In 2013, he featured in Karan Johar’s Gippi and went on to appear in Excel Entertainment, Dharma Productions and Eros International’s Baar Baar Dekho (2016). None of his earlier ventures made him reach the kind of stardom as Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi. His journey from an ambitious actor to a heartthrob, especially with his portrayal of Tajdar Baloch in the series Heeramandi, has been transformative. Taha, however, is quick to attribute much of his success to his mother. “My mom was a huge supporter. She has been there throughout my journey. This success is more hers than mine. She put blind faith in me and believed that it would happen one day,” he acknowledges, underscoring the indispensable role she played in his ascent.

Despite his mother’s unwavering support, Taha’s own dedication and hard work have been pivotal. He never took his opportunities for granted, especially after being chosen for the role of Tajdar in the Sanjay Leela Bhansali series. Taha immersed himself in the character, meticulously refining his diction and perfecting his portrayal of a sophisticated man returning from abroad. His efforts to honour the director’s vision were unwavering. “I only prepare from my end and then sir (Sanjay Leela Bhansali) tells me how he portrays a scene.”

The main preparation is to be in the moment,” he reflects. He almost wasn’t cast for the series. He had auditioned for another role but was rejected as Bhansali wanted him to try for something else. Taha received a call informing him that Bhansali has decided to go in a different direction, and he might not get this role. Taha was devastated. When he arrived at Bhansali’s office, he didn’t wait for the filmmaker to speak and immediately began pleading with him to reconsider. Bhansali then calmed him down by saying he wanted Taha to try for the role of Tajdar instead. That was the best surprise of his life and he promised himself he’s give his best to the opportunity. The rest is history.

Taha admires Bhansali’s genius, recognising that true mastery in their craft requires a blend of passion and precision. He doesn’t view Bhansali as a harsh taskmaster but rather as a perfectionist driven by an intense love for his work. “He is a perfectionist. I would not say he is a harsh taskmaster. To be very honest, even I am a harsh taskmaster. You need to be one if you want to become something in life. It’s not a negative thing. It’s the most positive thing because someone who loves what they do can be passionate about it. It’s not anger, it is passion. Unke daant mein bhi pyaar hain,” (You can feel his love even when he scolds), Taha elaborates.Participating in a Sanjay Leela Bhansali musical drama is a monumental achievement, and Taha is acutely aware of this. Working alongside legendary actors like Manisha Koirala and Farida Jalal has enriched his experience. He shares a touching memory of his first encounter with Jalal, who played his grandmother in the series. “I remember the first day, when I was coming down the stairs in my introduction scene, she was sitting there. We were just sitting and talking when the shot was being set up. The first time I met her, she made me sit on her lap. She kept hugging me while we were sitting. Our relationship has been like that from the first day on set,” he recalls warmly.

Portraying intense revolutionary scenes drew from Taha’s personal experiences. “I am not a revolutionary but I believe I become a revolutionary when I stand for the right. I have never backed down from standing up for myself and my friends. Back in school, I used to stand up to bullies. So, I used that in the movie. I used my personal life experiences to drive that. Other than that, dialogues, script and edits play a huge role,” he explains.Although Taha is modest about his status as a heartthrob, his romantic scenes with Sharmin Segal have captivated audiences. Reflecting on these scenes, he says, “Many aspects help you out, but personally, I believe that romance is me. I love loving. I love the feeling of love. Everybody wants love and respect. It was not hard to convey that. Even Sharmin is a great person. She loves her parents, she loves Sanjay sir, and she loves food a lot. So, how she derives it is of course her experiences. But I also think most of it is because of the well-written script that we have.”Taha thoroughly enjoyed depicting the romantic facets of Tajdar Baloch. “Of course, the love story is what connects to the young audience. When you become mid-age, your heart has been broken so many times, life has hit you so many times that sometimes you can stop believing in love. But as youngsters, love is the biggest motivator of your life. Love for a person, pyaar apne khayalo ke liye, kuch passion ke liye. Love can be for anything, for animals. Love is not limited, right? So, I absolutely enjoyed and loved romancing on screen. You know, every shot, every frame, how to enter, the look, the pause, the stopping, the blink of the eye, the girl shying away; especially uss waqt ka jo romance hain. Aaj kal ka romance toh theek hain, haath pakad lo. (I think the romance of yesteryears was more poetic than today’s) But at that time, it was beautiful,” he shares.

However, his personal favourites from Heeramandi are scenes featuring his co-stars. He particularly admires Richa Chadha’s elegant dancing and Manisha Koirala’s powerful line, “Mujra khatam kar.” He was deeply moved by the scene, stating, “Best shot. Best. I mean, this shot is enough. You have won my heart.” He also enjoyed Indresh Malik’s comedic interaction with Jason Shah, describing it as hilarious. Yet, his most cherished moment remains the emotional scene when “the Azadi song starts and Aditi (Aditi Rao Hydari) gets shot.”Taha acknowledges the dual nature of working on a grand set like Heeramandi, where the most challenging aspect was the waiting. “Sometimes, I used to wait for the entire day without taking a single shot. A lot of things were happening like setting and lighting changes, people’s clothes were changing. You feel tired after waiting so much. The easiest part was when the camera actually went on and you got to perform. It’s the easiest because it’s the most fun. For me, it’s the most fun. When the camera is on, my mind is fully in that moment. I don’t think about what is happening to my ex or to my friends. I am in the moment and I am completely lost. You just feel your breath and you are in that moment. That’s the easiest and the most lovely part.”Looking ahead, Taha is eager to embrace diverse roles that challenge his versatility as an actor. “I have a few things in my mind. I want to be a versatile actor. I did Taj, which was about the Mughal empire. I played Murad. It was a negative, angry and impulsive character. But Tajdar is the complete opposite. I am doing another project which has comic elements. You won’t see anything similar to Tajdar or Murad. So, now the next one, I want to do a biopic.I want to do something like Black (2005). I want to play a blind and disabled person. I want to do movies like Sadma (1983) and Sparsh (1980). I want to watch these kinds of films. I also want to do action films. I am good at action. I want to do a complete ‘masala film’ with action, drama, romance, dance and family elements. I actually want to do a mix of films,” he concludes, brimming with ambition and excitement for the future.