Actor Taha Shah recently made waves when he played Nawab Tajdar Baloch in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Netflix show, Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar. The actor, who debuted in 2011 in Bollywood, says he didn’t always have it easy. Talking to The Week, he recalled when he ran behind Karan Johar’s car. 

Taha Shah on landing Gippi

Taha told the publication that he ran behind Karan’s car once because he wanted an audition. He told them Karan had noticed him, stopped the car, and even offered him water. “He saw me, stopped the car and offered some water. He called me the next day to audition for the film Gippi by Dharma Productions. That’s how I got the role,” he told them. Taha played Arjun in Sonam Nair’s 2013 film, but he says that too, did not make his career. Following that, he starred in movies like Barkhaa (2015), Baar Baar Dekho (2016) and Ranchi Diaries (2017), which didn’t get him any fame.

Taha Shah on Ranveer Singh

Taha debuted in Bollywood with the 2011 film Luv Ka The End, directed by Bumpy and starring Shraddha Kapoor. The film was produced by Y-films, a subsidiary of Yash Raj Films. While his performance was appreciated, the film didn’t do well. Around the same time, YRF launched Ranveer Singh with Band Baaja Baarat (2010), making him a star. Talking about how his film fared versus Ranveer and Anushka Sharma’s film, he said, “Ranveer did an amazing job in the film. Also, the target audience was much larger. The film's hyper-localisation (with its Delhi slang and locations) changed the way films were being made.”

Taha Shah in Heeramandi

Karan once spoke about Taha to the press and reportedly said, “Taha has a strong screen presence that combines machismo and vulnerability. I am sure he will have a great innings at the movies.” It took years for the actor to finally reach that place with Heeramandi where the audience could see his potential. Taha recently played Saartaj in R Chandru’s Kannada film Kabzaa (2023) with Upendra in the lead role.

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