In the next couple of days, the audience will be able to see what magic Sanjay Leela Bhansali has created with his TV series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar.
Ahead of the show’s OTT release, some of the stars sat down for a heart-to-heart with Pinkvilla. During the chat, Taha Shah shared anecdotes of how he got the part of Tajdar.
Taha Shah reveals Sanjay Leela Bhansali cast him for a three-day role initially
While talking to us, actor Taha Shah recalled the first meetings with director Sanjay Leela Bhansali which were iconic for him. He further shared that he was signed for a three-day role in Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar and was later asked to play another character in the TV show.
He divulged, “I got a call from his office that he (Sanjay Leela Bhansali) wants to meet me. So, I met him. I was wondering what he wants to talk to me about a three-day role. During and after that meeting, he asked me about my previous work and then he increased my role to this character called Balraj. I was very happy and content that I am playing a bigger role, I’m playing a revolutionary. That’s all I really wanted.”
Watch the interview below:
After the look test for the role of Balraj, when the filmmaker called him again, Taha thought he was either going to be removed or moved back to playing the three-day role. But SLB told him that he saw something in his eyes and hence, he gave him the role of Tajdar.
Talking about his character in the Netflix series, Taha said, “I wanted Tajdar’s role. I have read Balraj’s scenes and of course, Tajdar was the leading man. I was hoping for it but I didn’t expect it. But when he said that, I was completely zonked. From that, it took me 3 months to get a call from him to confirm my role as Tajdar. I was just happy to be part of the show. So, that was my first meeting with Sanjay Leela Bhansali sir. It was unexpected, couldn’t have wished for something better.”
Taha concluded by stating, “Hopefully, this will be my second innings in the industry and this shall open up a few more doors to work and do different sorts of characters.” The series will be released on a streaming platform on May 1, 2024.
