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Tabassum Fatima Hashmi (born 4 November 1971), known professionally as Tabu, is an Indian actress who works primarily in Hindi films. Regarded as one of Hindi cinema's most accomplished actresses, she has also worked in Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, English, Bengali and Marathi films. She has often played troubled women, from fictional to literary, in both mainstream and independent cinema.[1][2][3] She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two National Film Awards, seven Filmfare Awards (including a record five Critics Awards for Best Actress), and two Filmfare Awards South. In 2011, she was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian honour.[4]
Tabu | |
|---|---|
 Tabu promoting Crew in 2024 | |
| Born | Tabassum Fatima Hashmi 4 November 1971 Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Works | Full list |
| Relatives | See Azmi family |
| Awards | Full list |
| Honours | Padma Shri (2011) |
Tabu had her first credited role as a teenager in Dev Anand's Hum Naujawan (1985) and played her first leading role in the Telugu film Coolie No. 1 (1991). In 1994, she received the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut for the Hindi action drama Vijaypath. She won the National Film Award for Best Actress for playing a young woman affected by the Punjab insurgency in the political thriller Maachis (1996).[5][6] Also in 1996, she had commercial successes in Ninne Pelladata, Kadhal Desam, Saajan Chale Sasural and Jeet. Further box-office hits came with the dramas Iruvar, Border (both 1997), Biwi No.1, Hum Saath-Saath Hain (both 1999), Kandukondain Kandukondain, and Hera Pheri (both 2000).
Tabu gained acclaim for portraying troubled women in Virasat (1997), Hu Tu Tu (1999), and Astitva (2000), all of which won her Filmfare Critics Awards; and as a bar dancer in Chandni Bar (2001) which earned her a second National Film Award. This acclaim continued with her roles in the romantic comedy Cheeni Kum (2007) which earned her a record fourth Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress, and the Vishal Bhardwaj-directed Shakespearean tragedies—Maqbool (2004) and Haider (2014), the latter earning her the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. Tabu expanded to American cinema with The Namesake (2006) and Life of Pi (2012). Her biggest commercial successes in India came with the comedies Golmaal Again (2017), Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 (2022)—for which she earned the Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Critics)—and Crew (2024), the action drama Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo (2020), and the crime thrillers Andhadhun (2018) and Drishyam 2 (2022).
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Tabassum Fatima Hashmi was born on 4 November 1971[7][8][9] to Jamal Ali Hashmi and Rizwana in a Hyderabadi Muslim family.[8][10] Her father was an actor in Pakistan, with some well-received roles in the 1970s, who moved back to India in order to live with her mother.[11] He left the family when she was three.[12] 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.[13]
Tabu did her schooling at St. Ann's High School, Vijayanagar Colony, Hyderabad.[14] She moved to Mumbai in 1983 and studied at St. Xavier's College for 2 years.[14][15] She is the niece of Shabana Azmi, Tanvi Azmi and Baba Azmi and the younger sister of actress Farah Naaz.[16][17] She is reluctant to discuss her personal life in the media.[18][19]
As a child, Tabu had an uncredited appearance at the age of 11 in Bazaar (1982) and in Hum Naujawan (1985) at the age of 14—she played Dev Anand's daughter in the latter.[20][21]
Tabu's personal life has been subject to substantial media speculation due to her decision to remain unmarried unlike most of her contemporaries and has remained reticent when asked about her choice.[22] When asked about her decision, Tabu said she "was working and wanted to see the world on my own. If I'd given it all up, it'd have been a disservice to me and my abilities. An ideal relationship is when both individuals grow by being in each other's lives. Relationships are meant to liberate, not stifle".[23]
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Debut and breakthrough (1991–1999)
In 1987, producer Boney Kapoor launched two major films; Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja and Prem, in which Tabu was signed opposite Sanjay Kapoor, Boney's younger brother. Tabu's debuted into Telugu cinema with Coolie No.1 (1991) co-starring Venkatesh.[24] The film proved to be a major box-office success.[24] This was followed by a role opposite Nagarjuna in Ninne Pelladutha (1996), the highest-grossing Telugu film at the time of its release.[25] For her performance, she earned her first Filmfare award for Best Actress – Telugu.[26]
Tabu's first release in Hindi as a leading lady was in the romantic drama Pehla Pehla Pyar (1994), which generally went unnoticed.[27] However, a turning point in her career came with action film Vijaypath (1994) opposite Ajay Devgn, for which she received the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut.[28] The film marked the first of many collaborations with Devgn. In the following year, significant appearances for Tabu included her role in the box-office success Haqeeqat and the romantic drama film Saajan Ki Baahon Mein alongside Rishi Kapoor and Raveena Tandon.[29]
In 1996, Tabu had eight releases, two of which—Saajan Chale Sasural and Jeet—emerged as commercial successes and ranked among the top five highest-grossing films of that year.[30][31] For the latter, she received her first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.[32] She was also seen in Gulzar's critically acclaimed political thriller Maachis opposite Chandrachur Singh. Her role as a Punjabi woman caught in the rise of Sikh insurgency earned unanimous critical claim; she earned her first National Film Award for Best Actress for her performance, in addition to her first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress.[33][34] Tabu considered the film a turning point in her career, as it helped her recognise her potential as an actress despite her initial hesitation in accepting the role due to its serious subject matter.[35] She also starred in a multitude of commercially successful South Indian films, starting with her debut in Telugu cinema with the blockbuster Ninne Pelladata, opposite Nagarjuna.[36] Tabu was awarded the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu for her performance. Anupama Chopra described her as "breathtakingly sensuous".[37] This acclaim continued with the Malayalam period epic Kaalapani, directed by Priyadarshan.[38] She also made her debut in Tamil cinema with the successful romantic-drama Kadhal Desam, directed by Kathir.[39]
Tabu's first release of 1997 was the J. P. Dutta-helmed Border, an ensemble war drama that retells the real-life events surrounding the Battle of Longewala during the Indo-Pak War of 1971; she played the role of Sunny Deol's wife. Though her role in the film was brief, it went on to be the second highest-grossing Indian film of 1997.[40] That year, she also starred in the critically acclaimed action-drama Virasat for which she earned her first nomination at Filmfare for Best Actress (Critics).[41] She followed this with a role in Mani Ratnam's Tamil political drama Iruvar, which had an ensemble cast consisting of Mohanlal, Aishwarya Rai, Prakash Raj and Gautami. She also appeared in Chachi 420 (1998), a remake of Tamil film Avvai Shanmughi co-starring Kamal Haasan. In her final release of the year, she starred in Aavida Maa Aavide.
In 1999, Tabu was seen among two successful ensemble films—the comedy Biwi No.1 and the family drama Hum Saath-Saath Hain, which went on to become the second highest-grossing, and the highest-grossing films of the year respectively.[42] She also received near-unanimous critical acclaim for her performance in the drama Hu Tu Tu, with Namrata Joshi of India Today describing her as “mesmerising and eloquent".[43] She won her second Filmfare Best Actress (Critics) Award.[44][45]
Career expansion (2000–2009)
In 2000, Tabu had five releases across different regions. She first starred in the comedy Hera Pheri and the drama Astitva in Hindi.[46] The former was a box-office success, while the latter was critically acclaimed. Hindustan Times Arnab Banerjee wrote of her performance in the latter: "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".[47][48] She received her third Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Critics) for Astitva, in addition to her fourth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress.[49] In the south, Tabu had two releases in Tamil and one in Malayalam. Her Tamil releases consisted of the romantic musical Kandukondain Kandukondain, an adaptation of Jane Austen's novel Sense and Sensibility, and the mystery thriller Snegithiye. Alongside Mammootty, Ajith Kumar and Aishwarya Rai in the former, she starred as Sowmya who was based on the character of Elinor Dashwood—Rai's sagacious older sister.[50] In the latter, directed by Priyadarshan, she portrayed a fiercely independent police officer. Both Kandukondain Kandukondain and Snegithiye earned critical acclaim along with box-office success.[51][52][53][54] Tabu's Malayalam release, the action thriller Cover Story, cast her opposite Suresh Gopi and received positive feedback from critics.[55]
In 2001, Tabu starred in Madhur Bhandarkar's Chandni Bar as a bar dancer. She was Bhandarkar's "first and last" choice for the role.[56] The film, along with Tabu's performance, received unanimous critical acclaim, and she received her second National Film Award for Best Actress and a fifth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress.[57][58] Critic Taran Adarsh wrote, "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".[59] In a similar fashion, Salil Kumar of Rediff.com reviewed, "if there is one actress who can carry a film on her shoulders, it is Tabu. As usual, she sparkles!"[60] Several publications have since regarded the performance as one of the finest of her career.[61][62][63]
Chennakeshava Reddy (2002) and Pandurangadu (2008) with Nandamuri Balakrishna and Andarivaadu (2005) with Chiranjeevi. Following a prolonged hiatus, Tabu returned to Telugu films with the 2008 biographical film, based on the life of Pundarika, Pandurangudu, for which she earned her first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Telugu.
In 2003, Tabu starred in an adaptation of William Shakespeare's Macbeth, titled Maqbool that saw Irrfan Khan in the eponymous role. Based on the character of Lady Macbeth, she played Nimmi, Khan's manipulative wife. Helmed by Vishal Bhardwaj, the film was the first of his Shakespearean Trilogy and premiered at the 2003 Toronto International Film Festival.[64] Maqbool was a box-office failure, but was met with acclaim; Tabu's performance also received unanimous acclaim with critic Ron Ahluwalia writing, "Tabu shines in a dark role. The most versatile actress in Bollywood takes to villainy like 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 is simply perfect. Her gradual insanity is heart-wrenching and her final outburst is easily the highlight of the film".[65]
She played the supporting role of a RAW officer in Fanaa (2006), alongside Aamir Khan and Kajol. The film went on to become the sixth highest-grossing film of the year.[66] The same year, she starred in her first Hollywood film The Namesake, directed by Mira Nair. The film was a success overseas, and she received positive reviews for her performance.[citation needed] In 2007, she starred in the romantic comedy Cheeni Kum, in which she played a 34-year-old food critic who falls in love with a sexagenarian chef (played by Amitabh Bachchan). The film received positive reviews from critics; Taran Adarsh praised Tabu for holding her own in the presence of Bachchan.[67] Though the film was moderately successful in the domestic market, it performed well, particularly in the UK and US.[68] She acquired a record-setting fourth Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Critics) for her performance in the film.
Career fluctuations (2010–2017)
Following a brief hiatus, which she attributed to being selective about her film choices, Tabu starred as a clever middle-class woman in the romantic comedy Toh Baat Pakki!.[69][70] The film was panned by critics with Raja Sen of Rediff.com describing it as a "bland, preposterously dated 'comedy'", and noting that Tabu’s poorly-written character constrained her performance.[71] She next starred opposite Sunny Deol as a CBI officer in the action drama Khuda Kasam.[72] Both Toh Baat Pakki! and Khuda Kasam had miniscule box-office returns.[73] She returned to Malayalam cinema in 2011 with a song appearance in the multi-starrer Urumi, directed by Santosh Sivan.[74] Tabu had also completed filming for B. R. Chopra's Banda Yeh Bindaas Hai; however, the film was indefinitely shelved due to plagiarism disputes.[75]
In 2012, she featured in a brief role in her second Hollywood film—Life of Pi—as the mother of the protagonist.[76] A.O. Scott of The New York Times described her limited screen time as "excellent".[77] Tabu's sole release of 2013 was in Bejoy Nambiar's Hindi-Tamil bilingual crime thriller David co-starring Vikram and Neil Nitin Mukesh; the film failed at the box-office.[78]
Keen to portray a light-hearted role, Tabu returned to commercial cinema with the Salman Khan-starrer Jai Ho (2014), a remake of the Telugu film Stalin.[79] Despite being six years younger than Khan, she played the role of his elder sister.[80] It emerged as the sixth-highest grossing Hindi film of the year.[81] She then reunited with Bhardwaj for Haider, his film adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet.[82] The film completed Bhardwaj's Shakespearean Trilogy that previously featured her in Maqbool.[83] Tabu initially passed on the role as she was hesitant toward playing a mother to Shahid Kapoor. She relented when Bhardwaj stressed the character's importance to the plot.[84] She essayed the role of Ghazala Meer, the Gertrude character, to Kapoor's Haider (Hamlet). Haider was both a critical and commercial success, with Tabu’s performance receiving unanimous acclaim.[85][86] Both Rachel Saltz of The New York Times and Lisa Tsering of The Hollywood Reporter shared the view that Tabu overshadowed the rest of the cast.[87][88] She earned her first Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.[89] Tabu's critical acclaim was sustained with her next venture—Drishyam (2015)—as a police officer investigating the murder of her son.[90] The film, directed by Nishikant Kamat, was a remake of the acclaimed Malayalam film of the same name.[91] She earned her third nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.[92]
Fitoor—the Hindi adaptation of Charles Dickens' Great Expectations—was Tabu's sole release of 2016 alongside Katrina Kaif and Aditya Roy Kapur.[93] Based on the character of Miss Havisham, she essayed the role of Begum Hazrat, Kaif's manipulative mother.[94] Tabu's performance divided critics and the film underperformed commercially.[95] While Rachel Saltz remarked that Tabu's performance was inferior to her other roles in adapted English tragedies, she praised her ability to convey loss with "her great tragedienne’s face," and Subhash K. Jha of Firstpost thought that Tabu had been miscast in the role of Kaif's mother but both criticised the inadequacy of the script.[96][97] In 2017, Tabu joined Rohit Shetty's Golmaal (film series) in the sequel Golmaal Again.[98] She expressed her admiration for Shetty's work as the reason for her return to comedy.[98] Her portrayal of a ghostbuster drew praise from critics with The Indian Express' Shubhra Gupta writing that "her inclusion to the film is an unexpected pleasure".[99] Golmaal Again became one of the highest-grossing Indian films of the year.[100]
Resurgence (2018–present)
Her first release of 2018 was Mukul Abhyankar's thriller Missing, opposite Manoj Bajpayee.[101] Tabu lent her vocals for the film's only song, a lullaby titled "So Ja Re".[102] Despite earning praise for her portrayal of a mother searching for her missing daughter, the film underperformed at the box office.[103] She followed this with a special appearance in Rajkumar Hirani's biopic Sanju, starring Ranbir Kapoor.[104] Tabu described her scene in the film as her "Truman Show moment", as she recreated the moment she presented Sanjay Dutt the award for Best Actor in a Comic Role at the 49th Filmfare Awards.[105]
A turning point in her career came with Sriram Raghavan's crime thriller Andhadhun, which saw her as the parallel lead to Ayushmann Khurrana.[106] The film, along with her performance, received unanimous critical acclaim.[107][108] Critic Rajeev Masand lauded Tabu as "the film's towering performance" and reviewers for Reuters and Hindustan Times commended her capabilities as the femme fatale.[109][110][111] She also featured in Film Companion's best Hindi cinema performances of the year.[112] With a gross of over ₹4.5 billion (US$54 million), the film emerged one of the highest-grossing Indian films and earned her a sixth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress, and fifth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Critics).[113] Tabu next starred in Akiv Ali's romantic comedy De De Pyaar De (2019) as the ex-wife of Devgn's character who disapproves of his relationship with a younger woman (played by Rakul Preet Singh).[114] She was drawn to exploring how a middle-aged divorcee navigates the complexities of love.[115] Rediff.com's Sukanya Verma praised Tabu for enhancing a mediocre picture.[116] She ended the year with a brief role as the missing younger sister of Salman Khan's character in Ali Abbas Zafar's partition drama Bharat.[117]
Tabu made her comeback to Telugu cinema after a decade, appearing in Trivikram Srinivas' Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo (2020) as the mother of Allu Arjun's character.[118][119] The film went on to become the second highest-grossing Indian film of the year and Tabu's performance received praised critically, earning her the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Telugu.[120][121][122] She followed this with both her television and streaming foray as a ghazal singer who engages in a relationship with a younger man (played by Ishaan Khatter) in Nair's A Suitable Boy, based on Vikram Seth's 1993 novel of the same name.[123] The series marked the first BBC period-drama series to have a non-white cast.[124] It received mixed reviews from critics, however, Tabu's performance was well-received with NDTV's Saibal Chatterjee describing her portrayal of Saeeda Begum as "bewitching".[125] She ended the year with a supporting role (billed as a special appearance) in the unremarkable family comedy Jawaani Jaaneman.[126][127]
In the spiritual sequel Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 (2022), Tabu received critical acclaim for her dual role as twin sisters seeking vengeance from one another.[128] She found the experience of playing the dual role particularly challenging as she had to showcase the characters in multiple time periods.[129] Writing for Hindustan Times, Monika Rawal Kukreja thought that Tabu "stole the show" but considered her portrayal of Manjulika inferior to that of Vidya Balan's in the predecessor.[130] She earned a seventh nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress, and a record-setting fifth Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Critics).[131] Later that year, she reprised her role in the thriller sequel Drishyam 2, directed by Abhishek Pathak.[132] Archika Khurana of The Times of India described Tabu as "simply outstanding", while The Wire's Tanul Thakur dismissed her as "forgettable".[133][134] Both Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and Drishyam 2 rank among the highest-grossing Hindi films of 2022, with the latter earning over ₹3.4 billion (US$41 million) worldwide.[135]
2023 witnessed Tabu portray a government official thrice in Kuttey, Bholaa and Khufiya.[136] In the crime thriller Kuttey, she essayed the role of a corrupt police officer—a role originally written for a man.[137] Sukanya Verma commended Tabu for elevating a poorly-written script.[138] Once again as a police officer, Tabu starred opposite Devgn in the action thriller Bholaa, which he also directed.[139] In her mixed review, Monika Rawal Kukreja thought that Tabu had not been given adequate scope to perform as she is "made to disappear as Devgn takes spotlight while fighting the bad guys".[140] Both Kuttey and Bholaa underperformed at the box-office.[141][142] In Khufiya, she reunited with Bhardwaj for their fifth collaboration as an operative of an intelligence agency alongside Ali Fazal and Wamiqa Gabbi.[143] Released directly onto Netflix, the film had an ambivalent reception from critics.[144][145][146] Anuj Kumar of The Hindu was appreciative of Tabu's consistent performances in Bhardwaj's projects but thought that she had been overshadowed by Gabbi.[147]
In 2024, Tabu starred alongside Kareena Kapoor Khan and Kriti Sanon in the female-led heist comedy Crew, in which the trio played flight attendants.[148] In preparation, they received training from former cabin crew members.[149] Outlook's Garima Das thought that Tabu was the standout among the trio.[150] The film emerged as a major commercial success.[151] Later in the year, she reunited with Devgn for their tenth collaboration in Neeraj Pandey's Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha.[152] The film had minuscule earnings against an estimated production budget of over ₹1 billion (US$12 million).[153][154] Lachmi Deb Roy of Firstpost criticised the film's antiquated storyline and the underutilisation of both Devgn and Tabu, though Dhaval Roy praised Tabu for delivering a performance of "quiet intensity".[155][156] In the same year, Tabu had a brief role as Francesca in the Dune franchise prequel series Dune: Prophecy, a role she described as "deep and intense".[157][158]
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Tabu is among the most accomplished actresses in Hindi cinema, known for her work in both mainstream and independent cinema. India Today noted that her "uncontrived freshness" and "mobile face" has become a Bollywood favourite, while her performances speak of "a considerable range".[159] Filmfare noted, "When you find her name on the credit list of a movie, expectations automatically shoot up".[160] Forbes noted that Tabu portrayed "strong women-oriented characters" much before such roles started being called "game-changers".[13] Vogue noted that Tabu has delivered "non-stop stellar and heart-swooning performances".[20] Eastern Eye termed her a "versatile performer" and said, "Tabu is regularly called upon to add weight to commercial blockbusters".[161]
Members of the Indian film industry have often commented on Tabu's beauty and talent. Lyricist Gulzar hailed Tabu as "the beginning of a new era" and "a thinking actress in the mould of Nargis, Nutan and Meena Kumari".[162][163] For filmmaker Karan Johar, Tabu is "truly the country's greatest actor", as well as "versatile", "adaptive" and "timeless".[164]
Known to be selective about her film roles, Tabu once said, "I do films which move me and most of all, the unit and the director should appeal to me".[1] In 2019, at the 17th Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles she was honoured with "Opening Night Tribute". In 2019, Film Companion ranked Tabu's performance in Haider and Andhadhun among the 100 Greatest Performances of the Decade.[165][166] India Today named her in their "Top Bollywood Actresses" list.[167] She was placed in Filmfare's "Top Ten Actresses" of 2003.[168] In Rediff.com's "Top Ten Actresses" list, she ranked 9th in 2007.[169] She topped the list in 2014[170] and 2018.[171] In 1998, Tabu received the Smita Patil Memorial Award for Best Actress, for her contribution to Indian cinema.[172] Forbes India included Tabu in its "50 Showstoppers" list of 2022.[173]
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In 1998, Tabu was charged with poaching two blackbucks on the outskirts of Kankani village in Jodhpur district of Rajasthan during the filming of Hum Saath Saath Hain along with co-stars Salman Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre and Neelam Kothari.[174] A lower court charged her with the others under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 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.[175] The Rajasthan State Government then filed a revision petition before the Rajasthan High Court at Jodhpur which again added Section 149 against her, which had been dropped earlier. In December 2012, the Jodhpur court summoned her along with all the accused for commencement of the trial with the revised charges on 4 February 2013.[176] Although Tabu was acquitted in the blackbuck poaching case on 5 April 2018,[177] the Rajasthan High Court issued her with a notice, challenging her acquittal on 11 March 2019.[178]
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Tabu received the National Film Award for Best Actress for Maachis and Chandni Bar. She received the Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Critics) for Virasat, Hu Tu Tu, Astitva, Cheeni Kum and Bhool Bhulaiyya 2, along with Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for Haider, and the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut for Vijaypath.[179] She was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award, by the Government of India for her contributions towards the arts in 2011.[180][181]
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