Tabu (born Tabassum Hashmi; 4 November 1971) is an Indian film actress. She has mainly acted in Hindi films, though she has also starred in numerous Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Marathi and Bengali language films, as well as Hollywood films. She has won the National Film Award for Best Actress twice, and she holds the record for the most wins of Filmfare's Critics Award for Best Female Performer, with four.
Despite a few exceptions, Tabu is best known for acting in artistic,
low-budget films that go on to garner more critical appreciation than
substantial box office figures. Her appearances in commercially
successful films were few, and her parts in these films were small, such
as Border (1997), Saajan Chale Sasural (1996), Biwi No.1 and Hum Saath-Saath Hain: We Stand United (1999). Her most notable performances include Maachis (1996), Virasat (1997), Hu Tu Tu (1999), Astitva (2000), Chandni Bar (2001), Maqbool (2003) and Cheeni Kum (2007). Her leading role in Mira Nair's American film The Namesake also drew major praise.[1] She also co-starred in Ang Lee's film Life of Pi (2012), which was widely acclaimed.
Regarded as one of the most talented Indian female actors of her
generation, Tabu is known to be selective about her film roles and has
once said, "I do films which move me and most of all, the unit and the
director should appeal to me."[2][3] She was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award, in 2011 by the Government of India for her contributions towards the arts.[4]
Early life
Tabu was born in Hyderabad to Jamal Hashmi and Rizwana.[5]
Soon after, her parents divorced. Her mother was a school teacher and
her maternal grandparents were retired professors who ran a school. Her
grandfather, Mohammed Ahsan, was a professor of Mathematics, and her
grandmother was a professor of English Literature. She went to St. Anns
high school in Hyderabad. Tabu moved to Mumbai in 1983 and studied at St. Xavier's College for two years.[6]
She is the niece of Shabana Azmi and the younger sister of actress Farah Naaz. She has homes in Mumbai and Hyderabad. She speaks Urdu, Telugu, and English. [7]
Career
1980s
Tabassum "Tabu" Hashmi did a small appearance in the film "Bazaar" in 1980[citation needed], and later in the film Hum Naujawan (1985) at the age of fourteen; she played Dev Anand's daughter in the film. Her first role as an actress was in the Telugu film Coolie No.1 co-starred with Venkatesh. In December 1987, Boney Kapoor launch two Big Films, Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja and Prem. In Prem, Tabu was signed opposite Sanjay Kapoor. The film took eight years in making and it was a big hit.
1990s
Tabu's first release in Hindi as a leading lady was Pehla Pehla Pyar which went un-noticed.[8] She came into prominence with her role in Vijaypath (1994) opposite Ajay Devgan for which she received the Filmfare Best Female Debut Award. This was followed by many films that did not do well at the box office.
In 1996, Tabu had eight releases. Two films Saajan Chale Sasural and Jeet went on to be hits; both were within the top five films of that year.[9] Her other significant film, Maachis,
was critically acclaimed. Her role as a Punjabi woman caught in the
rise of Sikh insurgency was acclaimed; she went on to win her first National Film Award for Best Actress for her performance. The same year saw her major blockbuster films down south. Critically acclaimed Malayalam patriotic film Kalapani directed by Priyadarshan with Mohan Lal and Prabhu Ganesan in the lead roles, brought her laurels for her acting from all across South India. She also debuted in Kollywood through the highly successful Tamil film Kadhal Desam directed by Kathir with Abbas and Vineeth.
Tabu's first release of 1997 was Border. The movie was about the real life events surrounding the Battle of Longewala during the 1971 Indo-Pak war. She played the role of Sunny Deol's wife. Her role was small but the film went on to be the biggest hit of 1997.[10] That year, she also starred in the critically acclaimed film Virasat. The film was a success at the box office; Tabu won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance.
In 1999, she starred in two successful multi-starrer films Biwi No.1 and Hum Saath-Saath Hain: We Stand United. They were the first and second biggest hits of that year respectively.[11]
2000s
In 2000, the actress starred in Hera Pheri and Astitva. The former was a box office success whilst the latter was critically acclaimed. Hindustan Times
critic Arnab Banerjee wrote of her performance, "Tabu is brilliant and
once again proves her mettle as an actress. The mind-blowing range of
emotions she displays, her exquisite face and her subtle quiet dignity
with which she handles her character, will take her far in her film
career."[12][13] She received her third Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance for Astitva.[14] Down south, Tabu had two releases in Tamil, namely, Kandukondain Kandukondain, a multi-starrer blockbuster film directed by Rajeev Menon and Snegithiye directed by Priyadarshan along with a Malayalam release Cover Story.
2001 saw her star in Chandni Bar directed by Madhur Bhandarkar. Her portrayal of a bar dancer met with unanimous praise, and she won her second National Film Award for Best Actress for her performance.[15] Critic, Taran Adarsh said, "Chandni Bar
is Tabu's film all the way and there are no two opinions on that. Her
performance deserves the highest marks and of course, all the awards.
Her work is flawless and the impact her character makes on the minds of
the viewer is also due to a tailor-made role".[16] Another critic mentioned, "if there is one actress who can carry a film on her shoulders, it is Tabu. As usual, she sparkles".[17]
Tabu at the premiere of The Namesake. Pictured with co-star Irrfan Khan.
She has acted in a number of Telugu movies, many of them very successful, such as Coolie No. 1 and Ninne Pelladutha, the latter being one of her most famous and popular movies.[18] She further continued to star in films such as Chennakeshava Reddy and Pandurangadu with Nandamuri Balakrishna, Andarivadu with Chiranjeevi and Aavida Maa Aavide with Akkineni Nagarjuna.
In 2003, Tabu starred in an adaptation of William Shakespeare's Macbeth. The actress played Nimmi based on the character Lady Macbeth. The film titled Maqbool was directed by Vishal Bharadwaj and premiered at the 2003 Toronto International Film Festival.[19] Maqbool
was a box office failure but was met with huge acclaim. Tabu's
performance opened to much appreciation; critic Ron Ahluwalia said,
"Tabu shines in a dark role. The most versatile actress in Bollywood
takes to villainy like a second nature. She is menacing and seductive,
but keeps an innocent look on her face, making her even viler. The way
Tabu delivers her taunts simply perfect. Her gradual insanity is
heart-wrenching and her final outburst is easily the highlight of the
film."[20] Another critic said, "Tabu is fantastic in a complex role. Her performance in the film is worthy of awards. After Chandni Bar, this is another role that will be remembered for a long, long time."[21]
She had a supporting role in Fanaa (2006), with Aamir Khan and Kajol. The film went on to become the fourth biggest hit of that year.[22]
In 2007, Tabu starred in her first Hollywood film, The Namesake, directed by Mira Nair. The film was a big hit overseas.[23] She also starred in Cheeni Kum in which she played a 34-year-old woman who falls in love with a 64-year-old played by Amitabh Bachchan.
Critics were generally positive towards the film; Taran Adarsh said,
"Tabu stands on her feet despite a formidable co-star's domineering
presence. She's excellent."[24] Though the film did not do as well domestically, it performed well overseas, especially in UK and US.[25]
She started off 2009 by being featured on the cover of Vogue India's January 2009 issue.
2010s
In 2010, Tabu portrayed the lead role in the romantic comedy film Toh Baat Pakki!,
which earned huge publicity as it marked Tabu's return to Bollywood
after three years. However, the film was a commercial failure. Her next
release of the year was Khuda Kasam opposite Sunny Deol. Her other film Banda Yeh Bindaas Hai directed by B. R. Chopra got indefinitely shelved owing to the plagiarism issues. She made a comeback to Malayalam cinema in 2011 with her brief song appearance in the multi starrer film, Urumi, directed by Santosh Sivan. The song "Aaranne Aaranne" featuring Tabu alongside Prabhu Deva and Prithviraj Sukumaran was declared a chartbuster of the year.
In 2012, she featured in her second Hollywood film, Life of Pi, directed by Ang Lee. She played a supporting role as the mother of the protagonist. Her forthcoming projects include David, a Tamil – Hindi bilingual film, starring Vikram in the lead and directed by Bejoy Nambiar. She has also signed for a Prakash Raj's trilingual (Hindi, Tamil and Telugu) film, Un Samayal Arayil (Tamil) and Ulavacharu Biryani (Telugu) which is based on the Malayalam film Salt N' Pepper.
Tabu at Book launch of Kaifi & I in 2010
Personal life
She is a life member of International Club of Asian Academy of Film and Television, Noida.
In 1998, Tabu was charged with poaching two blackbucks in Kankani during the filming of Hum Saath Saath Hain along with co-stars Salman Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Karishma Kapoor, Sonali Bendre and Neelam Kothari. [26]
A lower court charged her with the others under the Wildlife Act and
the IPC. She had filed a revision petition before a sessions court which
discharged her of Section 51 (causing harm to wildlife) of Wildlife Act
and both of 147 (punishment for rioting) and 149 (unlawful assembly of
persons) of the Indian Penal Code. [27]
The Rajasthan state government then filed a revision petition before
the Rajasthan high court which again added Section 149 against her,
which it had dropped. In Dec 2012, the Jodhpur court summoned her along
with all the accused for commencement of the trial with the revised
charges on 4 February 2013. [28]
Awards and nominations
Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Tabu
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Hum Naujawan | Priya | Hindi | Child artiste |
| 1991 | Coolie No. 1 | Telugu | ||
| 1994 | Pehla Pehla Pyaar | Sapna | Hindi | |
| 1994 | Vijaypath | Mohini "Mona" | Hindi | Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut |
| 1995 | Prem | Lachi/Sonia Jetley | Hindi | |
| 1995 | Saajan Ki Baahon Mein | Kavita | Hindi | |
| 1995 | Sisindri | Telugu | ||
| 1995 | Haqeeqat | Sudha | Hindi | |
| 1996 | Saajan Chale Sasural | Divya Khurana | Hindi | |
| 1996 | Kalapani | Parvathi | Malayalam | Released in Tamil as Siraichalai |
| 1996 | Kadhal Desam | Divya | Tamil | |
| 1996 | Himmat | Anju | Hindi | |
| 1996 | Tu Chor Main Sipahi | Kajal | Hindi | |
| 1996 | Jeet | Tulsi | Hindi | Special appearance Nominated–Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| 1996 | Ninne Pelladatha | Mahalaxmi | Telugu | Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu |
| 1996 | Maachis | Veerandra | Hindi | National Film Award for Best Actress Nominated–Filmfare Award for Best Actress |
| 1997 | Virasat | Gehna | Hindi | Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Critics' Choice) Nominated–Filmfare Award for Best Actress |
| 1997 | Darmiyan | Chitra | Hindi | |
| 1997 | Border | Kuldeep's wife | Hindi | |
| 1997 | Iruvar | Senthamarai | Tamil | |
| 1998 | Thaayin Manikodi | Rani | Tamil | |
| 1998 | Chachi 420 | Janki Paswan | Hindi | |
| 1998 | Aavida Maa Aavide | Archana | Telugu | |
| 1998 | 2001: Do Hazaar Ek | Billu | Hindi | |
| 1998 | Hanuman | Anja | English | |
| 1999 | Kohram | Insp. Kiran Patekar | Hindi | |
| 1999 | Hum Saath-Saath Hain: We Stand United | Sadhana | Hindi | |
| 1999 | Hu Tu Tu | Panna | Hindi | Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Critics' Choice) Nominated–Filmfare Award for Best Actress |
| 1999 | Biwi No.1 | Lovely | Hindi | |
| 1999 | Thakshak | Suman | Hindi | |
| 2000 | Snegithiye | ACP Gayatri | Tamil | |
| 2000 | Cover Story | Jasmine | Malayalam | |
| 2000 | Hera Pheri | Anuradha Shivshankar Panikar | Hindi | |
| 2000 | Kandukondain Kandukondain | Sowmiya | Tamil | |
| 2000 | Tarkieb | Roshni Choubey | Hindi | |
| 2000 | Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar | Kamya Lal | Hindi | |
| 2000 | Shikari | Suman | Hindi | |
| 2000 | Astitva | Aditi | Marathi | Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Critics' Choice) Nominated–Filmfare Award for Best Actress |
| 2000 | Ghaath | Kavita Chaudhary | Hindi | |
| 2001 | Dil Ne Phir Yaad Kiya | Roshni Batra | Hindi | |
| 2001 | Chandni Bar | Mumtaz Ali Ansari | Hindi | National Film Award for Best Actress Nominated–Filmfare Award for Best Actress |
| 2001 | Aamdani Atthani Kharcha Rupaiyaa | Meena | Hindi | |
| 2002 | Maa Tujhhe Salaam | Captain Sonia Khanna | Hindi | |
| 2002 | Filhaal... | Rewa Singh | Hindi | |
| 2002 | Chennakeshava Reddy | Sita | Telugu | |
| 2002 | Zindagi Khoobsoorat Hai | Shalu | Hindi | |
| 2002 | Saathiya | Savatri Rao | Hindi | Cameo appearance |
| 2003 | Abar Aranye | Amrita | Bengali | |
| 2003 | Khanjar: The Knife | Shilpa | Hindi | |
| 2003 | Hawa | Sanjana | Hindi | |
| 2003 | Jaal: The Trap | Neha Pandit | Hindi | |
| 2003 | Maqbool | Nimmi | Hindi | |
| 2004 | Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities | Meenaxi/Maria | Hindi | |
| 2005 | Silsiilay | Rehana | Hindi | |
| 2005 | Bhagmati | Bhagmati | Hindi | |
| 2005 | Andarivaadu | Shanti | Telugu | |
| 2006 | Shock | Geetha | Telugu | |
| 2006 | Fanaa | Malini Tyagi | Hindi | |
| 2007 | Sarhad Paar | Pammi | Hindi | |
| 2007 | The Namesake | Ashima Ganguli | English | |
| 2007 | Cheeni Kum | Nina Verma | Hindi | Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Critics' Choice) |
| 2007 | Om Shanti Om | Herself | Hindi | Special appearance in song "Deewangi Deewangi" |
| 2008 | Idee Sangati | Swarajya Lakshmi | Telugu | |
| 2008 | Pandurangadu | Amrutha | Telugu | Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Telugu |
| 2010 | Toh Baat Pakki | Rajeshwari | Hindi | |
| 2010 | Khuda Kasam | Neetu Singh | Hindi | |
| 2011 | Urumi | Malayalam | Special appearance in song "Aaranne Aarane" | |
| 2012 | Life of Pi | Gita Patel | English | |
| 2013 | David | Frenny | Hindi | |
| 2013 | David | Tamil | ||
| 2013 | Banda Yeh Bindaas Hai | Hindi | Post-production | |
| 2013 | Un Samayal Arayil | Tamil | Pre-production | |
| 2013 | Ulavacharu Biryani | Telugu | Pre-production | |
| 2013 | Prakash Raj's Untitled Project | Hindi | Pre-production | |
| 2013 | Angry Bird | Malayalam | Pre-production | |
| 2014 | Mental | Hindi | Filming |
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