How Taha Shah Badussha auditioned for 15 months for his ‘Heeramandi’ role

MUMBAI: Actor Taha Shah Badussha, who will be soon seen in the upcoming streaming series ‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar’, has shared that he auditioned for 15 months to land a part in the show.

Taha essays the character of Nawab Tajdar Baloch in the series, which marks auteur Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s OTT debut.

Speaking about his audition journey, the actor shared, “Having dreamt of working with the greats, Sanjay Leela Bhansali sat right at the top of my list. It took me fifteen months of relentless auditions for his show, and finally, the opportunity arrived -- a mere three-day role, but I was grateful that I would get a chance to receive his guidance. Meeting him was surreal, and it was then that he surprised me, suggesting a screen test for a more significant character, Tajdar’s best friend.”

Taha further mentioned, “Little did I know, this was just the beginning. Post-screen test, Sanjay called me again and proposed that I try for the male lead, Tajdar. Overwhelmed and honoured, I embarked on a journey that I knew would be unforgettable.”

‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar’ also stars Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Richa Chadha, Sharmin Segal, Sanjeeda Sheikh, and Aditi Rao Hydari.

The series is about the lives of mistresses in the red-light district of Heera Mandi in Lahore during the Indian Independence movement against the British Raj.

‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar’ drops on Netflix on May 1.