Faran Tahir, a veteran film and television actor, is recognizable as Tony Stark’s antagonist Raza in Iron Man (2008) or as the Human Starfleet officer Captain Robau in Star Trek (2009). But the versatile actor has a lot more to offer than just sci-fi villains.
Now, Tahir stars in Pakistani-American director Iram Parveen Bilal’s latest independent film. I’ll Meet You There. The poignant family drama was nominated for the Narrative Feature Grand Jury award at the South by Southwest film festivals.
Tahir has also appeared in many popular series including Blue Bloods, Supernatural, and Supergirl. He has worked alongside household names such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone in Escape Plan (2013) and Matt Damon and Jodie Foster in Elysium (2013).
Faran Tahir changes up his acting career
Tahir debuted in film as Nathoo in Disney’s 1994 live-action The Jungle Book. He then made appearances in films like romantic comedy “Picture Perfect” (1997) and coming of age feature Anywhere But Here (1999).
In 1999, Tahir scored the male lead of the award-winning independent drama film ABCD. In the early 2000s, the actor appeared in a few movies and television productions such as A Town Without Pity (2002) and Manticore (2005).
Tahir has taken on roles for many popular television shows. These include Law & Order, Grey’s Anatomy, and How to Get Away with Murder. He has also had recurring roles in series The West Wing, Criminal Minds, and as Captain Nemo in Once Upon a Time, among others. Though Tahir is known for his acting in sci-fi movies, he also appears in comedy and drama films such as Honeyglue (2016), and Mad Genius (2018).
“The biggest challenge is to keep showing different sides of you so you’re not pigeonholed as one thing or the other…You want to change it up whenever you can,” says Tahir.
Faran Tahir comes from a storytelling family
Tahir was born in Los Angeles to Pakistani parents. He hails from a family of professional artists – his father Naeem Tahir is a well-known theater and film actor, writer and public speaker. His mother Yasmin Tahir was an award-winning broadcaster for Radio Pakistan. Tahir’s two brothers also work in acting and producing television.
“I love storytelling. It’s been part of me and part of my family for a very long time, so I think this is what we do,” Tahir tells GeekMom.
Tahir grew up in Pakistan, but returned to the United States to attend the University of California Berkeley. He graduated with a Bachelor’s in Theatre. He then to earn his graduate degree from the Institute for Advanced Theater Training at Harvard University.
“In my case, it was better to study theatre. I was trying to create a niche for myself. I didn’t have friends or the network and I can’t change the colour of my skin, so I needed to be better prepared,” Tahir explains.
Faran Tahir stars in new indie drama
Tahir plays Majeed, a Chicago-based Pakistani-American police officer in Iram Parveen Bilal’s latest independent film I’ll Meet You There. The widower and father to a teenage aspiring dancer faces turmoil when his father pays an unexpected visit. Meanwhile, the Chicago police assign him to undercover surveillance at his local Mosque in a post 9/11 world.
“I think things are shifting, and it’s a welcome change,” Tahir says about South Asian representation in the media. “I’m hoping that we can find that balance where ‘Muslim’ and ‘evil’ are not synonyms anymore. And if I can help in that conversation, I’m going to try my best because I live here, I’m part of this culture, I have kids and family here.”
I’ll Meet You There was one of ten films nominated for the Narrative Feature Grand Jury award at the 2020 South by Southwest film festivals. After cancellation due to the pandemic, the film had its official premiere in August 2020 at the Bentonville Film Festival. The film held its in-person screening in Los Angeles on July 11th.
Watch I’ll Meet You There on major platforms including YouTube, Amazon, and Apple TV.
