'Karan doesn't want to see you': 'Heeramandi' actor Taha Shah Badussha recalls last minute audition cancellation

Taha Shah Badussha

Actor Taha Shah Badussha is currently basking in the success of the web series 'Heeramandi' created by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. He played the role of Tajdar Baloch in the series and has been appreciated for his performance. In a recent interview, Taha spoke about his days of struggling and how he nearly got an opportunity to audition in front of filmmaker Karan Johar over a decade ago. The incident happened before he was launched as an actor in the film 'Luv Ka The End'.

In an interview with Social Kandura, Taha Shah Badussha recalled the time he was called to audition in front of Karan Johar only for it to get cancelled last moment. 'After five or six months of (trying to get an audition in Mumbai), Shanoo Sharma called me. She said, ‘Karan Johar wants to test this girl, but you can come and test with her, and he might see you'. So, I'm like, ‘I'll take that opportunity, why not?'"

Taha continued, "I finished a prior shoot commitment, and I was under their building, when I get a call from Shanoo. And she's like, ‘I'm so sorry Taha, but Karan doesn't want to see you.' She asked me where I was, and I told her that I was far away and that's fine. I went back in an auto, I was really heartbroken, because they said he didn't want to see me at all."

A month later, casting director Shanoo called him over to her house, where he met several other aspiring actors. They'd all been gathered to audition for an upcoming YRF project, which the 'Heeramandi' actor eventually bagged and marked his debut.

However, later Taha did get an opportunity to audition for a Dharma project after he chased down Karan Johar's car. In an interview with The Week, the actor revealed, "I ran after Karan Johar sir's car and I hit his car telling him that I just got a film. ‘I want to show it to you, please give me your number'. He was very kind to give me his number and asked me if I was okay. He offered me some water, and that's how I met him for the first time. Later, I went to his office and got the audition for Gippi."