Tabu (actress)
Tabassum Fatima Hashmi, professionally known as Tabu, is an Indian actress who primarily works in Hindi films. Widely regarded as one of Hindi cinema's most accomplished actresses, she is known for portraying complex, often troubled women, in both mainstream and independent films. She has received numerous accolades, including two National Film Awards, seven Filmfare Awards, and two Filmfare Awards South. In 2011, she was honoured with the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian award.
Tabu made her first credited appearance as a teenager in Dev Anand's Hum Naujawan and had her first leading role in the Telugu film Coolie No. 1. In 1994, she won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut for her performance in the Hindi action drama Vijaypath. She received the National Film Award for Best Actress for portraying a young woman affected by the Punjab insurgency in the political thriller Maachis. That same year, she enjoyed commercial success with Ninne Pelladata, Kadhal Desam, Saajan Chale Sasural, and Jeet. Further box-office hits included the dramas Iruvar and Border, Biwi No.1 and Hum Saath-Saath Hain, as well as Kandukondain Kandukondain and Hera Pheri.
Tabu earned critical acclaim for her portrayals of complex women in Virasat, Hu Tu Tu, and Astitva, all of which won her Filmfare Critics' Awards; and as a bar dancer in Chandni Bar, which earned her a second National Film Award. This acclaim continued with her performance in the romantic comedy Cheeni Kum, which garnered her a record fourth Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress, and in the Vishal Bhardwaj-directed Shakespearean adaptations—Maqbool and Haider, the latter earning her the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. Tabu expanded into American cinema with The Namesake and Life of Pi. Her biggest commercial successes in India include the comedies Golmaal Again, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 —for which she won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress —and Crew ; the action drama Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo ; and the crime thrillers Andhadhun and Drishyam 2.
Early and personal life
Tabassum Fatima Hashmi was born on 4 November 1971 to Jamal Ali Hashmi and Rizwana in a Hyderabadi Muslim family. 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. He left the family when she was three. She has an older sister, Farah, who is also an actress. 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.Tabu did her schooling at St. Ann's High School, Vijayanagar Colony, Hyderabad. She moved to Mumbai in 1983 and studied at St. Xavier's College for 2 years. She is the niece of Shabana Azmi, Tanvi Azmi and Baba Azmi. She has been reluctant to discuss her family life in the media.
As a child, Tabu had an uncredited appearance at the age of 11 in Bazaar, and at the age of 14, she appeared in Hum Naujawan, in which she played Dev Anand's daughter.
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. When asked about her decision, Tabu stated that she "was working and wanted to see the world on 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".
Career
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 made her debut in Telugu cinema with Coolie No.1 co-starring Venkatesh. The film was a major box-office success.Tabu's first release in Hindi as a leading lady was in the romantic drama Pehla Pehla Pyar, which generally went unnoticed. However, a turning point in her career came with action film Vijaypath opposite Ajay Devgn, for which she received the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. The film marked the first of numerous 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.
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. For the latter, she received her first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. 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. 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. She followed this with a role opposite Nagarjuna in Ninne Pelladutha, the highest-grossing Telugu film at the time of its release. For her performance, she earned her first Filmfare award for Best Actress – Telugu. Anupama Chopra described her as "breathtakingly sensuous". This acclaim continued with the Malayalam period epic Kaalapani, directed by Priyadarshan. She also made her debut in Tamil cinema with the successful romantic-drama Kadhal Desam, directed by Kathir.
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. That year, she also starred in the critically acclaimed action-drama Virasat for which she earned her first nomination at Filmfare for Best Actress. 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, 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. 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". She won her second Filmfare Best Actress Award.
Career expansion (2000–2009)
In 2000, Tabu had five releases across several languages. She first starred in the comedy Hera Pheri and the drama Astitva in Hindi. The former was a box-office success, while the latter earned critical acclaim. Hindustan Times Arnab Banerjee praised her performance in Astitva, writing that she "is brilliant and once again proves her mettle as an actress". She won her third Filmfare Award for Best Actress for Astitva, along with her fourth nomination for Best Actress. In the South, Tabu had two Tamil releases and one Malayalam film. Her Tamil films included the romantic musical Kandukondain Kandukondain, an adaptation of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, and the mystery thriller Snegithiye. In Kandukondain Kandukondain, she starred alongside Mammootty, Ajith Kumar, and Aishwarya Rai as Sowmya, based on the character of Elinor Dashwood—Rai's character's sagacious older sister. In Snegithiye, directed by Priyadarshan, Tabu portrayed a headstrong police officer investigating the murder of twin sisters. Both films were critically acclaimed and commercially successful. Tabu's Malayalam release, the action thriller Cover Story, featured her alongside Suresh Gopi and received positive reviews from critics.File:Irfan Khan Tabu still1.jpg|thumb|upright|Tabu with co-actor Irrfan Khan at the premiere of The Namesake in 2006|leftIn 2001, Tabu starred in Madhur Bhandarkar's Chandni Bar as a bar dancer. Despite her initial hesitation due to the failure of Bhandarkar's previous film Trishakti, she accepted the role after hearing the film's narration. 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. 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". 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!" Several publications have since regarded the performance as one of the finest of her career.
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 domineering wife. Helmed by Vishal Bhardwaj, the film was the first of his Shakespearean Trilogy and premiered at the 2003 Toronto International Film Festival. 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 played the supporting role of a RAW officer in Fanaa, alongside Aamir Khan and Kajol. The film went on to become the sixth highest-grossing film of the year. 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. In R Balki's romance Cheeni Kum, Tabu played a 34-year-old tourist in London who falls in love with a chef in his sixties. Due to budget constraints, Balki borrowed equipment from Nikkhil Advani's Salaam-e-Ishq for filming. Cheeni Kum received positive reviews from critics; Taran Adarsh praised Tabu for holding her own in the presence of Bachchan. Though the film was moderately successful in the domestic market, it performed particularly well in the UK and US. She acquired a record-setting fourth Filmfare Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film.