Actor Tahir Raj Bhasin, who has been prepping with Taapsee Pannu for their romantic film Looop Lapeta, feels that Zoom readings can never replace on-set interactions

Actor Tahir Raj Bhasin is thrilled to be starting his next Looop Lapeta next month. The actor has been paired opposite actor Taapsee Pannu and it promises a fresh chemistry on screen. Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, Tahir has been rehearsing over video calling platforms. The actor opens up about how it can never replace the face-to-face preparation meetings that actors have been doing for ages.

Tahir says, “I’m so excited that we’re finally going on floor with Looop Lapeta. It’s a romantic heist with a twist and will be super fun to do. During the lockdown, I was sure I wanted to remain in touch with the material and so the production would send me evolving drafts of the script. Aakash Bhatia, the director and I would exchange references over WhatsApp and zoom. When we finally met for our first face to face reading, the connect we formed over the lockdown had paid off since it didn’t feel like we were starting from square one.”

Ask him if it is more challenging for actors to get into character because one would primarily be doing readings over video calling platforms these days and he says, “Zoom readings were a bridge to stay connected to your work. In no way can they replace being in the room feeding off your co-actors energy but they helped me remain connected to the pre-production process of the film. Our director is an advertising whizz and being in the first real world reading with him, enhanced the experiencing of understanding the character since he ran us through the milieu of the world we will be creating.”

Tahir’s film is all about the chemistry of the lead pair. In a non-proximate world of rehearsals, he opens up about how Taapsee and he are prepping to deliver this knock out chemistry on screen.

“A lot of the chemistry one sees on screen comes from how one plays off the other actor. Having Taapsee as a co-star elevates this process and I’m certain will lead to the chemistry. I’m looking forward to be pairing up for a romantic lead opposite her. Keeping in mind all safety protocols, we’ve started our face to face readings this week. It’s great to meet the people you will be working with outside of the windows of Zoom. Coming together with ideas about the script and workshopping them is half the fun of making a film,” informs Tahir.