It is rare to come across a man as sensitive as Taha Shah Badussha. The actor, who worked hard for a decade-and-a-half (he debuted opposite Shraddha Kapoor, also a newcomer, in Yash Raj Films’s Luv Ka The End) finally has his moment under the sun. Taha’s portrayal of the handsome Tajdar Baloch — a man of many shades — in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Netflix series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar has thrust him into the spotlight and earned him the title of ‘National Crush’. t2 caught up with an emotional Taha on being Tajdar, why opportunity x preparation is his mantra and how he reacts to being the newest national crush.

What have the last few days been like since Heeramandi released?

If I had to put it very simply, it is just been unbelievable. It is the result of 15 years of work. My guru once said that I have to be like a bamboo. You plant it in the soil, water it, give fertilizer and food every day, but nothing happens. It doesn’t grow for years and years. And then, all of a sudden, it comes out of the soil and then, in two weeks, it just shoots up.

I feel that this is my bamboo moment. For years, I have been putting in consistent work and dedication without getting much in return. But as they say, don’t count the fruits, just keep working.

That is what has happened to me after Heeramandi. I am very, very humbled. I have randomly cried at various moments these last few days. I am trying to not cry now (smiles). It is so overwhelming and I am so grateful.

My mom stood by me for 15 years with complete belief. This is not an easy industry and Bombay is not a cheap city, especially for a person who is trying to take care of his health, physique and lifestyle and it has been tough to maintain that in an expensive city. What I am experiencing today is thanks to my mom’s blessings and to Sanjay sir (Sanjay Leela Bhansali) who has given me a second life.

There must have been occasions in the last few years when you haven’t been so upbeat...

Now I am crying out of happiness, before I have cried for sadness. I have cried when I have been removed from movies, I have cried when my scenes have been cut out. I have been depressed when, even after giving the best audition, things haven’t worked out for me.

Of course, it feels good to have survived all of that, it has only made me stronger. My mom is very strong and she is the one who has been there for me when I have cried and gone into my shell. She has always told me: ‘Get right back up, get out of the house and start working’.

She is very practical. I have seen her beat herself up when we had nothing. She sold off her jewellery and started life from zero many times. She has made sure that my younger brother and I have had all the things we need.

I know that nothing can beat hard work. You can pray all you want, you can be seen at the right place at the right time... but nothing works like hustling every single day. You go from morning to night with complete honesty and dedication and one day it will happen. Sometimes, it takes 15 years, like in my case, but I don’t think I would have been as grounded if I had experienced this kind of success early in my life.

It is literally a flood of love and appreciation at the moment. But I have hit so many lows in life that I know that both failure and success are temporary.

How has your mother reacted to your performance in Heeramandi?

My mom is a woman of very few words, but I understand her love and appreciation through her gestures. She wants me to push even more. She is not from this industry, but she wants to learn everything about it just so that she can help me. Even at this age, she has more energy than me and she is giving it her all. Sometimes you don’t need to say anything. Her actions speak it all.

I believe you were signed on for a far smaller role in Heeramandi but Sanjay Leela Bhansali saw your potential and gave you Tajdar, who is the most prominent male character on the show. Do you believe in destiny, specifically with regard to your Heeramandi journey?

I believe that you make your own destiny. It is not luck by chance... it happens when opportunity meets preparation at the right time. Sanjay sir gave me the opportunity to audition for Tajdar but if I had messed it up, I wouldn’t have been here today. I nailed it because of all my training and acting classes and preparation.

Nothing comes through just luck. He gave me that opportunity because he saw it in my face and said: ‘Okay, this guy will suit the role... he has something in him’. But if I didn’t perform, then I would never get it. So it boils down to the right timing and right place but also the right education and preparation.

The sets, the costumes and the opulence apart, what was it like being on a Bhansali set for 100-plus days?

The sets and the opulence in Heeramandi are all part of Sanjay sir’s vision. My responsibility lay in acting to the best of my ability... all those things are external for me, the true work is internal.

To play Tajdar, I had to use my life experiences, what God has given me and how I could use that to drive myself to emote to the best of my ability. The making of Heeramandi is nothing short of a miracle. Every day, I had to show him that he has placed his bets on the right horse. So many people wanted this role, who wouldn’t? I didn’t want him to feel: ‘I wish I had taken anybody else’.

Thankfully, he liked me. I have got love and respect from him. To earn the respect of such a master, such an incredible, knowledgeable visionary, is a blessing. I am so happy that I was given the opportunity to do that on a daily basis over a year-and-a-half. Every single frame, every single time he puts the camera on me, whether it is a mid-shot close or wide shot, it didn’t matter. If I was in that frame, I had to ensure that the viewer’s eyes would be on me.

Despite him operating in a different time and space, did you relate to Tajdar?

I think that every character that God blesses you with has something of you in it. Or else, it would never come in your destiny. I find Tajdar standing up for what he believes is right, to be relatable. He asserts himself but not in an aggressive way. He is okay with standing alone and fighting alone. Like him, I don’t bend even if I am scared. And I also believe in the power of love. I have been blessed with some good relationships in my life. I have fallen in love and like Tajdar, I am a complete lover boy (smiles). When I fall in love, I believe that nobody can love the way I do. I am a Scorpio... either I am completely in or I am completely out. If I am, then I am all in... I will give you all my heart and all my soul. Taj is like that.

How do you react to being called the new ‘national crush?’

It is very humbling. Ladies of all ages — even my mother’s friends — are heaping love and praise. I have been given blessings and been told by people that they just want to hug me.

Being a national crush makes me very happy, of course. I am so happy to be getting this kind of acceptance. Since Instagram is the new world, let me give you an example. Even about six days ago, I was getting about 1,000 likes on a post I would put on Instagram. And this after 15 years of hard work. But just over the last four days, my Instagram posts are getting about a 100,000 likes on an average. So, national crush or no national crush, my heart cries (gets emotional for a couple of moments).

I read every comment and I repost everything because I know the value of even one person who appreciates your work. I don’t want to disappoint anybody, I just want to make them happy.