In Neeraj Pandey’s Special Ops 2, which recently premiered on JioHotstar, Tahir Raj Bhasin plays an antagonist, yet again. But, as always with Bhasin, there’s a twist hiding somewhere. There’s something about his screen presence, about his script selection, about finding the unconventional within the conventional, that always makes him rise above what’s written on paper. Here, too, he might be playing a so-called villain, who just like all the villains he has portrayed, is smarter, quirkier, and more fun than the protagonist. And as with many of his past roles, his character taunts his nemesis over phone calls, constantly teasing a physical showdown. But again, with Bhasin, this isn’t your regular villain. If you read between the lines, he’s actually more of an anti-hero: a character who brings much-needed political depth to an already exhaustive genre of espionage.
In an exclusive chat with SCREEN, Tahir Raj Bhasin breaks down his character in depth. He also talks about working with Neeraj Pandey and Kay Kay Menon, how he goes about choosing his scripts, his first-ever interaction with his on-screen idol Shah Rukh Khan, and how he always manages to be disruptive, while staying within the same mold.
Excerpt edited for clarity and brevity
How you go about choosing your scripts. Is there anything in particular you look for?
Choosing scripts, for me, is like starting a new relationship. You have to be very picky because you live with a character for months. What matters most is: how is your character driving the story forward? Do they move the plot? For example, in Mardaani, my debut, I come in around the 27th minute, but the energy of the story shifts once I enter. Another example is Chhichhore, where my character Derek shows up close to the interval and changes the direction of the narrative. So I look for characters that are plot twists in themselves. And of course, who’s directing and writing it matters a lot. I’ve been lucky to work with some incredible filmmakers, right from the late Pradeep Sarkar in Mardaani, to Nandita Das in Manto, Nitesh Tiwari, Kabir Khan. And even in series, I’ve worked with showrunners like Milan Luthria, Siddharth Sengupta, and now Neeraj Pandey. But if I had to sum it up in one line: I look for lead parts that are disruptive.
You also kind of answered my next question about choosing directors. I was listening to Ranbir and Shah Rukh talk about how they look for a deep, almost romantic connection with the filmmaker. Do you relate to that?
Absolutely. There needs to be synergy between the actor and the director. Sometimes you get to workshop together, and that helps with familiarization. But other times, you figure each other out during the shoot. It’s then when you have to grasp the mannerisms, energy, rhythm. So yeah, it’s like a platonic relationship. And it’s interesting when you work on a sequel, say, like with Siddharth Sengupta on Yeh Kaali Kaali Aankhein 2, it’s like reuniting with an old friend. You already have a shorthand, and that helps immensely.
What I really liked about your character in Special Ops 2 is that he’s almost a larger-than-life antagonist, almost filmy. And you’ve performed him with a pinch of panache, which makes him unconventional from your previous antagonists, who were rooted in realism.
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That’s a spot-on observation. For me, Neeraj Pandey’s work has always represented a blend of style with realism. The characters are pitched with realism, but there’s always a stylistic way he tells the story. That really resonated with me. As I’ve evolved in my craft, I’ve realized that I want to stay grounded in realism, but not let go of the style. And when I heard the narration of The Collector, I thought it was incredible that his opening scene has him listening to classical music. That’s so unusual, not what you expect from a spy-espionage thriller. That moment got me. Then his backstory, being an orphan and deprived of material possessions, gave me a window into his current behaviour. Now he hoards all the things he couldn’t have. That’s where his psychological makeup comes in. As you said, it’s unconventional. What I liked is that he’s disruptive. He’s part gangster and part tech tycoon.
Tahir Raj Bhasin says he plays the character of The Collector with a pinch of style
There’s a moral complexity to his character which got me thinking. It reminded me a bit of Jim from Pathaan, who was a new kind of antagonist who doesn’t believe in borders and just happens to be on the other side.
Yeah, that’s called moral relativism in philosophy. He truly believes he’s right. I love the fact that he’s a guy with principles, and it’s up to the audience to judge those principles. But he truly believes in them. Every time he interacts with someone, he does it through a philosophical lens. I call it “Collector Philosophy.” Like he says at one point, “We’re both in cybersecurity, just on opposite sides.” Or when he tells the doctor character, “I’m actually the good guy.” That’s what makes him fascinating. The way he’s written, it’s like he’s a reformer.
Yeah, in a way it’s borderline Nolan-esque. Derived from that kind of sensibility.
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That’s a big comparison, but I get what you mean. As a kid, you grow up fantasizing about Batman. But when you grow up, you realize the Joker was making a lot of sense. There’s a point in the show where he says something like: “The government takes tax and fools people. I just take a little tax and run my business.” He says things the protagonist can’t. He operates outside the system, while the protagonist is confined within it.
Exactly. I was even thinking of writing that The Collector is the political spine of the show. He brings nuance and becomes a sort of voice of reason. You can almost imagine him becoming a character like one of Prakash Raj’s, if he were in the system.
Totally. And that goes back to your first question, does the character speak to the audience in a new way? The Collector does. There’s a moment in the first episode where Kay Kay’s character says something that sums up The Collector’s entire philosophy. So, in many ways, they’re two sides of the same coin.
Speaking of Kay Kay Menon, can you talk to me about the phone call scene with him in the final episode, what was it like filming that?
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It was actually a huge challenge. Kay Kay and I shot our parts in completely different locations. I was in Georgia, and he was in Mumbai. So the performance had to land purely through voice and timing. When I finally saw the scene after the show was released, I felt it came together beautifully. I loved how both the characters complemented each other. Even our glasses were symbolic, his conventional frames vs. my large, stylized ones. It subtly hinted at generational and ideological contrast. I even called Kay Kay and said, “Phenomenal man! We need to do something together soon.”
Tahir Raj Bhasin shares that the phone conversation with Kay Kay Menon’s character was one of the most challenging scenes to film
You’ve played antagonists before, but never quite the same way. Still, do you worry about being typecast?
That’s always the challenge, to do something different, break the mold, and then move on. After a dark part like The Collector, I’ll probably look for something lighter or completely different. And I love flawed characters. That’s the cinema I grew up in. Think of Shah Rukh in Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa or Aamir in Rangeela. Both of them were highly imperfect, yet so lovable.
You’ve now done at least three major long-form projects. Do you think we’ve hit a saturation point with streaming? Recently, even Anurag Kashyap was talking about how we’re heading back toward the era of bad television.
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I think after Sacred Games, there was this burst of experimentation. We saw shows and characters that would’ve never made it to Indian screens otherwise. But soon it became mass-produced, shows dropping every week. Now I think that excess is wearing off. Financing and greenlighting are getting more aligned, which I think is a good thing. It’s quality control. We’re moving toward more curated, higher-quality content.
You’ve been doing this for almost a decade now. What’s the most memorable compliment you’ve received?
I remember it was from Aamir Khan, right after Mardaani. He even tweeted about it, invited me to his green room, and later called me also. That was huge, especially being new to the industry. It meant a lot. Also, after Yeh Kaali Kaali Aankhein, Ram Madhvani called and said he loved the performance. Coming from someone who’s such a perfectionist, that really stayed with me.
You’re from Delhi and a Shah Rukh fan. Any stories?
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I remember meeting him at the screening of Fan. There’s an aura when he enters the room, but he also focuses so intently when he’s talking to you. He gives you his energy, and that’s so rare.
Since we briefly mentioned Nolan, what’s your favorite Nolan film and screenplay?
Hmm, as a screenplay, I think Oppenheimer was interesting. Dunkirk was also really well written. But my favorite film would have to be Interstellar. If you woke me up and said, “Pick one Nolan film to watch in IMAX,” I’d choose Interstellar. It’s so complex yet beautifully distilled. Also, it has this filmy, almost Bollywood-like heart, especially in the finale, where he goes back for love! It doesn’t get more cinematic than that.
Lastly, what’s next for you?
I’m currently working on a mystery drama with Parineeti Chopra, directed by Rensil D’Silva. It’s a Netflix series, we just wrapped shooting. Also, Yeh Kaali Kaali Aankhein Season 3 is being written as we speak.
