Taha Shah was born in Abu Dhabi and has been working in Bollywood for the past decade. Courtesy Taha Shah
Taha Shah was born in Abu Dhabi and has been working in Bollywood for the past decade. Courtesy Taha Shah
Taha Shah was born in Abu Dhabi and has been working in Bollywood for the past decade. Courtesy Taha Shah
Taha Shah was born in Abu Dhabi and has been working in Bollywood for the past decade. Courtesy Taha Shah

'Aaj Sajeya': Abu Dhabi-born Taha Shah Badussha stars in new viral music video with Alaya F


Kumar Shyam
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Aaj Sajeya, a music video featuring Abu Dhabi-born Taha Shah Badussha and new Bollywood entrant, actress Alaya Furniturewalla, has received more than nine million views in less than five days.

The single, sung and composed by Goldie Sohel, is already being labelled as the wedding song of the season.

Directed by Punit Malhotra, the song shows Badussha and Furniturewalla, who goes by the name Alaya F, preparing for, and having fun at, their wedding.

Badussha, who made his Bollywood debut in 2011 with the film Luv Ka The End, has been working hard on numerous projects over the past 12 months. He can be seen in the second season of web series Bekaaboo, which kicked off on streaming platform AltBalaji last week. He's also starred in a short film, which will be unveiled soon, as well as a dance video number with Bollywood actress Daisy Shah, to be released soon, too.

Taha has a strong screen presence that combines machismo and vulnerability

"I have never sat idle and it's just a coincidence that these projects have bunched up," Badussha tells The National.

Also in the pipeline is an untitled indie film in Hollywood that is in post-production. The actor plays a piano prodigy who is disabled during the Cold War era in America. This will be his second indie film after Draupadi Unleashed, which was released in 2020.

The hardworking actor recently took time off in the US to brush up on his acting and dancing skills. He trained with acting coach Ivana Chubbuck, who counts Halle Berry among her students, and polished his moves at the popular Millennium Dance Complex in Los Angeles.

Badussha shows off those newly honed dancing skills in Aaj Sajeya, as Alaya clings on to her favourite pair of sneakers despite a mismatch with her traditional bridalwear. As groom-to-be, Badussha plays the supportive and loving fiance.

Taha Shah Badussha stars opposite Alaya F in 'Aaj Sajeya'. Courtesy Dharma 2.0
Taha Shah Badussha stars opposite Alaya F in 'Aaj Sajeya'. Courtesy Dharma 2.0

The recent flurry of releases on Badussha's resume brings promise after a decade of struggle in Mumbai's film industry. His career did not quite take off as expected after a brilliant start with two of the industry's biggest production houses, Yash Raj Films and Dharma Productions.

Nine months after landing in Mumbai after with his first acting course at New York Film Academy's Abu Dhabi campus, Badussha landed his debut role in Luv Ka The End alongside Shraddha Kapoor. His anti-hero presence got sidelined, however, as Kapoor, the daughter of actor Shakti Kapoor, known for playing villains, was showered with extra attention.

Taha Shah Badussha plays Luv Nanda in the film 'Luv Ka The End', starring alongside Shraddha Kapoor as his vengeful ex-girlfriend. Supplied
Taha Shah Badussha plays Luv Nanda in the film 'Luv Ka The End', starring alongside Shraddha Kapoor as his vengeful ex-girlfriend. Supplied

His second appearance, in Gippi in 2013, received positive reviews and he was even referred to as producer Karan Johar's newest prodigy. Industry stalwarts such as Ramesh Taurani, Rensil D'Silva and Nikhil Advani publicly envisioned a bright future for him.

"Taha has a strong screen presence that combines machismo and vulnerability," Johar said at the time. "I am sure he will have great innings at the movies."

Badussha in Dubai in 2013 while promoting the film 'Gippi'. Charles Crowell / The National
Badussha in Dubai in 2013 while promoting the film 'Gippi'. Charles Crowell / The National

Those innings have not quite panned out for the actor, however, as, from 2015 to 2017, he featured in just three films by famous directors, including the Johar-produced Baar Baar Dekho, but they all failed to do well at the box office.

But Badussha, 33, is the eternal optimist and believes his big break is due any time. He's undeterred by mitigating circumstances, such as children of famous Bollywood families being part of the projects he has been involved with.

"Like others, I have 24 hours and every minute of mine is accounted for. When I am not working, or even when I am, I train in the gym for at least two hours a day, do taekwondo, dance classes, read up a bit ... I don't go to parties. I sleep early so I can get up early. I do all I can with what I have in my hands."

His work ethic and commitment are undisputed, especially for the son of a father who's a doctor and mother who's an entrepreneur, and for someone who had to learn Hindi later in life.

He says when he does finally make it big in Bollywood, he'll turn his attention to the UAE, where he finished his higher education at The International School of Choueifat and American University in Sharjah.

"I have worked every day of my life in the past 10 to 11 years to earn my place here [in Bollywood]. But, in the future, when I turn director or producer, I would like to come there [the UAE] and create something of my own. I have heard a lot about the facilities there.

"Right now, I am just focused on my work here. That's all I can do. I truly believe that luck favours those who put their heart and soul into it. I feel I am due."

Indian origin executives leading top technology firms

Sundar Pichai

Chief executive, Google and Alphabet

Satya Nadella

Chief executive, Microsoft

Ajaypal Singh Banga

President and chief executive, Mastercard

Shantanu Narayen

Chief executive, chairman, and president, Adobe

Indra Nooyi  

Board of directors, Amazon and former chief executive, PepsiCo

 

 

The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer

Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000

Engine 3.6L V6

Transmission: Six-speed automatic

Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm

Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km

Tips to stay safe during hot weather
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The low down

Producers: Uniglobe Entertainment & Vision Films

Director: Namrata Singh Gujral

Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Nargis Fakhri, Bo Derek, Candy Clark

Rating: 2/5

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PROFILE BOX:

Company/date started: 2015

Founder/CEO: Rami Salman, Rishav Jalan, Ayush Chordia

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: Technology, Sales, Voice, Artificial Intelligence

Size: (employees/revenue) 10/ 100,000 downloads

Stage: 1 ($800,000)

Investors: Eight first-round investors including, Beco Capital, 500 Startups, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Hala Fadel, Odin Financial Services, Dubai Angel Investors, Womena, Arzan VC

 

Venom

Director: Ruben Fleischer

Cast: Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed

Rating: 1.5/5

Conflict, drought, famine

Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.

Band Aid

Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.

World Cricket League Division 2

In Windhoek, Namibia - Top two teams qualify for the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, which starts on March 4.

UAE fixtures

Thursday February 8, v Kenya; Friday February 9, v Canada; Sunday February 11, v Nepal; Monday February 12, v Oman; Wednesday February 14, v Namibia; Thursday February 15, final

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

The Indoor Cricket World Cup

When: September 16-23

Where: Insportz, Dubai

Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23

UAE fixtures:
Men

Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final

Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final

2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Sub Regional Qualifier

Event info: The tournament in Kuwait is the first phase of the qualifying process for sides from Asia for the 2020 World T20 in Australia. The UAE must finish within the top three teams out of the six at the competition to advance to the Asia regional finals. Success at regional finals would mean progression to the World T20 Qualifier.

Teams: UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Maldives, Qatar

Friday fixtures: 9.30am (UAE time) - Kuwait v Maldives, Qatar v UAE; 3pm - Saudi Arabia v Bahrain

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SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities

Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails

Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies

Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments

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