'Heeramandi' star says he's been likened to Sushant Singh Rajput

Rising star wants to take late actor's legacy forward

Taha Shah Badussha, who is victory-lapping his recent success and acclaim for his role in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, has opened up on being compared to the late actor Sushant Singh Rajput. In a recent interview with Siddharth Kannan, Taha opened up about his memories of Sushant and expressed his desire to honour his legacy.

“I knew Sushant personally," revealed Taha. "I know how it is to come from outside. I would like to take his legacy forward. People have actually messaged me and told me that I am their new Sushant. How awesome is that? Because I know how much love the audience gave him. I just hope to live up to these expectations.”

Recalling his interactions with Sushant, Taha reminisced, "He was a very philosophical and intelligent person. He would talk a lot about books, and I relate to him on that. I didn't spend too much time with him; we talked only at events and parties. When I met him, we talked about NASA. We also talked about ‘Kai Po Che' because I was being considered for Amit Sadh's character in the film, but I ended up not getting it because of the age difference.”

Taha's performance in Heeramandi seems to be a global hit. In his own words from an earlier interview with Film Companion, Taha recounted the overwhelming love he received from fans abroad. “There were some incredible people whom I just met from Malaysia!" he recounted excitedly. "They literally went ballistic! Just before this interview, there was this bunch of girls who went crazy. They were shouting, they weren't saying anything! All of a sudden I looked this way and they were like, 'Tajdar! Tajdar! Tajdar!' After that, they went crazy and they started crying."

Bhansali's opulent web series sees Taha portray Nawab Tajdar Baloch, a role that has significantly boosted his profile. The series boasts an ensemble cast including Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Sanjeeda Shaikh, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, and Sharmin Segal. 

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