Taha Shah is an Indian actor and former model working in the
Hindi film industry, known for his leading role in the 2011
Y-Films
Y-Films is an Indian film production and distribution company, based in Mumbai. The company is a subsidiary of Yash Raj Films.
History
The company was launched on 1 April 2011 by Aditya Chopra, who revealed that Yash Raj Films
Yash Raj Fi ...
romantic comedy ''
Luv Ka The End
''Luv Ka The End'' () is a 2011 Hindi comedy drama film directed by Bumpy, starring Shraddha Kapoor and Taaha Shah in the lead roles. The film was the first production of Y-Films, a subsidiary of Yash Raj Films and released to mostly positive ...
'', and subsequently featured in the commercially successful drama ''
Gippi'' (2013).
Life and career
1988–2009: Early life and career beginnings
Taha Shah was born in
Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia ( The Middle East). It is located at t ...
.His dad is Shah Sikkander Badusha and his mom is Mahnaz Sikkander Badusha, who are from
South India
South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territ ...
.
His father is an
F.R.C.S. from
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
and
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
and is also an
orthopedic doctor and his mother, an
M.Sc and
MBA
A Master of Business Administration (MBA; also Master's in Business Administration) is a postgraduate degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration such as accounti ...
from
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, was a
biochemist and now an
entrepreneur
Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value. With this definition, entrepreneurship is viewed as change, generally entailing risk beyond what is normally encountered in starting a business, which may include other values t ...
. He has an elder brother, Abid, who is a
Lead Civil engineer from the
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 ...
. Taaha's childhood education spanned a few countries beginning with the
Sherwood Academy in Abu Dhabi. He studied there till the 4th standard after which he was shifted to the
Kodaikanal International School
Kodaikanal International School (KIS) is a co-educational independent residential school offering education for grades P-12. It is located on in Kodaikanal, Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, India. Kodaikanal is a hill station at in the Palani Hills, n ...
, a well-known boarding school in
Kodaikanal
Kodaikanal () is a hill station which is located in Dindigul district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Its name in the Tamil language means "The Gift of the Forest". Kodaikanal is referred to as the "Princess of Hill stations" and has a long ...
,
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, which was his new home for the next 3 years. But not for too long. As he was feeling
homesick, his parents brought him to
Sharjah
Sharjah (; ar, ٱلشَّارقَة ', Gulf Arabic: ''aš-Šārja'') is the third-most populous city in the United Arab Emirates, after Dubai and Abu Dhabi, forming part of the Dubai-Sharjah-Ajman metropolitan area.
Sharjah is the capital ...
, a city adjacent to
Dubai
Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...
, where he continued his schooling at the
International School of Choueifat
International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations".
International may also refer to:
Music Albums
* ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011
* ''International'' (New Order album), 2002
* ''International'' (The T ...
and
Sharjah American International School
Sharjah American International School (SAIS, ) is a K–12 private international school in Sharjah, Emirate of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
See also
* Americans in the United Arab Emirates
* Education in the United Arab Emirates
Provision ...
till completion. Following this, Taha enrolled at the
American University of Sharjah
American University of Sharjah (abbreviated AUS; ar, الجامعة الأمريكية في الشارقة) is a private university in the United Arab Emirates. It was founded in 1997 by Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and ...
for his undergraduate studies to pursue a Business Administration program. He dropped out of program once he realized it was not for him. He was enrolled only for a semester. He spent his time practising
weaponry
A weapon, arm or armament is any implement or device that can be used to deter, threaten, inflict physical damage, harm, or kill. Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of activities such as hunting, crime, law enforcement, s ...
on the beach as he began envisioning his dreams for the film industry. He also achieved certifications for
paragliding
Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure. The pilot sits in a harness or lies supine in a cocoon-like 'p ...
as well as
scuba diving
Scuba diving is a mode of underwater diving whereby divers use breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface air supply. The name "scuba", an acronym for " Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus", was coined by Chr ...
in this time. Since 2006, Taha involved himself in several businesses such as
human resource management,
construction
Construction is a general term meaning the art and science to form Physical object, objects, systems, or organizations,"Construction" def. 1.a. 1.b. and 1.c. ''Oxford English Dictionary'' Second Edition on CD-ROM (v. 4.0) Oxford University Pr ...
,
real estate
Real estate is property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this (also) an item of real property, (more general ...
,
supply of construction material.
On the side, he participated in modelling assignments here and there initially starting out as a hobby and the continued for the next three years. Brands such as
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a producti ...
,
Bacardi
Bacardi Limited (; ) is one of the largest privately held, family-owned spirits companies in the world. Originally known for its Bacardi brand of white rum, it now has a portfolio of more than 200 brands and labels. Founded in Cuba in 1862 an ...
,
Emirates Bank,
Bank of Oman
A bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital markets.
Because ...
,
National Bank of Abu Dhabi,
Omantel
Oman Telecommunications Company (Omantel) is the first telecommunications company in Oman and is the primary provider of internet services in the country. The government of Oman owns a 51% share in Omantel.
Omantel acquired 65% of WorldCall Pakist ...
and others owe benefit to Mr. Shah for his highly regarded portfolio of praise-worthy work. His concept of a steel import business was abandoned following recession. It was reported to be a successful venture
economic downturn struck him.
with a great future until then. After all, Taha returned to his love of acting.
2010–present: Debut in films
He later made a trip to
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, to visit his brother for
New Year's Eve in 2009, where he finalised to aim his career at acting. Then, he took admission to the
New York Film Academy
New York Film Academy – School of Film and Acting (NYFA) is a private for-profit film school and acting school based in New York City, Los Angeles, and Miami. The New York Film Academy was founded in 1992 by Jerry Sherlock, a former film, ...
(NYFA) in
Abu Dhabi. Taha had also learnt acting during his school life in
Abu Dhabi. After completing six months at NYFA, he was about to leave for
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
to complete the remainder of his course, when his father suddenly thought that Taha should make a move to
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...
first. His mother too agreed to this and two weeks later (in September 2009) Taha came to Mumbai for a two-day visit with his family and incidentally, they remained over there. In Mumbai he had to spend countless hours practicing
dancing
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its reperto ...
and
martial arts.
Nine months later, Taha was signed for his debut film, ''
Luv Ka The End
''Luv Ka The End'' () is a 2011 Hindi comedy drama film directed by Bumpy, starring Shraddha Kapoor and Taaha Shah in the lead roles. The film was the first production of Y-Films, a subsidiary of Yash Raj Films and released to mostly positive ...
'' of
Y-Films
Y-Films is an Indian film production and distribution company, based in Mumbai. The company is a subsidiary of Yash Raj Films.
History
The company was launched on 1 April 2011 by Aditya Chopra, who revealed that Yash Raj Films
Yash Raj Fi ...
. He was cast as an
antihero
An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero) or antiheroine is a main character in a story who may lack conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism, courage, and morality. Although antiheroes may sometimes perform actions ...
, the first of its kind in the youth genre. He was seen for a second time in the 2013 movie ''
Gippi'' by
Dharma Productions
Dharma Productions Pvt. Ltd., commonly known and doing business as Dharma Productions, is an Indian film production and distribution company established by Yash Johar in 1979. It was taken over in 2004, after his death, by his son, Karan Joh ...
, which released on 10 May 2013.
Taha received positive reviews for his performance,
Karan Johar said, "Taha has a strong screen presence that combines machismo and vulnerability. I am sure he will have a great innings at the movies."
Ramesh S. Taurani noted, "With two back-to-back good performances, Taha has the potential to be someone who is here to stay. Right choices of films will ensure a strong foothold for him in the industry. I wish him best of luck and loads of success."
Rensil D'Silva
Rensil D'Silva is an Indian film director, screenplay writer, ad film maker and advertising agency Creative Director.
Career
Rensil D'Silva started his career in feature films as a Story writer for the 2001 movie, Aks. Later he wrote the scr ...
wrote, "Taha has the right mix of vulnerability and intensity to straddle many genres — be it a romcom, an intense drama or a thriller. And to top it all, he's a good actor. That's an enviable mix."
Nikhil Advani
Nikhil Suresh Advani (born 28 April 1971) is an Indian film and television director, writer and producer who works in Hindi cinema. He along with his sister, Monisha Advani and Madhu Bhojwani, co-founded the entertainment company Emmay Entert ...
described, "Taha is one of the few new talents showing that acting is about versatility. With his second film ''
Gippi'', he's chosen the right path."
In 2015, he acted in
Mahesh Bhatt's ''
Barkhaa'' opposite
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
i actress
Sara Loren
Sara Hussain ( ur, ), better known as Sara Loren, is a Pakistani actress and model mostly known for working in Hindi as well as Urdu movies and television. She is best known for played role as Barkhaa in 2015.
Early life
Loren was born and r ...
. Barkhaa movie was commercially declared a disaster but its songs was memorable including "Khuda Bhi Na Dikhe" and "Tu Itni Khoobsurat Hai" In 2016, he appeared in
Karan Johar's ''
Baar Baar Dekho
''Baar Baar Dekho'' () is a 2016 Indian Hindi-language science-fiction romantic drama film directed by Nitya Mehra which marks her debut in Hindi cinema. It is produced by Karan Johar and Farhan Akhtar under Dharma Productions and Excel Ente ...
'' alongside
Sidharth Malhotra
Sidharth Malhotra (; born 16 January 1985) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi films. He began his career as a fashion model, but left it to pursue an acting career. He made his acting debut with a minor role in the television serial ''Dhart ...
and
Katrina Kaif
Katrina Kaif (; born Katrina Turquotte; 16 July 1983) is a British actress who works in Hindi-language films. One of the highest-paid actresses in India, she has received accolades, including four Screen Awards and four Zee Cine Awards, in a ...
, playing the role of Tarun. The film became a failiure at the box office and was declared a flop.
In 2017, Shah acted in ''
Ranchi Diaries'' playing Pinku. In 2020, he made his Hollywood debut with ''Draupadi Unleashed'' playing Gautam.
In January 2021, he acted in the web series ''Bullets'' (which was previously titled as ''Tina and Lolo'' playing Mario opposite
Karishma Tanna
Karishma Tanna Bangera (born 21 December 1983) is an Indian actress, model and anchor who predominantly works in Hindi films and television shows. She made her television debut with ''Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi'' in 2001. She is well known ...
.
In March 2021, he acted in
Ekta Kapoor and
ALT Balaji
ALTBalaji is an Indian subscription based video on demand platform which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Balaji Telefilms Ltd. Launched on 16 April 2017, ALTBalaji is the group's foray into the digital entertainment sphere to create original OT ...
's ''Bekaboo 2'' playing Novin opposite
Priya Banerjee
Priya Banerjee is an Indian actress who works mainly in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil films. Banerjee's first film was ''Kiss'' in Telugu in 2013, opposite Adivi Sesh. She then appeared in her second Telugu film, Joru, with Sundeep Kishan and Ra ...
.
In 2022. Shah debuted as a singer when he released his single 'Vande Mataram'.
Filmography
Films
Web series
See also
*
List of Indian film actors
Lists of Indian actors cover actors from India, who portray characters in the theater, film, radio, or television.
The lists are organized by medium, language and type of actor.
By medium
* List of Indian male film actors
* List of Indian film ac ...
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shah, Taaha
1987 births
Living people
Indian male film actors
Male actors in Hindi cinema
Emirati male film actors
Indian male models
Emirati people of Indian descent
People from Abu Dhabi
Male actors from Mumbai