of The Collector was so cool."

Tahir Raj Bhasin on playing layered negative roles in Mardaani and Special Ops 2

He shared, "What draws me to these characters is the fact that they are layered and complex. The character in Special Ops 2 is charming, but he has a certain intensity and very interesting quirks to him, and the audience today relates to these flawed characters, whether they are heroes or antagonists. In those flaws, there is a certain humanity in them, and people are really enjoying that part of The Collector in Special Ops 2.

He also showered praise on Neeraj Pandey's direction, the script, the backstory, and more in shaping his character in Special Ops 2.

Tahir also spoke about the most challenging scene in Special Ops 2 and he said that it was the interaction with Kay Kay Menon's Himmat Singh, and also his fight sequence with a fighter. He also shared advice he received from Menon.

Tahir Raj Bhasin on cyberterrorism theme in Special Ops 2

Tahir shared, "I think the theme is very contemporary and relevant. If it were made 10 years ago, it would be science fiction, but today it's a reality. I think that's the vision Neeraj Pandey had when he wrote it three years ago, but it's more relevant today than when he first wrote it. It was really enjoyable playing a character who is so contemporary."

Tahir Raj Bhasin on which of his roles so far has emotionally stayed with him the longest

"As an actor, it's like every role is a new journey. Every character that you do has an impact on you, and at the moment, because Special Ops 2 is something that I have done most recently, and the audience is really loving it, it's what has left an emotional impact in different ways. Every role leaves a mark but the one that you do most recently, remains with you and for me it is Special Ops 2."

Also Read: Special Ops 2 Review: Kay Kay Menon's spy thriller builds no-nonsense anticipation for a slow-paced yet engaging operation

What's next for Tahir Raj Bhasin

"I am in the process of shooting for a Netflix thriller series with Parineeti Chopra. It's being directed by Renzil D`Silva and Siddharth P. Malhotra is producing it. It's very exciting and very different from anything I have done before," he said.

Share