Almost a year after he stole the show as the trafficking kingpin Karan Rastogi/Walt in Mardaani, Tahir Raj Bhasin has gone back to being the bad man. Force 2, the sequel to the 2011 hit Force, starring John Abraham and Genelia D’Souza, will see the Yash Raj protege playing the chief antagonist, taking over from Vidyut Jammwal who had hit it out of the park in the first film. A t2 chat.

Congratulations for Force 2. Have you decided to play all fifty shades of grey?!

(Laughs) Yes, it’s a character with every imaginable shade of grey, as you mentioned, and I am very excited to be a part of Force 2. Vipul Shah (producer) and Abhinay Deo (director) make a very power-packed combo. It’s a dark and edgy crime thriller with a very interesting plot. Being opposite John is something that I am really looking forward to. 

When did you first watch Force and what did you think of it?

I watched it when it released. I remember seeing it in the theatre and what I really liked about how Vidyut had played the part was that it was a villain and yet he had a lot of layers. Everything wasn’t just demarcated as black-and-white… the antagonist had a role on a par with the protagonist. I liked the way the whole film was put together.
 
In an industry so quick to typecast, aren’t you afraid of being slotted as the suave bad guy?

You know, this character is very different from what I did in Mardaani. But what is common to the character (Walt) I played in Mardaani and what you will see in my character in Force 2 is that a human element ties the antagonist to the audience. And that quality, I feel, transcends the character you are playing… whether it is a good man or a bad guy. My primary criterion for signing a film — whether it is a romance or an action film — is whether the audience will be able to relate to it. And our antagonists today are not really like the villains of the ’70s and ’80s…. our bad guys today could be just anyone on the road… maybe your friend or your neighbour. The audience today is a lot more intelligent and they appreciate a character… whether it’s a protagonist or an antagonist. 

But aren’t you worried that only negative roles will come your way after this?

Not at all. Force 2 just happens to be the film I have signed, but a lot of (film) studios and directors have offered me all kinds of roles. I have read scripts for comedies, action, romance… in the last few months. More than anything else, I think it just arouses curiosity among filmmakers who are keen to explore different facets of actors today, if they see a certain promise of versatility in him or her. 

Walt’s villainy was predominantly through his mind while the antagonist in Force relied a lot on physical strength. How do you plan to reconcile the two in Force 2?

I really can’t comment on what the part is, but I can definitely tell you that it will be very different from the first film. It has Abhinay Deo (Delhi Belly, 24) directing and so it will be a lot more smooth in terms of the villain’s character. You are right when you say that Walt was all about the mind… for most of the film, I was on the phone, and in Force 2 — without giving away anything of the plot or character — I can safely say that there will be a lot more action involved than what you saw in Mardaani. This one will be off the phone and in the real space!

Have you started prepping for the role yet?

Yes, we’ve had a couple of readings. I’ve met Abhinay and John. We are slowly getting into preparing for the character and we start shoot in the first half of September. 

What happened to Babumoshai Bandookbaaz, for which you shot in Purulia earlier this year?

It was a fantastic project with Nawaz (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) and me in parallel leads... but you can’t always control what happens with production. It should restart soon. I am still very much a part of the project. 

Your female fans want to see whether Tahir can pull off a conventional romantic lead...

I am quite sure I can! What’s great about the Bollywood of today is that definition and dimension are both changing. I do want to play a variety of roles, from action to comedy to drama. And I hope that the audience likes me in everything I do. I can’t put a timeline to when you will, but it’s definitely on the cards. 

When we had spoken after Mardaani, you had talked about how you had waited for years for your first film. Now that you are billed as one of the exciting young talents to watch out for, do you feel the pressure a whole lot more?

I wouldn’t call it pressure or struggle, but definitely there is a change in my goals and aspirations. Initially, I was struggling to get a film or to get noticed… now I am aspiring for much more. I am lucky because YRF (Yash Raj Films) manages me and I have a lot of people in the business to advise me on my next step forward. But definitely, I have to work harder to safeguard what I have achieved so far. My goal is to do everything everyone else is doing, but to leave my unique signature on it… every time.

What kind of roles should Tahir do? Tell t2@abp.in