Tabassum Fatima Hashmi (born 4 November 1971), known professionally as Tabu, is an Indian actress who works primarily in

Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...

and

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of South India ** Telugu literature, is the body of works written in the Telugu language. * Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Tel ...

films. Regarded as one of Hindi cinema's most accomplished actresses, she has often played troubled women, from fictional to literary, in both mainstream and independent cinema. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two

National Film Awards The National Film Awards are awards for artistic and technical merit given for "Excellence within the Cinema of India, Indian film industry". Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India ...

, seven

Filmfare Awards The Filmfare Awards are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Indian cinema.Al The Filmfare ceremony is one of the most famous film events in India. The awards were introduced by Filmfare magazine of The Times G ...

(includes a record five Critics Awards for Best Actress), and two

Filmfare Awards South The Filmfare Awards South are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Telugu cinema, Tamil cinema, Malayalam cinema and Kannada cinema. They are presented by ''Filmfare'' magazine of The Times Group. When it was intr ...

. In 2011, she was awarded the

Padma Shri The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...

, the fourth highest Indian civilian honour.Padma Awards Announced
. Ministry of Home Affairs. 25 January 2011 Tabu had her first credited role as a teenager in

Dev Anand Dev Anand (; born Dharamdev Pishorimal Anand; 26 September 1923 – 3 December 2011) was an Indian actor, writer, director and producer known for his work in Indian cinema, Hindi cinema. He is considered as one of the greatest and most succes ...

's ''

Hum Naujawan ''Hum Naujawan'' () is a 1985 Indian drama film directed by Dev Anand. He himself played the central character in the film dedicated to young students. It marked the debut of Richa Sharma, Tabu, Bunty Behl and Atlee Brar with Anupam Kher and ...

'' (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 The Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut (previously known as Filmfare Award for Lux New Face of the Year) is given by ''Filmfare'' as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films to recognise a performance by a female actor in their deb ...

for the Hindi action drama ''

Vijaypath ''Vijaypath'' () is a 1994 Indian Hindi-language action drama film starring Ajay Devgn, Tabu and Danny Denzongpa. Plot Bhawani Singh (younger brother of Dilawar Singh), a career criminal and murderer, is arrested by Rajesh and sentenced to dea ...

''. She won the

National Film Award for Best Actress The National Film Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role is an honour presented annually at the National Film Awards of India since 1968 to an actress for the best performance in a leading role within the Cinema of India, Indian film industry. ...

for playing a young woman affected by the

Punjab insurgency The Insurgency in Punjab was an armed campaign by the separatists of the Khalistan movement from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s. Economic and social pressures driven by the Green Revolution prompted calls for Sikh autonomy and separatism. This ...

in the political thriller ''

Maachis ''Maachis'' () is a 1996 Indian Hindi-language period political thriller film written and directed by Gulzar. The film stars Chandrachur Singh, Om Puri, Tabu, and Jimmy Sheirgill. The film is set against the backdrop of the Sikh insurgency ...

'' (1996). Also in 1996, she had commercial successes in '' Ninne Pelladata'', ''

Kadhal Desam ''Kadhal Desam'' ( ) is a 1996 Indian Tamil-language romance film written and directed by Kathir and produced by K. T. Kunjumon. The film stars Vineeth, Abbas and Tabu. This marked Abbas's feature debut and Tabu's Tamil debut. The supporting ...

'', ''

Saajan Chale Sasural ''Saajan Chale Sasural'' () is a 1996 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film starring Govinda, Tabu, Karisma Kapoor, Kader Khan, and Satish Kaushik. It was directed by David Dhawan. It is a remake of the Telugu film ''Allari Mogudu'' (199 ...

'' and '' Jeet''. Further box-office hits came with the dramas ''

Iruvar ''Iruvar'' () is a 1997 Indian Tamil-language epic political drama film co-written, produced, and directed by Mani Ratnam. The film, inspired by the lives of M. G. Ramachandran, M. Karunanidhi and J. Jayalalithaa, is set against the backdrop ...

'', ''

Border Borders are generally defined as geography, geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by polity, political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other administrative divisio ...

'' (both 1997), ''

Biwi No.1 ''Biwi No.1'' () is a 1999 Indian Hindi-language comedy film directed by David Dhawan, being a remake of the 1995 Tamil language, Tamil film ''Sathi Leelavathi (1995 film), Sathi Leelavathi''. It stars Anil Kapoor, Salman Khan, Karisma Kapoor, ...

'', ''

Hum Saath-Saath Hain '' Hum Saath-Saath Hain'' (), also abbreviated as ''HSSH'', is a 1999 Indian Hindi-language family drama film written and directed by Sooraj Barjatya under the production and distribution of Rajshri Productions. The film stars an ensemble cas ...

'' (both 1999), ''

Kandukondain Kandukondain ''Kandukondain Kandukondain'' (also released internationally as ''I Have Found It'') is a 2000 Indian Tamil-language romantic musical film directed and co-written by Rajiv Menon. Based on Jane Austen's 1811 novel ''Sense and Sensibility'', i ...

'', and '' Hera Pheri'' (both 2000). Tabu gained acclaim for portraying troubled women in '' Virasat'' (1997), ''

Hu Tu Tu ''Hu Tu Tu'' is a 1999 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed by Gulzar, starring Nana Patekar, Sunil Shetty, Tabu and Suhasini Mulay. Plot The story opens with the kidnapping of Panna Barve, the daughter of Chief Minister Malti Barve. T ...

'' (1999), and ''

Astitva ''Astitva'' () is a 2000 Indian film made simultaneously in Marathi and Hindi languages, written and directed by Mahesh Manjrekar. The film tells the story of Aditi Pandit, a happily married woman whose husband Srikant Pandit becomes suspicious w ...

'' (2000), all of which won her Filmfare Critics' Awards; and as a bar dancer in ''

Chandni Bar ''Chandni Bar'' is a 2001 Indian Hindi-language crime drama film directed by Madhur Bhandarkar. It depicts the gritty life of the Mumbai underworld, including prostitution, dance bars and gun crime. The film stars Tabu and Atul Kulkarni in lea ...

'' (2001) which earned her a second National Film Award. This acclaim continued with her roles in the romantic comedy ''

Cheeni Kum ''Cheeni Kum'' () is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film directed by R. Balki starring Amitabh Bachchan, Tabu, Paresh Rawal, Zohra Sehgal, and Swini Khara. ''Cheeni Kum'' premiered at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival on 21 May 2007 ...

'' (2007) which earned her a record fourth Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress, and the

Vishal Bhardwaj Vishal Bhardwaj (born 4 August 1965) is an Indian filmmaker, music composer, and playback singer. He is known for his work in Hindi cinema, and is the recipient of nine National Film Awards and a Filmfare Award. Bhardwaj made his debut as a mu ...

-directed Shakespearean tragedies—''

Maqbool ''Maqbool'' is a 2003 Indian Hindi-language crime drama film directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, starring Irrfan Khan, Tabu, Pankaj Kapur, Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Piyush Mishra, Murali Sharma, and Masumeh Makhija in an adaptation of the play ' ...

'' (2004) and ''

Haider Haider is a predominantly Arabic name, with alternative spellings such as Haidar, Haydar and Heydar. Notable people with the name include: Given name * Haider Shah 15th-century sultan of Kashmir *Haider Al-Abadi, Iraqi politician * Haider Acke ...

'' (2014), the latter earning her the

Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress The Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress is given by ''Filmfare'' as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a female actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role. Although the Filmfare ...

. Tabu expanded to American cinema with '' The Namesake'' (2006) and ''

Life of Pi ''Life of Pi'' is a Canadian philosophical novel by Yann Martel published in 2001. The protagonist is Piscine Molitor "Pi" Patel, an Indian boy from Pondicherry, who explores issues of spirituality and metaphysics from an early age. After a ...

'' (2012). Her biggest commercial successes in India came with the comedies ''

Golmaal Again ''Golmaal Again'' () is a 2017 Indian Hindi-language supernatural action comedy film written and directed by Rohit Shetty; produced by Rohit Shetty Pictures, Mangl Murti Films and Reliance Entertainment. The film is the fourth installment of ' ...

'' (2017), ''

Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 ''Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2'' () is a 2022 Indian Hindi-language comedy horror film directed by Anees Bazmee, written by Aakash Kaushik and Farhad Samji, and produced by T-Series Films and Cine1 Studios. It is a standalone sequel to the 2007 film ''Bh ...

'' (2022)—for which she earned the Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Critics)—and ''Crew'' (2024), the action drama ''

Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo ''Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo'' (), also known by the initialism ''AVPL'', is a 2020 Indian Telugu language, Telugu-language action drama film written and directed by Trivikram Srinivas.It was produced by Allu Aravind and S. Radha Krishna under thei ...

'' (2020), and the crime thrillers ''

Andhadhun ''Andhadhun'' ( ) is a 2018 Indian Hindi-language black comedy crime thriller film co-written and directed by Sriram Raghavan. It stars Tabu, Ayushmann Khurrana, Radhika Apte and Anil Dhawan. The film tells the story of a blind piano player wh ...

'' (2018) and ''

Drishyam 2 ''Drishyam 2: The Resumption'', or simply ''Drishyam 2'' is a 2021 Indian Malayalam-language crime thriller film written and directed by Jeethu Joseph. The film was produced by Antony Perumbavoor under the banner of Aashirvad Cinemas. A sequ ...

'' (2022).

Early and personal life

Tabassum Fatima Hashmi was born on 4 November 1971 to Jamal Ali Hashmi and Rizwana in a

Hyderabadi Muslim Hyderabadi Muslims, also referred to as Hyderabadis, are a community of Dakhini Muslims, Deccani people, from the area that used to be the Hyderabad State, princely state of Hyderabad in the regions of Marathwada, Telangana, and Kalyana-Karnat ...

family. Her father was an actor in

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

, 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 actor. 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 Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

in 1983 and studied at

St. Xavier's College A multitude of schools and universities have been named after St. Francis Xavier, a Spanish Roman Catholic saint and co-founder of the Society of Jesus. This page lists notable educational institutions named after St. Xavier, arranged by country a ...

for 2 years. She is the niece of

Shabana Azmi Shabana Azmi (born 18 September 1950) is an Indian actress of film, television and theatre. Her career in the Hindi cinema, Hindi film industry has spanned Shabana Azmi filmography, over 160 films, mostly within independent and neorealist paral ...

Tanvi Azmi Tanvi Azmi is an Indian film and television actress. She is known for her roles in '' Akele Hum Akele Tum'' (1995), ''Bajirao Mastani'' (2015), '' Thappad'' (2020) and ''Tribhanga'' (2021). Early life and career She was born to Marathi-Hindi ...

and

Baba Azmi Sayyid Baba Azmi is an Indian film cinematographer and member of the Akhtar-Azmi film family.The Dynamic Dynasties: What would the world of films be without them?
Screen, 22 September 2000. As a child, Tabu had an uncredited appearance at the age of 11 in ''

Bazaar A bazaar or souk is a marketplace consisting of multiple small Market stall, stalls or shops, especially in the Middle East, the Balkans, Central Asia, North Africa and South Asia. They are traditionally located in vaulted or covered streets th ...

'' (1982), and at the age of 14, she appeared in ''

'' (1985), in which she played

'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 erown. 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 Achal Surinder "Boney" Kapoor (born 11 November 1955) is an Indian film producer primarily associated with Hindi cinema, in addition to Tamil and Telugu cinema. Early life Kapoor was born as Achal Surinder Kapoor in 1955, the son of Surinder ...

launched two major films: '' Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja'' and '' Prem,'' in which Tabu was signed opposite

Sanjay Kapoor Sanjay Surinder Kapoor (17 October 1965) is an Indian actor and film producer. He works in Hindi cinema, Television in India, Indian television and web series. He is a member of the List of Hindi film families#Kapoor family (of Surinder Kapoo ...

, Boney's younger brother. Tabu made her debut in

Telugu cinema Telugu cinema, also known as Tollywood, is the segment of Cinema of India, Indian cinema dedicated to the production of Film, motion pictures in the Telugu language, widely spoken in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Based in Film N ...

with '' Coolie No.1'' (1991) co-starring

Venkatesh Venkatesh is a given name and family name from the Indian subcontinent derived from Venkateswara, a Hindu deity. Notable persons with the name include: * A. Venkatesh Naik (1936 - 2015), member of the 14th Lok Sabha of India * A. Venkatesh (direc ...

. 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 ''Pehla Pehla Pyar'' () is a 1994 Indian Hindi-language romantic film directed by Manmohan Singh. It stars Rishi Kapoor and Tabu. The movie is loosely inspired by the American movie ''Roman Holiday''. Summary Sapna runs away from her aristoc ...

'' (1994), which generally went unnoticed. However, a turning point in her career came with action film ''

'' (1994) opposite

Ajay Devgn Vishal Veeru Devgan (born 2 April 1969), known professionally as Ajay Devgn, is an Indian actor, film director, and producer. One of the most prolific actors of Hindi cinema, Devgn has appeared in over Ajay Devgn filmography, 100 films and ha ...

, for which she received the

. 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 Rishi Kapoor (4 September 1952 – 30 April 2020) was an Indian actor, film director, and producer who worked in Hindi films. In a career spanning 50 years, he is regarded as one of the most successful and accomplished actors in Hindi cinema. ...

and

Raveena Tandon Raveena Tandon (born 26 October 1972) is an Indian actress primarily known for her work in Hindi films. Considered as one of the leading actresses of the 1990s and early 2000s, Tandon is a recipient of several awards, including a National Film ...

. In 1996, Tabu had eight releases, two of which—''

'' 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

. She was also seen in

Gulzar Gulzar (born Sampooran Singh Kalra; 18 August 1934) is an Indian Urdu poetry, Urdu poet, lyricist, author, screenwriter, and film director known for his works in Hindi cinema. He is regarded as one of greatest Urdu poets of this era. He starte ...

's critically acclaimed political thriller ''

'' opposite

Chandrachur Singh Chandrachur Singh (born 11 October 1968) is an Indian actor, who mainly works in Hindi cinema. He is the recipient of a Filmfare Award, in addition to receiving nomination for an IIFA Award and a Screen Award. Early life and career Singh is ...

. Her role as a Punjabi woman caught in the rise of Sikh insurgency earned unanimous critical claim; she earned her first

for her performance, in addition to her first nomination for the

Filmfare Award for Best Actress The Filmfare Award for Best Actress is given by '' Filmfare'' as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise the female performer who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role. The award was first given in ...

. 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 Nāgārjuna (Sanskrit: नागार्जुन, ''Nāgārjuna''; ) was an Indian monk and Mahayana, Mahāyāna Buddhist Philosophy, philosopher of the Madhyamaka (Centrism, Middle Way) school. He is widely considered one of the most importa ...

in '' Ninne Pelladutha'' (1996), 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 Anupama Vinod Chopra () is an Indian author, journalist and film critic who served as the festival director of the Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image, MAMI Mumbai Film Festival from 2015 to 2023. She is also the founder and editor of the now-de ...

described her as "breathtakingly sensuous". This acclaim continued with the

Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of ...

period epic ''

Kaalapani ''Kaalapaani'' () is a 1996 Indian Malayalam-language epic historical drama film written by T. Damodaran and directed by Priyadarshan. Set in 1915, the film focuses on the lives of Indian independence activists incarcerated in the Cellular Ja ...

'', directed by

Priyadarshan Priyadarshan Soman Nair (born 30 January 1957) is an Indian film director and screenwriter. He has worked primarily in Malayalam cinema, Malayalam and Hindi cinema, Hindi cinema since 1982, directing over 90 films in multiple Indian languages, ...

. She also made her debut in

Tamil cinema Tamil cinema is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Tamil language, the main spoken language in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is nicknamed Kollywood, a portmanteau of the names Kodambakkam, a Ch ...

with the successful romantic-drama ''

'', directed by

Kathir Kathir is an Indian film director, producer, and screenwriter who works predominantly in Tamil cinema. Early life Kathir was born in kalkarai, a small village in the Radhapuram Taluk of Tirunelveli District, state of Tamil Nadu, India. Kathi ...

. Tabu's first release of 1997 was the J. P. Dutta-helmed ''

'', an ensemble war drama that retells the real-life events surrounding the

Battle of Longewala The Battle of Longewala (4–7 December 1971) was one of the first major engagements in the western sector during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, fought between assaulting Pakistani forces and Indian defenders at the Indian border post of Long ...

during the Indo-Pak War of 1971; she played the role of

Sunny Deol Ajay Singh Deol (born 19 October 1957), better known as Sunny Deol, is an Indian actor, film director, producer, and politician. One of the highest grossing actors of Indian cinema, he has worked in Sunny Deol filmography, more than 100 Hindi ...

'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 (Critics). She followed this with a role in

Mani Ratnam Gopalaratnam Subramaniam (born 2 June 1956), known professionally as Mani Ratnam, is an Indian film director, film producer and screenwriter who predominantly works in Tamil cinema and a few Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada films. H ...

's Tamil political drama ''

,'' which had an ensemble cast consisting of

Mohanlal Mohanlal Viswanathan (; born 21 May 1960), known mononymously as Mohanlal, is an Indian actor and filmmaker who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema, Malayalam cinema besides also having sporadically appeared in Tamil cinema, Tamil, Hin ...

Aishwarya Rai Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (; Rai; born 1 November 1973) is an Indian actress who is primarily known for her work in Hindi and Tamil language, Tamil films. Rai won the Miss World 1994 pageant and later established herself as one of the most-popu ...

Prakash Raj Prakash Raj (born Prakash Rai; 26 March 1965) is an Indian actor, film director, producer, television presenter, and politician. Known for his works in Telugu language, Telugu, Tamil language, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, English language, Engl ...

and

Gautami Gautami Tadimalla (born 2 July 1968) is an Indian actress, social worker, politician and Deputy Propaganda Secretary of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. She has worked mainly in Tamil and Telugu cinema, in addition to Malayalam, Hin ...

. She also appeared in ''

Chachi 420 ''Chachi 420'' () is a 1997 Indian Hindi-language comedy film, co-written, produced and directed by Kamal Haasan. The film is an official remake of the 1996 Tamil film '' Avvai Shanmughi''., which itself was an adaptation of 1993 film '' Mrs. Dou ...

'' (1998), a remake of Tamil film '' Avvai Shanmughi'' co-starring

Kamal Haasan Parthasarathy Srinivasan (born 7 November 1954), known professionally as Kamal Haasan, is an Indian actor, filmmaker and politician who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. Considered as one of the most accomplished actors of Indian Cinema, Haas ...

. In her final release of the year, she starred in ''

Aavida Maa Aavide ''Aavida Maa Aavide'' () is a 1998 Telugu language, Telugu comedy drama film written and directed by E. V. V. Satyanarayana and produced by D. Kishore under the Jayabheri Arts, Jayabheri Art Productions banner. The film stars Nagarjuna (actor), ...

.'' In 1999, Tabu was seen among two successful ensemble films—the comedy ''

'' and the family drama ''

'', 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 ''

'', with

Namrata Joshi Namrata Joshi is an Indian film critic based in New Delhi. Originally working for ''Outlook'', she remained there from 1999 till 2015, when she joined ''The Hindu''. She won the National Film Award for Best Film Critic in 2004. Career Joshi i ...

of ''

India Today ''India Today'' is a weekly Indian English-language news magazine published by Living Media, Living Media India Limited. It is the most widely circulated magazine in India, with a readership of close to 8 million. In 2014, ''India Today'' laun ...

'' describing her as "mesmerising and eloquent". She won her second Filmfare Best Actress (Critics) 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 ''

'' 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 (Critics) 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 ''

'', an adaptation of

Jane Austen Jane Austen ( ; 16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817) was an English novelist known primarily for #List of works, her six novels, which implicitly interpret, critique, and comment on the English landed gentry at the end of the 18th century ...

's ''

Sense and Sensibility ''Sense and Sensibility'' ( working title; ''Elinor and Marianne'') is the first novel by the English author Jane Austen, published in 1811. It was published anonymously: ''By A Lady'' appears on the title page where the author's name might h ...

'', and the mystery thriller ''

Snegithiye ''Snegithiye'' () is a 2000 Indian Tamil language, Tamil-language mystery film, mystery thriller film directed by Priyadarshan. The film notably features only female characters, played by Tabu (actress), Tabu, Jyothika, Sharbani Mukherjee and Is ...

''. In ''Kandukondain Kandukondain'', she starred alongside

Mammootty Muhammad Kutty Panaparambil Ismail (born 7 September 1951), known mononymously by the hypocorism Mammootty (), is an Indian actor and film producer who works predominantly in Malayalam-language films. He has also appeared in Tamil, Telugu, ...

Ajith Kumar Ajith Kumar Subramaniam (born 1 May 1971) is an Indian actor who works predominantly in Tamil cinema. To date, he has starred in over 63 films, and won four Vijay Awards, three Cinema Express Awards, three Filmfare Awards South and three Ta ...

, and

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 Suresh Gopi (born 26 June 1958) is an Indian actor, playback singer, television presenter and politician who is currently serving as the Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas and the Minister of Tourism since June 2024. He was ele ...

and received positive reviews from critics. In 2001, Tabu starred in

Madhur Bhandarkar Madhur Bhandarkar (born 26 August 1968) is an Indian film director, script writer, and producer. In 2016, Bhandarkar was honoured with the Padma Shri, the Indian honours system, fourth highest civilian honour, by the Government of India. He i ...

's ''

'' as a bar dancer. Despite her initial hesitation due to the failure of Bhandarkar's previous film ''

Trishakti ''Trishakti'' is a 1999 Indian Hindi-language crime film directed by Madhur Bhandarkar. It stars Arshad Warsi, Sharad Kapoor, Milind Gunaji and Radhika in pivotal roles. Plot Rajeshwar Raja is the uncrowned don of the criminal world in Bombay, ...

'' (1999), 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 Taran Adarsh (born 13 June 1965) is an Indian film critic and trade analyst. He is best known for giving trade figures and box office updates on social media, as well as his reviews for Bollywood Hungama. Career Taran Adarsh started his journ ...

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 Rediff.com, stylized as rediff.com, is an Indian news, information, entertainment, and shopping website. Founded by Ajit Balakrishnan in 1996, it was the first Indian website to become a mainstream news media organization. It is headquartered i ...

'' 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. Irfan Khan Tabu still1

In 2003, Tabu starred in an adaptation of

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's ''

Macbeth ''The Tragedy of Macbeth'', often shortened to ''Macbeth'' (), is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, estimated to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the physically violent and damaging psychological effects of political ambiti ...

'', titled ''

,'' that saw

Irrfan Khan Irrfan Khan () (born Sahabzade Irfan Ali Khan; 7 January 196729 April 2020) was an Indian actor who worked in Indian cinema as well as British and American films. Widely regarded as one of the finest actors in world cinema, Khan's career spa ...

in the eponymous role. Based on the character of

Lady Macbeth Lady Macbeth is a leading character in William Shakespeare's tragedy ''Macbeth'' (). As the wife of the play's tragic hero, Macbeth (a Scottish nobleman), Lady Macbeth goads her husband into committing regicide, after which she becomes quee ...

, she played Nimmi, Khan's domineering wife. Helmed by

, the film was the first of his Shakespearean Trilogy and premiered at the

2003 Toronto International Film Festival The 28th Toronto International Film Festival ran from September 4 to September 13, 2003. A total of 336 films (252 feature length and 84 short films) from 55 countries were screened during the festival. Of the feature films, 73% were world, inte ...

. ''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'' (2006), alongside

Aamir Khan Mohammed Aamir Hussain Khan (; born 14 March 1965) is an Indian actor, filmmaker, and television personality who works in Bollywood, Hindi films. Referred to as "Mr. Perfectionist" in the media, he is known for his work in a variety of film g ...

and

Kajol Kajol Devgan (née Mukherjee) (; born 5 August 1974), known mononymously as Kajol, is an Indian actress. Described in the media as one of the most successful actresses of Hindi cinema, she is the recipient of numerous accolades, such as six ...

. 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 Mira Nair (born 15 October 1957) is an Indian-American filmmaker based in New York City. Her production company is Mirabai Films. Among her films are '' Mississippi Masala'', '' The Namesake'', the Golden Lion–winning '' Monsoon Wedding'', ...

. The film was a success overseas, and she received positive reviews for her performance. In R Balki's romance ''

'' (2007), Tabu played a 34-year-old tourist in London who falls in love with a chef in his sixties (played by

Amitabh Bachchan Amitabh Bachchan (; 11 October 1942) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi cinema. He is often considered one of the greatest, most accomplished and commercially successful actors in the history of Indian cinema.* * * * * With a cinemati ...

). Due to budget constraints, Balki borrowed equipment from

Nikkhil Advani Nikkhil Suresh Advani (born 28 April 1971) is an Indian director, producer and screenwriter who works in Hindi cinema. He along with his sister, Monisha Advani and Madhu Bhojwani, co-founded the entertainment company Emmay Entertainment. Early ...

's ''

Salaam-e-Ishq ''Salaam-e-Ishq'' () also known as ''Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute To Love'', is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film directed by Nikkhil Advani, marking his second directorial venture after ''Kal Ho Naa Ho'' (2003). An unofficial remake ...

'' 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 (Critics) for her performance in the film.

Career fluctuations (2010–2017)

Following a brief hiatus, which she attributed to being meticulous in her film selection, Tabu starred in ''

Toh Baat Pakki! ''Toh Baat Pakki!'' () is a 2010 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film directed by Kedar Shinde and produced by Ramesh S Taurani under Tips Industries. The film stars Tabu, Sharman Joshi, Vatsal Sheth, Uvika Choudhary and Ayub Khan. It ...

'', a romantic comedy about a woman searching for a husband for her sister (played by

Yuvika Chaudhary Yuvika Chaudhary (born 2 August 1983) is an Indian actress who has appeared in Hindi films such as ''Om Shanti Om'', '' Summer 2007'' and '' Toh Baat Pakki!''. In 2009, she also acted in a Kannada film '' Maleyali Jotheyali'', in a lead role op ...

). The film was widely panned by critics, with Raja Sen of

calling it a "bland, preposterously dated 'comedy'" and indicating that Tabu's poorly written character limited her performance. She next starred opposite

as a CBI officer investigating the murder of the

Chief Minister of Maharashtra The chief minister of Maharashtra (IAST: Mahārāṣṭrāce Mukhyamaṃtrī) is the head of the executive branch of the government of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Following elections to the Legislative Assembly, the governor invites ...

in the action drama '' Khuda Kasam''. Both ''Toh Baat Pakki!'' and ''Khuda Kasam'' had minuscule box-office returns. She returned to

Malayalam cinema Malayalam cinema, also referred to as Mollywood, is a segment of Cinema of India, Indian cinema dedicated to producing films in the Malayalam, Malayalam language, primarily spoken in Kerala and the Lakshadweep islands. It encompasses both th ...

in 2011 with a song appearance in the multi-starrer ''

Urumi An urumi is an Indian sword with a flexible, whip-like blade, secretly worn around the waist. Originating in modern-day Kerala, a state in southwestern India, it is thought to have existed from as early as the Sangam period. It is treated as ...

'', directed by

Santosh Sivan Santosh Sivan ISC (born 8 February 1964) is an Indian cinematographer, film director, producer and actor known for his works in Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi cinema. Santosh graduated from the Film and Television Institute of India and has, to ...

. Tabu had also completed filming for B. R. Chopra's '' Banda Yeh Bindaas Hai''; however, the film was indefinitely shelved due to plagiarism disputes.In 2012, she had a brief role in her second Hollywood film, ''

'', playing the protagonist's mother.

A.O. Scott Anthony Oliver Scott (born July 10, 1966) is an American journalist and cultural critic, known for his film and literary criticism. After starting his career at ''The New York Review of Books'', ''Variety'', and ''Slate'', he began writing film ...

of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' described her limited screen time as "excellent". Tabu's sole release of 2013 was in

Bejoy Nambiar Bejoy Nambiar (born 12 April 1979) is an Indian film director, and screenwriter known for his work in Bollywood. He is mostly known for his critically acclaimed short films, ''Rahu'' and '' Reflections'', starring Mohanlal. He was the winner o ...

's Hindi-Tamil bilingual crime thriller ''

David David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Dam ...

'' co-starring Vikram and

Neil Nitin Mukesh Neil Nitin Mukesh Chand Mathur (born 15 January 1982) is an Indian actor, producer and screenwriter known for his work in Hindi films. He is the son of playback singer Nitin Mukesh and grandson of singer Mukesh. He debuted as a child artist ...

; the film failed at the box-office. Keen to take on a light-hearted role, Tabu returned to commercial cinema with the

Salman Khan Abdul Rashid Salim Salman Khan (; born 27 December 1965) is an Indian actor, film producer, and television personality who predominantly works in Hindi films. In a career spanning over three decades, his awards include two National Film Awa ...

-starrer '' Jai Ho'' (2014), a remake of the Telugu film ''

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...

'' (2006).' Despite being six years younger than Khan, she played the role of his elder sister. ''Variety'''s David Chute wrote that, "Stately-tall and with the profile of an Egyptian princess, Tabu is operating here several kilometers beneath her gifts". With a gross of over , it emerged as the sixth-highest grossing Hindi film of the year. She then reunited with Bhardwaj for ''

'', his film adaptation of Shakespeare's ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

''. The film completed Bhardwaj's Shakespearean Trilogy that previously featured Tabu in ''Maqbool''. She initially passed on the role as she was hesitant about playing a mother to

Shahid Kapoor Shahid Kapoor (; born 25 February 1981) is an Indian actor who appears in Hindi films. Initially recognised for portraying romantic roles, he has since taken on parts in action films and thrillers, and is the recipient of List of awards and n ...

, but relented when Bhardwaj stressed the character's importance to the plot. She essayed the role of Ghazala Meer, the Gertrude character, to Kapoor's Haider (

). ''Haider'' received critical acclaim, with Tabu's performance being particularly praised. Both Rachel Saltz of ''The New York Times'' and Lisa Tsering of ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'' concurred that Tabu overshadowed the rest of the cast with her performance. She earned her first

. Tabu continued to receive critical acclaim with her next venture, ''

Drishyam ''Drishyam'' () is a 2013 Indian Malayalam-language crime thriller film written and directed by Jeethu Joseph. It stars Mohanlal alongside Meena, Ansiba Hassan, Esther Anil, Asha Sharath, Siddique, Kalabhavan Shajohn, Roshan Basheer and ...

'' (2015), in which she portrayed Meera, a police officer investigating the murder of her son. Directed by

Nishikant Kamat Nishikant Kamat (17 June 1970 17 August 2020) was an Indian filmmaker and actor. His debut film, ''Dombivali Fast'' earned him accolades in Marathi cinema, as it went on to become the biggest Marathi film of the year. He remade his film, in Ta ...

, the film was a remake of the Malayalam film of the

same name ''Same Name'' is an American reality television series in which an average person swaps lives with a celebrity of the same first and last name. It premiered on July 24, 2011 on CBS. The series received low ratings, and CBS pulled it after four-ep ...

. Writing for

Scroll.in Scroll.in, simply referred to as Scroll, is an Indian digital news publication. Founded in 2014, it is owned by SCSN Pvt Ltd. History Background Samir Patil, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumnus and McKinsey & Company associate wa ...

, Nandini Ramnath wrote that Tabu's "raspy voice and impassive face convey the systemic obduracy that Meera Deshmukh represents". She earned her third nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. Both ''Haider'' and ''Drishyam'' emerged as modest commercial successes. ''

Fitoor ''Fitoor'' (''Madness, Obsession, Passion'') is a 2016 Indian Hindi-language musical romantic drama directed by Abhishek Kapoor, produced by Siddharth Roy Kapur, and written by Kapoor and Supratik Sen based on Charles Dickens' 1861 novel ''G ...

''—the Hindi adaptation of

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and Social criticism, social critic. He created some of literature's best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by ...

' ''

Great Expectations ''Great Expectations'' is the thirteenth novel by English author Charles Dickens and his penultimate completed novel. The novel is a bildungsroman and depicts the education of an orphan nicknamed Pip. It is Dickens' second novel, after ''Dav ...

''—was Tabu's sole release of 2016 alongside

Katrina Kaif Katrina Kaif (; born Katrina Rosemary Turcotte, 16 July 1983) is a British actress who works in Hindi-language films. One of the highest-paid actresses in India, she has received numerous accolades, including four Screen Awards and four Zee C ...

and

Aditya Roy Kapur Aditya Roy Kapur (born 16 November 1985) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi films. After working as a VJ, he made his acting debut with the musical drama '' London Dreams'' (2009). Kapur had his first commercial success with the romance '' A ...

. Based on the character of

Miss Havisham Miss Havisham is a character in Charles Dickens's 1861 novel ''Great Expectations''. She is a wealthy spinster, once jilted at the altar, who insists on wearing her wedding dress for the rest of her life. She lives in a ruined mansion with her ...

, she essayed the role of Begum Hazrat, Kaif's manipulative mother. Tabu's performance divided critics; While Rachel Saltz remarked that her 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 she had been miscast in the role of Kaif's mother, but both criticised the inadequacy of the script. It emerged as a

box-office bomb A box-office bomb is a film that is unprofitable or considered highly unsuccessful during its theatrical run. Although any film for which the combined production budget, marketing, and distribution costs exceed the revenue after release has te ...

. In 2017, Tabu joined

Rohit Shetty Rohit Shetty (born 14 March 1974) is an Indian filmmaker, screenwriter, stuntman, producer and television personality who works in Hindi cinema. A notable director of Hindi cinema, his movies often mix the genres of action comedy and masala f ...

's ''Golmaal'' (film series) in the sequel ''

''. She cited her admiration for Shetty's work as the reason for her return to comedy. Her portrayal of a ghostbuster drew praise from critics with ''The Indian Express''

Shubhra Gupta Shubhra Gupta is an Indian film critic who writes for ''The Indian Express''. She received the Ramnath Goenka Award for Best Writing on Cinema in 2012. She was a member of the Central Board of Film Certification from 2012 to 2015. She is the au ...

writing that "her inclusion to the film is an unexpected pleasure". ''Golmaal Again'' became one of the highest-grossing Indian films of the year.

Resurgence (2018–present)

Tabu's first release of 2018 was Mukul Abhyankar's ''

Missing Missing or The Missing may refer to: Film * ''Missing'' (1918 film), an American silent drama directed by James Young * ''Missing'' (1982 film), an American historical drama directed by Costa-Gavras about the 1973 coup in Chile *, a Belgian film ...

'', a thriller opposite

Manoj Bajpayee Manoj Bajpayee (born 23 April 1969), also transliterated as Manoj Bajpai, is an Indian actor who predominantly works in Hindi cinema. He is the recipient of numerous accolades including four National Film Awards, four Filmfare Awards, and two ...

. She lent her vocals for the film's only song, a lullaby titled "So Ja Re". Despite earning praise for her portrayal of a mother in search of her missing daughter, the film underperformed at the box office. She followed this with a special appearance in

Rajkumar Hirani Rajkumar "Raju" Hirani (born 20 November 1962) is an Indian filmmaker known for his works in Hindi films. He is the recipient of several accolades, including four National Film Awards and 11 Filmfare Awards. Hirani is referred as one of the m ...

's biopic ''

Sanju ''Sanju'' is a 2018 Indian Hindi-language biographical comedy drama film directed and edited by Rajkumar Hirani, written by Hirani and Abhijat Joshi and produced by Hirani and Vidhu Vinod Chopra under the banners Rajkumar Hirani Films and Vi ...

'', starring

Ranbir Kapoor Ranbir Kapoor (; born 28 September 1982) is an Indian actor known for his work in Hindi-language films. He is one of the highest-paid actors of Hindi cinema and has featured in ''Forbes India'' Celebrity 100 list since 2012. Kapoor is the re ...

. Tabu described her scene in the film as her " Truman Show moment", as she recreated the moment she presented

Sanjay Dutt Sanjay Balraj Dutt (born 29 July 1959) is an Indian actor, playback singer and film producer who works in Hindi cinema in addition to a few Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Punjabi films. Dutt has won several accolades and acted in over 160 films. ...

the award for Best Actor in a Comic Role at the

49th Filmfare Awards The 49th Filmfare Awards took place on 20 February 2004 at Mumbai. The ceremony was hosted by Shahrukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan and Archana Puran Singh. This edition of the event was sponsored by Indian conglomerate Manikchand Group. ''Kal Ho Naa ...

. A turning point in her career came with

Sriram Raghavan Sriram Raghavan (born 22 June 1963) is an Indian film director and screenwriter who works in Hindi cinema. He is primarily considered an auteur of neo-noir action thrillers. Raghavan made his directorial debut with '' Ek Hasina Thi'' (2004). H ...

's crime thriller ''

'', which saw her as the parallel lead to

Ayushmann Khurrana Ayushmann Khurrana (born Nishant Khurrana; 14 September 1984) is an Indian actor and singer who works in Hindi films. Known for his portrayals of ordinary men often battling social norms, he is the recipient of several awards, including a Na ...

. The film, along with her performance, received unanimous critical acclaim. Critic

Rajeev Masand Rajeev Masand (born 13 March 1976) is an Indian film critic and journalist. He has worked for Noida based English language news channel CNN-Indian Broadcasting Network (CNN-IBN). He usually reviews Bollywood films and major Hollywood films rel ...

lauded Tabu as "the film's towering performance" and reviewers for ''

Reuters Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide writing in 16 languages. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency ...

'' and ''Hindustan Times'' commended her capabilities as the

femme fatale A ( , ; ), sometimes called a maneater, Mata Hari, or vamp, is a stock character of a mysterious, beautiful, and Seduction, seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers, often leading them into compromising, deadly traps. She is an archetype ...

. With a gross of over , the film emerged as a top-grossing Indian film, and earned her a sixth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress'','' and fifth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Critics). In

Akiv Ali Akiv Ali is an Indian film editor and director who works in Hindi cinema. Career Ali is known for editing films such as '' Once Upon a Time in Mumbai''. He worked as an actor in the film '' Rog'' in 2005. Akiv's debut directorial ''De De Pyaa ...

's romantic comedy ''

De De Pyaar De ''De De Pyaar De'' () is a 2019 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film written by Luv Ranjan and directed by Akiv Ali in his directorial debut. Produced by Luv Films, it stars Ajay Devgn, Tabu and Rakul Preet Singh in the lead roles whil ...

'' (2019), she starred as the ex-wife of Devgn's character who disapproves of his relationship with a younger woman (played by

Rakul Preet Singh Rakul Preet Singh (born 10 October 1990) is an Indian actress who predominantly works in Telugu, Hindi and Tamil films. Singh is a recipient of several accolades including a SIIMA Award, in addition to four nominations at the Filmfare Award ...

). She was drawn to exploring how a middle-aged divorcee navigates love. ''Rediff.com''s

Sukanya Verma Sukanya Verma is an Indian journalist and film critic. She has been the principal movie reviewer with web portal '' Rediff.com''. She has written a number of columns as a freelance writer for ''The Hindu ''The Hindu'' is an Indian English ...

praised Tabu for enhancing a mediocre picture. She ended the year with a brief role as the missing younger sister of Salman Khan's character in

Ali Abbas Zafar Ali Abbas Zafar is an Indian film director, producer and screenwriter. He is known for directing ''Mere Brother Ki Dulhan'' (2011), ''Gunday'' (2014), ''Sultan (2016 film), Sultan'' (2016), ''Tiger Zinda Hai'' (2017) and ''Bharat (film), Bharat' ...

's partition drama ''

Bharat Bharat, or Bharath, may refer to: * Bharat (term), the name for India in various Indian languages ** India, a country ** Bharata Khanda, the Sanskrit name for the Indian subcontinent ** Bharatavarsha, another Sanskrit name for the Indian subcon ...

.'' Tabu then returned to Telugu cinema after a decade, appearing in

Trivikram Srinivas Trivikram Srinivas (born Akella Naga Srinivasa Sarma; 7 November 1971) is an Indian film director and screenwriter known for his work in Telugu cinema. Recognised for his witty dialogues, humour, and philosophical themes, he is one of the high ...

' ''

'' (2020), as the mother of

Allu Arjun Allu Arjun (born 8 April 1982) is an Indian actor who works in Telugu cinema. He is one of the highest-paid actors in Indian cinemaand has been featured in ''Forbes Indias Celebrity 100 list since 2014. Allu Arjun's accolades include a Na ...

's character. 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). She followed this with both her television and streaming foray as Saeeda Begum, a

ghazal ''Ghazal'' is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry that often deals with topics of spiritual and romantic love. It may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss, or separation from the beloved, and t ...

singer who engages in a relationship with a younger man (played by Ishaan Khatter) in Nair's post-partition drama ''

A Suitable Boy ''A Suitable Boy'' is a novel by Vikram Seth, published in 1993. With 1,349 pages (1,488 pages in paperback), the English-language book is one of the longest novels published in a single volume. ''A Suitable Boy'' is set in a newly post-indepe ...

.'' Based on

Vikram Seth Vikram Seth (born 20 June 1952) is an Indian people, Indian novelist and poet. He has written several novels and poetry books. He has won several awards such as Padma Shri, Sahitya Akademi Award, Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, WH Smith Literary Awar ...

's 1993 novel of the same name, the series marked the first

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

period-drama series to have a non-white cast. Critics were divided on the series, but Tabu's performance earned widespread praise. In a positive review for

RogerEbert.com ''RogerEbert.com'' is an American film review website that archives reviews written by film critic Roger Ebert for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' and also shares other critics' reviews and essays. The website, underwritten by the ''Chicago Sun-Times ...

, Roxana Hadadi wrote that Tabu "gives nuance to Saeeda's sense of otherness in a community that seems to both treasure and abhor her". She ended the year with a brief role (billed as a special appearance) in the unremarkable family comedy '' Jawaani Jaaneman.'' Tabu in Umang 2020

In the spiritual sequel ''

'' (2022), Tabu received critical acclaim for her dual role as twin sisters seeking vengeance against each other. She found the experience of playing the dual role particularly challenging, as she had to showcase the characters in multiple time periods. Reception to the film was generally mixed, but Tabu's performance was seen as a highlight; 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 Vidya Balan (pronounced ; born 1 January 1979) is an Indian actress. Known for pioneering a change in the portrayal of women in Hindi cinema with her roles in female-led films, she is the recipient of several awards, including a National Fil ...

's in the predecessor. She earned a seventh nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress'','' and a record-setting fifth Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Critics). Later that year, she reprised her role as Meera in the thriller sequel ''

'', directed by

Abhishek Pathak Abhishek Pathak (born 1 July 1987), is an Indian film producer, director, and screenwriter who works in Hindi films. He has directed films such as ''Drishyam 2'' and '' Ujda Chaman''. He has also produced films such as ''Pyaar Ka Punchnama'', ' ...

. Archika Khurana of ''The Times of India'' described her as "simply outstanding", and

WION WION (World is One News) is an Indian English language news channel headquartered in Noida, India. WION is owned by the Essel Group and is a part of the Zee Media network of channels, whose majority owner is Subhash Chandra and family. As o ...

's Shomini Sen appreciated her for subtly complementing Devgn's performance. Both ''Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2'' and ''Drishyam 2'' rank among the highest-grossing Hindi films of 2022, with the latter earning over worldwide. The 2023 witnessed Tabu portray a government official thrice in the thrillers '' Kuttey'', ''

Bholaa ''Bholaa'' is a 2023 Indian Hindi-language Action film, action thriller film directed by Ajay Devgn and produced by Devgn Films, Reliance Entertainment, T-Series (company), T-Series Films and Dream Warrior Pictures. It is a remake of the 2019 T ...

'' and ''

Khufiya ''Khufiya'' () is a 2023 Hindi-language spy thriller film written, produced, scored and directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, based on Amar Bhushan's espionage novel ''Escape to Nowhere.'' The film stars Tabu, Ali Fazal, Wamiqa Gabbi and Azmeri Haque ...

''. In ''Kuttey'', she essayed the role of a corrupt police officer—a role originally written for a man. Sukanya Verma commended Tabu for elevating a poorly-written script. Once again as a police officer, Tabu starred opposite Devgn in the action thriller ''Bholaa'', which he also directed. In her mixed review of the film, Monika Rawal Kukreja felt 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". Both ''Kuttey'' and ''Bholaa'' underperformed at the box-office. In ''Khufiya'', she reunited with Bhardwaj for their fifth collaboration as an operative of an intelligence agency alongside

Ali Fazal Ali Fazal (born 15 October 1986) is an Indian actor who works primarily in Hindi films and television series. He made his screen debut with a small role in the film ''The Other End of the Line'' (2008) before appearing in the television miniser ...

and

Wamiqa Gabbi Wamiqa Gabbi (born 29 September 1993) is an Indian actress who predominantly works in Punjabi cinema, Punjabi and Hindi cinema, Hindi films and series. She made her screen debut as a child with a brief role in the Hindi film ''Jab We Met'' (20 ...

. Released directly on to

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

, the film had a generally ambivalent reception from critics. Anuj Kumar of ''

The Hindu ''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It was founded as a weekly publication in 1878 by the Triplicane Six, becoming a daily in 1889. It is one of the India ...

'' was appreciative of Tabu's consistent performances in Bhardwaj's projects, but thought that she had been overshadowed by Gabbi. Tabu returned to commercial cinema in 2024 alongside

Kareena Kapoor Khan Kareena Kapoor Khan (; ; born 21 September 1980) is an Indian actress. A prolific leading lady of Hindi cinema since 2000, she is noted for her roles in a range of film genres—from romantic comedies to crime dramas. Kapoor is the recipient ...

and

Kriti Sanon Kriti Sanon (born 27 July 1990) is an Indian actress who primarily works in Hindi films. She has received a National Film Award and two Filmfare Awards, and was featured in ''Forbes India'' Forbes Celebrity 100, Celebrity 100 list of 2019. Af ...

in the female-led heist comedy ''

Crew A crew is a body or a group of people who work at a common activity, generally in a structured or hierarchy, hierarchical organization. A location in which a crew works is called a crewyard or a workyard. The word has nautical resonances: the ta ...

'', in which the trio played flight attendants. In preparation, they received training from former cabin crew members. ''Outlook'' Garima Das commended Tabu as the film's standout. Ranking among the top-grossing Hindi films of 2024, it emerged as a major commercial success. She next reunited with Devgn for their tenth collaboration in

Neeraj Pandey Neeraj Pandey (born 17 December 1973) is an Indian film director, producer and screenwriter who works in Hindi cinema. Pandey made his directoral debut in ''A Wednesday!'', which was largely praised by critics and which later became a recipien ...

's ''

Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha ''Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha'' is a 2024 Indian Hindi-language romantic thriller film written and directed by Neeraj Pandey. The film stars Ajay Devgn and Tabu in their ninth film together alongside Jimmy Sheirgill, Shantanu Maheshwari and Sa ...

'', a romantic thriller about a married woman who rekindles a relationship with her incarcerated former lover''.'' The film couldn't recoup its estimated investment. Lachmi Deb Roy of ''Firstpost'' panned the film's antiquated storyline and the underutilisation of both Devgn and Tabu, though Dhaval Roy took note of Tabu delivering a performance of "quiet intensity". In her final release of the year, she had a brief role as

Francesca Francesca is an Italian female given name, derived from the Latin male name ''Franciscus'' meaning 'the Frenchman' It is widely used in most Romance languages, including Italian, French and Catalan, and place of origin is Italy. It is derived ...

in the ''Dune'' franchise prequel series '' Dune: Prophecy'', a character she described as "deep and intense". Praising her styling and look in the series, Mini Anthikad Chhibber of ''The Hindu'' remarked that Tabu did "what she can with her thinly written character", and ''The Hindustan Times'' Abhimanyu Mathur compared her performance unfavourably to those of her other English-language roles in ''Life of Pi'' and ''The Namesake.'' Tabu will next star opposite

Akshay Kumar Akshay Hari Om Bhatia (born Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia; 9 September 1967), known professionally as Akshay Kumar (), is an Indian actor and film producer working in Hindi cinema. Referred to in the media as "Khiladi Kumar", through his career span ...

in Priyadarshan's horror comedy ''Bhoot Bangla''. She will also feature in

Puri Jagannadh Petla "Puri" Jagannadh (born 28 September 1966) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer, who works primarily in the Telugu film Industry. He made his directorial debut in 2000 with the Telugu film '' Badri'' starring Pawan Kaly ...

's as-yet untitled action film starring

Vijay Sethupathi Vijaya Gurunatha Sethupathi Kalimuthu (born 16 January 1978) is an Indian actor and film producer who predominantly works in Tamil cinema, Tamil films. Sethupathi is the recipient of several accolades, including a National Film Awards, National F ...

Media image and artistry

Tabu is among the most accomplished actresses in

Hindi cinema Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...

, known for her work in both mainstream and independent cinema. ''

'' observes that Tabu's "uncontrived freshness" and "mobile face" have made her a favourite in Bollywood, with her performances showcasing "a considerable range". ''

Filmfare ''Filmfare'' is an Indian English-language fortnightly magazine published by Worldwide Media. Acknowledged as one of India's most popular entertainment magazines, it publishes pieces involving news, interviews, photos, videos, reviews, events, ...

'' adds that her presence in a film's credits automatically raises audience expectations. According to ''

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...

'', Tabu portrayed strong, women-oriented characters long before such roles were labelled "game-changers," while ''

Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** '' Vogue Adria'', a fashion magazine for former Yugoslav countries ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ' ...

'' highlights her ability to deliver "non-stop stellar and heart-swooning performances." ''

Eastern Eye The ''Eastern Eye'' is a British weekly newspaper, published every Friday. It was created in 1989 and was first published by ''The Guardian'', before becoming a standalone newspaper. History Sarwar Ahmed founded the ''Eastern Eye'' from hi ...

'' describes her as a "versatile performer" often called upon to bring depth to commercial blockbusters. ''

Film Companion Anupama Vinod Chopra () is an Indian author, journalist and film critic who served as the festival director of the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival from 2015 to 2023. She is also the founder and editor of the now-defunct digital platform Film Compani ...

'' has commented on the "aura of mystery" surrounding her as a celebrity, adding that her onscreen presence carries an "ineffable, intuitive quality." Despite having no formal acting background, Tabu considers herself a risk-taker, relying on instinct and her director's guidance rather than extensive preparation. Members of the

Indian film industry The cinema of India, consisting of Film, motion pictures made by the Indian film industry, has had a large effect on world cinema since the second half of the 20th century. Indian cinema is made up of various #Cinema by language, film indus ...

have often commented on Tabu's beauty and talent. Lyricist

hailed Tabu as "the beginning of a new era" and "a thinking actress in the mould of Nargis, Nutan and Meena Kumari". For filmmaker

Karan Johar Karan Yash Johar (born Rahul Kumar Johar; 25 May 1972), often informally referred to as KJo, is an Indian filmmaker, producer and television personality who primarily works in Hindi cinema. He has launched the careers of several successful ac ...

, Tabu is "truly the country's greatest actor", as well as "versatile", "adaptive" and "timeless". She describes her aunt,

, as her "biggest critic". In 2023, journalist

named her one of Hindi cinema's best actresses of all time. 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". In 2019, at the 17th

Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) is an annual film festival held in Los Angeles, California. Established by Christina Marouda in 2003, as a nonprofit organization devoted to paving the way for a greater appreciation of Indian cinema< ...

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''. ''

'' named her in their "Top Bollywood Actresses" list. She was placed in ''

''s "Top Ten Actresses" of 2003. In ''

''s "Top Ten Actresses" list, she ranked 9th in 2007. She topped the list in 2014 and 2018. In 1998, Tabu received the Smita Patil Memorial Award for Best Actress, for her contribution to Indian cinema. ''

Forbes India ''Forbes India'' is the Indian edition of ''Forbes'', which is managed by the Reliance Industries-owned media conglomerate, Network 18. History and profile Since its founding in 2008, ''Forbes India'' has achieved a circulation of 50,000 copies ...

'' included Tabu in its "50 Showstoppers" list of 2022.

Controversy

In 1998, Tabu was charged with poaching two

blackbuck The blackbuck (''Antilope cervicapra''), also known as the Indian antelope, is a medium-sized antelope native to India and Nepal. It inhabits grassy plains and lightly forested areas with perennial water sources. It stands up to high at the sh ...

s on the outskirts of Kankani village in

Jodhpur district Jodhpur district () is a district in the State of Rajasthan in western India. The city of Jodhpur is the administrative headquarters of the district. As of the 2011 census, it is the second highest populated district of Rajasthan (out of 33), ...

Rajasthan Rajasthan (; Literal translation, lit. 'Land of Kings') is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the List of states and union territories of ...

during the filming of ''Hum Saath Saath Hain'' along with co-stars

Saif Ali Khan Saif Ali Khan (; born Sajid Ali Khan Pataudi; 16 August 1970) is an Indian actor and film producer who primarily works in Hindi cinema, Hindi films. The titular head of the Pataudi family since 2011, he is the son of actress Sharmila Tagore a ...

Sonali Bendre Sonali Bendre Behl (born 1 January 1975), known professionally as Sonali Bendre, is an Indian actress predominantly known for her work in Hindi and Telugu films. Considered as one of the leading actresses of the 1990s and early 2000s, Bendre s ...

and

Neelam Kothari Neelam Kothari Soni (née Kothari; born 9 November 1969), known mononymously as Neelam, is an Indian actress who worked in Hindi films. She made her acting debut with '' Jawaani'' (1984), followed it in various films opposite Govinda such as '' ...

. A lower court charged her with the others under the

Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted for the protection of plants and animal species. Before 1972, India had only five designated national parks. Among other reforms, the Act established schedule ...

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 The Indian Penal Code (IPC) was the official criminal code of the Republic of India, inherited from British India after independence. It remained in force until it was repealed and replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in December 2023 ...

. The Rajasthan State Government then filed a revision petition before the

Rajasthan High Court The High Court of Rajasthan is located in Jodhpur and is the highest court in the Indian state, state of Rajasthan. It was established on 29 August 1949 under the ''Rajasthan High Court Ordinance, 1949''. Currently the Judiciary of India#Judge s ...

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. Although Tabu was acquitted in the blackbuck poaching case on 5 April 2018, the Rajasthan High Court issued her with a notice, challenging her acquittal on 11 March 2019.

Awards and nominations

Tabu received the

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

for ''Haider'', and the

for ''Vijaypath''. She was awarded the

, India's fourth highest civilian award, by the

Government of India The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of States and union t ...

for her contributions towards the arts in 2011.

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tabu 1971 births Living people Indian film actresses Actresses in Hindi cinema Actresses in Telugu cinema Actresses in Tamil cinema Actresses in Malayalam cinema Actresses in Bengali cinema Actresses in Marathi cinema Actresses from Hyderabad, India Best Actress National Film Award winners Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts Filmfare Awards winners Filmfare Awards South winners 20th-century Indian actresses 21st-century Indian actresses Female models from Hyderabad, India South Indian International Movie Awards winners Screen Awards winners International Indian Film Academy Awards winners Zee Cine Awards winners Indian people of Pakistani descent