Mumbai, Sep 10

The message that his latest film "Chhichhore" offers is very relevant in the present times, because, kids today are under too much pressure to perform in academics, feels actor Tahir Raj Bhasin.

Sharing his opinion on the issue, Tahir told the Media: "I feel it has become increasingly competitive. There are some insane cut-offs to get into a lot of colleges. Kids now drop a year or two sometimes to study in coaching classes in order to give entrances.

"There is also pressure from the society, which says that if you don't do a particular stream or a particular job, then you can't be anything else in life. I think it's about time that parents understand that there can be an option B, an option C if you are not good in A. There are so many avenues today that you can be good at."

He added: "One of my favourite quotes when it comes to education is that if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, then it's going to grow up thinking that it is no good. So, at any point in life, if you feel that you have been boxed into a category, or been called a loser because of your marks, you should just know that your grades and percentages do not define you. If I did not believe in this, I would not have been a part of 'Chhichhore', because that is the ultimate message of the film."

Recalling his growing up years, the actor said: "We grew up climbing trees, playing outdoors and cycling. I think an excess of anything is bad, be it mobile phones, social media, private tuitions or watching television. It is important to experience everything. If you haven't travelled in life, if you haven't had friends, if you haven't been a 'Chhichhora', then you haven't done anything in life."

The movie is gaining popularity with word-of-mouth publicity and is doing a decent business at the box-office. Tahir, who plays the character of Derek in the movie, opened up about his experience of working in the film. "It feels incredible. I spent four months doing sports prep for the film. It's been a very different opportunity for me because I have never played this kind of a character before.

"I have mostly played an anti-hero or characters with a grey shade. This is a college guy. He is supposed to be the college stud. He is the sports captain of the team. To have the kind of interaction that he did with his college mates and to evoke the kind of emotions which he does was a whole new challenge."

The actor also recalled how he got emotional after visiting IIT Bombay for the film's shoot. He said: "It was an incredible life... coming full circle. I started doing theatre in Delhi University. The first place where we travelled to as a theatre group, was IIT Bombay, where we performed.

"The story of 'Chhichhore' is based in IIT Bombay. Just to visit the same places which I had visited during my college days, the place where the germ of becoming a professional actor for the first time happened was exciting. I had not imagined in my wildest dreams that I would go back there ten years later shooting a full-on Bollywood film. That was a major take away."

Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, "Chhichhore" also stars Sushant Singh Rajput, Shraddha Kapoor, Varun Sharma, Naveen Polishetty, Saharsh Kumar Shukla and Tushar Pandey.

Grades and percentages do not define you: Tahir Raj Bhasin