Mumbai, Jan 19 : Bollywood actor Tahir Raj Bhasin has begun shooting for designer-filmmaker Vikram Phadnisâ?? new project with actress Saiyami Kher, and he said that the material allowed him to explore a different shade of his craft while telling a clutter-breaking story.

Talking about the film, which marks the designer-filmmakerâ??s first directorial venture in Hindi, Tahir said heâ??s excited about a part that pushes him out of his comfort zone.

â??Itâ??s truly rewarding to begin the year immersed in work, and this project with Vikram Phadnis feels particularly special. Iâ??m grateful to be part of a story that steps away from the familiar and asks something new of me as an actor,â?? Tahir said.

He added: â??The material allows me to explore a different shade of my craft while telling a clutter-breaking story, which is always what I look for. Iâ??m looking forward to sharing this journey with the audience.â??

Tahir was recently seen in â??Special Ops 2â??, where he played a menacing antagonist. The show also starred Kay Kay Menon and Karan Tacker. It followed RAW officer Himmat Singh, focusing on preventing a massive cyberattack threatening India's digital infrastructure.

Before that, he featured in the hit series Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein and Sultan of Delhi, a period crime thriller by Milan Luthria. The series is set in Delhi in the year 1962 and is based on writer Arnab Ray's book Sultan of Delhi: Ascension and stars an ensemble cast including Mouni Roy, Anjum Sharma, Vinay Pathak, Anupriya Goenka, Nishant Dahiya, Mehreen Pirzada, and Harleen Sethi.

Tahir made his screen debut with Kismat Love Paisa Dilli in 2012 and made a brief appearance in Kai Po Che!. He then appeared in the romantic comedy One by Two, directed by Devika Bhagat.

In 2014, Tahir made his debut in a leading role with Pradeep Sarkar's crime thriller Mardaani alongside Rani Mukerji, in which he played the role of Karan Rastogi, a Delhi-based human trafficking kingpin. His character in the film, inspired from the American TV series, Breaking Bad.

In 2016, he starred in the action spy thriller Force 2 as the antagonist opposite John Abraham and Sonakshi Sinha. For his work in Mardaani and Force 2, Tahir ranked in the Forbes magazine 30 under 30 list for 2017.

Tahir walked the red carpet at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival as part of the cast for Nandita Dasâ??s Manto, in which he portrays the 1940s Bollywood star Shyam.He was then seen Chhichhore, â??83â?? and Looop Lapeta.

/IANS