Tabu Wiki
Early life
Tabassum Fatima Hashmi was born on 4 November 1971 to Jamal Ali Hashmi and Rizwana in a Hyderabadi Muslim family. Her parents divorced soon after. 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. 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 and the younger sister of actress Farah Naaz. She is reluctant to discuss her personal life in the media.
Early life and background
Tabassum Fatima Hashmi was born to Jamal Ali Hashmi and Rizwana in a Hyderabadi Muslim family. Her parents divorced soon after. Her mother was a school-teacher and her maternal grandparents were retired professors who ran a school. Her grandfather, Mohammed Ahsan, was a professor of mathematics, and her grandmother was a professor of English Literature. She did her schooling at St. Ann's High School, Vijayanagar Colony, Hyderabad. Tabu 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 and the younger sister of actress Farah Naaz.Early life and family
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 to India in order to live with her mother. He left the family when she was three. 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 and the younger sister of actress Farah Naaz. She is reluctant to discuss her personal life in the media.Career
As a child, Tabu had an uncredited appearance at the age of 11 in ''Bazaar'' (1982), and later in ''Hum Naujawan'' (1985) at the age of 14; she played Dev Anand's daughter in the film. Her first role as an actress was in the Telugu film ''Coolie No.1'' (1991) co-starring with Venkatesh. In December 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 first release in Hindi as a leading lady was ''Pehla Pehla Pyar'' (1994), which went unnoticed. Her first role as an actress was in the Telugu film ''Coolie No.1'' (1991) co-starring with Venkatesh. In December 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 first release in Hindi as a leading lady was ''Pehla Pehla Pyar'' (1994), which went unnoticed. She rose to prominence with her role in ''Vijaypath'' (1994) opposite Ajay Devgan, for which she received the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. In the following year, significant appearances included her role in the box-office success ''Haqeeqat'' (1995) and the romantic drama film ''Saajan Ki Baahon Mein'' (1995) alongside Rishi Kapoor and Raveena Tandon.In 1996, Tabu had eight releases, two of which – ''Saajan Chale Sasural'' and ''Jeet'' – emerged as commercial successes, ranking in the top five films of that year, receiving her first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for the latter. Her other significant film, the political thriller ''Maachis'', was critically acclaimed. Her role as a Punjabi woman caught in the rise of Sikh insurgency was highly acclaimed; she went on to win her first National Film Award for Best Actress for her performance, in addition to her first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. The same year saw her star in major blockbuster films down south. She starred in the Telugu blockbuster ''Ninne Pelladata'', opposite Nagarjuna, a film which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu, winning the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu for her performance. Anupama Chopra wrote that she was "breathtakingly sensuous" in the part. The critically acclaimed Malayalam period epic film ''Kaalapani'' directed by Priyadarshan brought her laurels for her acting from all across South India. She also debuted in Tamil cinema (Kollywood) through the highly successful Tamil film ''Kadhal Desam'', directed by Kathir.Tabu's first release of 1997 was ''Border'', an ensemble war drama about the real-life events surrounding the Battle of Longewala during the Indo-Pak War of 1971, playing the role of Sunny Deol's wife. Her role was brief, but the film went on to be the second-biggest hit of 1997 after ''Dil To Pagal Hai''. That year, she also starred in the critically acclaimed film ''Virasat''. The film was a success at the box office and Tabu won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Critics) for her performance in the film, in addition to her second nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. The same year saw her feature in Mani Ratnam's Tamil political drama ''Iruvar'' which had an ensemble cast including Mohanlal, Aishwarya Rai, Prakash Raj and Gautami. She also appeared in ''Chachi 420'' (1998).In 1999, she starred in two successful multi-starrers; the comedy ''Biwi No.1'' and the family drama ''Hum Saath-Saath Hain: We Stand United'', which went to become the second highest-grossing, and the highest-grossing films of the year respectively. She also received widespread critical acclaim for her performance in the drama ''Hu Tu Tu'', with critics describing her presence as the "most mesmerising and eloquent". She won her second Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Critics), in addition to her third nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for her performance.In 2000, Tabu starred in the comedy ''Hera Pheri'' and the drama ''Astitva''. The former was a box-office success, whilst the latter was critically acclaimed. ''Hindustan Times'' critic Arnab Banerjee wrote of her performance: "Tabu is brilliant and once again proves her mettle as an actress. The mind-blowing range of emotions she displays, her exquisite face and her subtle quiet dignity with which she handles her character, will take her far in her film career." 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. Down south, Tabu had two releases in Tamil, namely ''Kandukondain Kandukondain'', a multi-starrer blockbuster film directed by Rajeev Menon and she starred with Mammootty, Ajith Kumar and Aishwarya Rai; and ''Snegithiye'' directed by Priyadarshan, along with a Malayalam release ''Cover Story'' opposite Suresh Gopi. The original Malayalam version of ''Snegithiye'', titled ''Raakilipattu'' released in 2007.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, but it took 45 days to secure a meeting with her to discuss the film. The film received critical acclaim, and Tabu received her second National Film Award for Best Actress and a fifth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. Critic Taran Adarsh said: "''Chandni Bar'' is Tabu's film all the way and there are no two opinions on that. Her performance deserves the highest marks and of course, all the awards. Her work is flawless and the impact her character makes on the minds of the viewer is also due to a tailor-made role". A ''Rediff.com'' critic wrote, "if there is one actress who can carry a film on her shoulders, it is Tabu. As usual, she sparkles!" She further continued to star in films such as ''Aavida Maa Aavide'' (1998) with Nagarjuna, ''Chennakeshava Reddy'' (2002) and ''Pandurangadu'' (2008) with Nandamuri Balakrishna and ''Andarivaadu'' (2005) with Chiranjeevi. Tabu made a comeback into Telugu films after a long hiatus with the film ''Pandurangudu'' in 2008, 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''. The actress played Nimmi based on the character Lady Macbeth. The film, titled ''Maqbool'', was directed by Vishal Bhardwaj and premiered at the 2003 Toronto International Film Festival. She further continued to star in films such as ''Aavida Maa Aavide'' (1998) with Nagarjuna, ''Chennakeshava Reddy'' (2002) and ''Pandurangadu'' (2008) with Nandamuri Balakrishna and ''Andarivaadu'' (2005) with Chiranjeevi. Tabu made a comeback into Telugu films after a long hiatus with the film ''Pandurangudu'' in 2008, 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''. The actress played Nimmi based on the character Lady Macbeth. The film, titled ''Maqbool'', was directed by Vishal Bhardwaj and premiered at the 2003 Toronto International Film Festival. ''Maqbool'' was a box-office failure, but was met with high acclaim. Tabu's performance opened to widespread critical acclaim; critic Ron Ahluwalia said: "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." Another critic said: "Tabu is fantastic in a complex role. Her performance in the film is worthy of awards. After ''Chandni Bar'', this is another role that will be remembered for a long, long time."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. The same year, she starred in her first Hollywood film ''The Namesake'', directed by Mira Nair. The film was a big hit overseas, and she received positive reviews for her performance.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 64-year-old chef played by Amitabh Bachchan. The film received positive reviews from critics; Taran Adarsh said: "Tabu stands on her feet despite a formidable co-star's domineering presence. She's excellent." Though the film was moderately successful in the domestic market, it performed well overseas, especially in UK and US. She received her record-setting fourth Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Critics) for her performance in the film.Following a short hiatus, Tabu starred as a clever middle-class woman in the romantic-comedy ''Toh Baat Pakki!''. The film was panned by critics with Raja Sen of ''Rediff.com'' describing it as a "bland, preposterously dated 'comedy'", adding that Tabu’s poorly written character hindered her performance. She next starred opposite Sunny Deol in the unremarkable ''Khuda Kasam''. This was followed by her return to Malayalam cinema in 2011 with her brief song appearance in the multi-starrer film ''Urumi'', directed by Santosh Sivan. Neither of Tabu's 2010 releases as a lead performed well commercially or critically. Tabu had also completed filming for B. R. Chopra's ''Banda Yeh Bindaas Hai'', however, the film was indefinitely shelved due to plagiarism issues. In 2012, she featured in her second Hollywood film ''Life of Pi'', directed by Ang Lee; she had a supporting role as the mother of the protagonist. A.O. Scott of ''The New York Times'' described her limited screen time as "excellent". Her sole release of 2013 was in Bejoy Nambiar's Telugu-Hindi bilingual crime thriller ''David.'' Led by Vikram and Neil Nitin Mukesh, the film failed at the box office.'' Despite being six years younger than Khan, she played the role of his elder sister. She said her decision to feature in the film was "to enjoy herself" in contrast to the sombre characters she is accustomed to playing. The film was subject to divergent reception from critics but was successful commercially. Following this, she reunited with Bhardwaj for his film adaptation of Shakespeare's ''Hamlet'', titled ''Haider''. The film completed Bhardwaj's Shakespearean Trilogy that previously featured Tabu in ''Maqbool''. Initially hesitant on playing a mother to Kapoor, Tabu rejected the role, prompting Bhardwaj to stress the character's importance to the plot, ultimately convincing her. In the adaptation, she portrayed the role of Ghazala Meer, based on Gertrude, to Shahid Kapoor's Haider (Hamlet). ''Haider'' emerged a major critical and commercial success with unanimous acclaim for Tabu's performance.'' The New York Times''' Rachel Saltz joked that the film should have been titled ''Ghazala'', rather than ''Haider''. She earned the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. Her next venture ''Drishyam'' (2015), saw her alongside Devgn after 16 years. The film, directed by Nishikant Kamat, was a remake of the acclaimed Malayalam film of the same name. Her portrayal of a police officer investigating her son's murder case received critical acclaim, thus earning her third nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. This was followed by a cameo appearance in Meghna Gulzar's directorial ''Talvar''. Tabu then starred in Abhishek Kapoor's musical romantic drama ''Fitoor'' (2016), an adaptation of Charles Dickens' ''Great Expectations'', opposite Aditya Roy Kapoor and Katrina Kaif. She essayed the role of Begum Hazrat which was based on the character of Miss Havisham. This was followed by a cameo appearance in Meghna Gulzar's directorial ''Talvar''. Tabu then starred in Abhishek Kapoor's musical romantic drama ''Fitoor'' (2016), an adaptation of Charles Dickens' ''Great Expectations'', opposite Aditya Roy Kapoor and Katrina Kaif. She essayed the role of Begum Hazrat which was based on the character of Miss Havisham. Though critics were generally ambivalent towards the film and it underperformed commercially, her performance was considered a highlight. Saltz noted that Tabu's performance wasn't her "finest" in comparison to those in her other English tragedies, but added that "with her great tragedienne’s face she can express loss with just a gaze". Breaking from her mould of serious cinema, in 2017 Tabu starred in the fourth edition of Rohit Shetty's ''Golmaal'' (film series), ''Golmaal Again''. She expressed her admiration for Shetty's work as the key reason for her return to comedy. Her portrayal of a ghostbuster drew critical praise with ''The'' ''Indian Express'' writing that "her inclusion to the film is an unexpected pleasure". ''Golmaal Again'' became one of the highest-grossing films of the year. Her first release of 2018 was Mukul Abhyankar's thriller, ''Missing,'' opposite Manoj Bajpai. Despite her portrayal of a petrified mother being praised, the film underperformed at the box office. She followed this with a cameo appearance in Rajkumar Hirani's biopic ''Sanju,'' starring Ranbir Kapoor.A major turning point in her career came with Sriram Raghavan's black comedy crime thriller ''Andhadhun'' which saw her as the parallel lead to Ayushmann Khurrana. The film, along with her performance, received unanimous critical acclaim. ''Hindustan Times'' lauded Tabu asking, "Has there ever been a femme as fatal as Tabu?" Critic Rajeev Masand commended Tabu's performance, praising her as "the film's towering performance". With a gross of over ₹457 crore (US$64.9 million), the film emerged her highest grosser 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 2019, she starred in Akiv Ali's romantic comedy, ''De De Pyaar De'' opposite Devgn and Rakul Preet Singh as his ex-wife. Despite otherwise disliking the film, ''Rediff.com'''s Sukanya Verma described the film as "watchable" due to Tabu's presence, adding that "everything about her feels right". She then played a supporting role in Ali Abbas Zafar's drama ''Bharat'' starring Salman Khan and Kaif as Khan's missing younger sister.Tabu began 2020 with her return to Telugu films after over a decade with Trivikram Srivas's ''Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo'' as Allu Arjun's mother. The film went on to become the second highest grossing Indian film of 2020 and Tabu's performance received praised, earning her the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Telugu. She followed this with both her television and streaming debut as a ghazal singer who falls in love with a younger man in Mira Nair's ''A Suitable Boy'', based on Vikram Seth's 1993 novel of the same name. The series marked the first BBC period-drama series to have a non-white cast. It received mixed reviews from critics, however, Tabu was praised with ''NDTV'''s Saibal Chatterjee writing that her "bewitching interpretation of the culture that Saeeda Begum represents is made all the more hypnotic by Kavita Seth's soulful rendition of Dagh, Ghalib and Ameer Minai". She then had a special appearance opposite Saif Ali Khan, two decades after ''Hum Saath-Saath Hain'', in the comedy-drama ''Jawaani Jaaneman'', also starring Alaya F.'''' The film emerged a moderate commercial success despite ''Film Companion'''s Prathyush Parasuraman describing Tabu as "wasted". She described the dual role as "quite a challenge" as she had to portray the characters in multiple time periods. Writing for ''Hindustan Times'', Monika Rawal Kukreja thought Tabu "stole the show" but considered her inferior to Vidya Balan in the predecessor. Her performance in the film earned her 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 in the sequel ''Drishyam 2'', directed by Abhishek Pathak. Archika Khurana of ''The Times of India'' praised Tabu as "simply outstanding", while ''The Wire'''s Tanul Thakur found her "at best, forgettable". Regardless, the film received both critical and commercial acclaim, emerging as one of the highest grossing in her career.2023 saw Tabu portray a government official thrice. She first played a police officer alongside Arjun Kapoor in Bhardwaj's ''Kuttey''. Though a box-office bomb, her performance was commended, with ''NDTV''’s Saibal Chatterjee describing it as "unblemished". Once again as a police officer, Tabu starred opposite Devgn in the action-thriller ''Bholaa,'' which he also directed. The film emerged a moderate commercial success. She reunited with Bhardwaj for a fifth time in his spy thriller ''Khufiya'', as an operative of an intelligence agency alongside Ali Fazal and Wamiqa Gabbi. Released on Netflix, the film received polarising reception from critics. Anuj Kumar of ''The Hindu'' was appreciative of Tabu's performance but thought that she was overshadowed by Gabbi.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. In preparation, they received training from former cabin crew members. ''Outlook'' Garima Das thought that Tabu was the standout among the trio. Later this year, she will reunite with Devgn for a tenth time in Neeraj Pandey's ''Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha''.Breakthrough, critical acclaim and recognition(1980s-1990s)
Tabassum "Tabu" Hashmi did a small appearance in the film Bazaar in 1980, and later in the film Hum Naujawan (1985) at the age of fourteen; she played Dev Anand's daughter in the film. Her first role as an actress was in the Telugu film Coolie No.1, co-starring with Venkatesh. In December 1987, Boney Kapoor launched two major films; Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja and Prem. In Prem, Tabu was signed opposite Sanjay Kapoor. The film took eight years in making and it was the biggest flop in Boney Kapoor's production career. Tabu's career took off well after this film, in spite of the long delay.Tabu's first release in Hindi as a leading lady was Pehla Pehla Pyar, which went unnoticed. She came into prominence with her role in Vijaypath, (1994) opposite Ajay Devgan, for which she received the Filmfare Best Female Debut Award. This was followed by many films that did not do well at the box office. However in this period she appeared in a successful movie Haqeeqat(1995).
In 1996, Tabu had eight releases. Two films Saajan Chale Sasural and Jeet went on to be hits; both were within the top five films of that year. Her other significant film, Maachis, was critically acclaimed. Her role as a Punjabi woman caught in the rise of Sikh insurgency was acclaimed; she went on to win her first National Film Award for Best Actress for her performance. The same year saw her major blockbuster films down south. She starred in the Telugu blockbuster Ninne Pelladata, opposite Nagarjuna, a film which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu. The critically acclaimed Malayalam period epic film Kalapani directed by Priyadarshan with Mohanlal and Prabhu Ganesan in the lead roles, brought her laurels for her acting from all across South India. She also debuted in Kollywood through the highly successful Tamil film Kadhal Desam, directed by Kathir, with Abbas and Vineeth.
Tabu's first release of 1997 was Border. The movie was about the real life events surrounding the Battle of Longewala during the 1971 Indo-Pak war. She played the role of Sunny Deol's wife. Her role was small, but the film went on to be the biggest hit of 1997. That year, she also starred in the critically acclaimed film Virasat. The film was a success at the box office and Tabu won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance. The same year saw her feature in Mani Ratnam's Tamil political drama Iruvar which had an ensemble cast including Mohanlal, Aishwarya Rai, Prakash Raj and Gautami.
In 1999, she starred in two successful multi-starrer films; Biwi No.1 and Hum Saath-Saath Hain: We Stand United. They were the first and second biggest hits of that year respectively.
Debut and breakthrough (1982–1999)
As a child, Tabu had an uncredited appearance at the age of 11 in ''Bazaar'' (1982), and later in ''Hum Naujawan'' (1985) at the age of 14; she played Dev Anand's daughter in the film. Her first role as an actress was in the Telugu film ''Coolie No.1'' (1991) co-starring with Venkatesh. In December 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 first release in Hindi as a leading lady was ''Pehla Pehla Pyar'' (1994), which went unnoticed. Her first role as an actress was in the Telugu film ''Coolie No.1'' (1991) co-starring with Venkatesh. In December 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 first release in Hindi as a leading lady was ''Pehla Pehla Pyar'' (1994), which went unnoticed. She rose to prominence with her role in ''Vijaypath'' (1994) opposite Ajay Devgan, for which she received the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. In the following year, significant appearances included her role in the box-office success ''Haqeeqat'' (1995) and the romantic drama film ''Saajan Ki Baahon Mein'' (1995) alongside Rishi Kapoor and Raveena Tandon.In 1996, Tabu had eight releases, two of which – ''Saajan Chale Sasural'' and ''Jeet'' – emerged as commercial successes, ranking in the top five films of that year, receiving her first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for the latter. Her other significant film, the political thriller ''Maachis'', was critically acclaimed. Her role as a Punjabi woman caught in the rise of Sikh insurgency was highly acclaimed; she went on to win her first National Film Award for Best Actress for her performance, in addition to her first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. The same year saw her star in major blockbuster films down south. She starred in the Telugu blockbuster ''Ninne Pelladata'', opposite Nagarjuna, a film which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu, winning the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu for her performance. Anupama Chopra wrote that she was "breathtakingly sensuous" in the part. The critically acclaimed Malayalam period epic film ''Kaalapani'' directed by Priyadarshan brought her laurels for her acting from all across South India. She also debuted in Tamil cinema (Kollywood) through the highly successful Tamil film ''Kadhal Desam'', directed by Kathir.Tabu's first release of 1997 was ''Border'', an ensemble war drama about the real-life events surrounding the Battle of Longewala during the Indo-Pak War of 1971, playing the role of Sunny Deol's wife. Her role was brief, but the film went on to be the second-biggest hit of 1997 after ''Dil To Pagal Hai''. That year, she also starred in the critically acclaimed film ''Virasat''. The film was a success at the box office and Tabu won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Critics) for her performance in the film, in addition to her second nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. The same year saw her feature in Mani Ratnam's Tamil political drama ''Iruvar'' which had an ensemble cast including Mohanlal, Aishwarya Rai, Prakash Raj and Gautami. She also appeared in ''Chachi 420'' (1998).In 1999, she starred in two successful multi-starrers; the comedy ''Biwi No.1'' and the family drama ''Hum Saath-Saath Hain: We Stand United'', which went to become the second highest-grossing, and the highest-grossing films of the year respectively. She also received widespread critical acclaim for her performance in the drama ''Hu Tu Tu'', with critics describing her presence as the "most mesmerising and eloquent". She won her second Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Critics), in addition to her third nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for her performance.Expansion (2000–2009)
In 2000, Tabu starred in the comedy ''Hera Pheri'' and the drama ''Astitva''. The former was a box-office success, whilst the latter was critically acclaimed. ''Hindustan Times'' critic Arnab Banerjee wrote of her performance: "Tabu is brilliant and once again proves her mettle as an actress. The mind-blowing range of emotions she displays, her exquisite face and her subtle quiet dignity with which she handles her character, will take her far in her film career." 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. Down south, Tabu had two releases in Tamil, namely ''Kandukondain Kandukondain'', a multi-starrer blockbuster film directed by Rajeev Menon and she starred with Mammootty, Ajith Kumar and Aishwarya Rai; and ''Snegithiye'' directed by Priyadarshan, along with a Malayalam release ''Cover Story'' opposite Suresh Gopi. The original Malayalam version of ''Snegithiye'', titled ''Raakilipattu'' released in 2007.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, but it took 45 days to secure a meeting with her to discuss the film. The film received critical acclaim, and Tabu received her second National Film Award for Best Actress and a fifth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. Critic Taran Adarsh said: "''Chandni Bar'' is Tabu's film all the way and there are no two opinions on that. Her performance deserves the highest marks and of course, all the awards. Her work is flawless and the impact her character makes on the minds of the viewer is also due to a tailor-made role". A Rediff.com critic wrote, "if there is one actress who can carry a film on her shoulders, it is Tabu. As usual, she sparkles!"She has acted in a number of Telugu films, many of them very successful, such as ''Coolie No. 1'' (1991) and ''Ninne Pelladutha'' (1996), the latter being one of her most famous and popular films. She further continued to star in films such as ''Aavida Maa Aavide'' (1998) with Nagarjuna, ''Chennakeshava Reddy'' (2002) and ''Pandurangadu'' (2008) with Nandamuri Balakrishna and ''Andarivaadu'' (2005) with Chiranjeevi. Tabu made a comeback into Telugu films after a long hiatus with the film ''Pandurangudu'' in 2008, for which she earned her first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Telugu. Her roles in Telugu films are largely eye-candy and glamorous.In 2003, Tabu starred in an adaptation of William Shakespeare's ''Macbeth''. The actress played Nimmi based on the character Lady Macbeth. The film, titled ''Maqbool'', was directed by Vishal Bhardwaj and premiered at the 2003 Toronto International Film Festival. ''Maqbool'' was a box-office failure, but was met with high acclaim. Tabu's performance opened to widespread critical acclaim; critic Ron Ahluwalia said: "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." Another critic said: "Tabu is fantastic in a complex role. Her performance in the film is worthy of awards. After ''Chandni Bar'', this is another role that will be remembered for a long, long time." The same year, she starred in her first Hollywood film ''The Namesake'', directed by Mira Nair. The film was a big hit overseas, and she received positive reviews for her performance.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 64-year-old chef played by Amitabh Bachchan. The film received positive reviews from critics; Taran Adarsh said: "Tabu stands on her feet despite a formidable co-star's domineering presence. She's excellent." Though the film was moderately successful in the domestic market, it performed well overseas, especially in UK and US. She received her record-setting fourth Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Critics) for her performance in the film.2000s
In 2000, Tabu starred in ''Hera Pheri'' and ''Astitva''. The former was a box-office success whilst the latter was critically acclaimed. ''Hindustan Times'' critic Arnab Banerjee wrote of her performance: "Tabu is brilliant and once again proves her mettle as an actress. The mind-blowing range of emotions she displays, her exquisite face and her subtle quiet dignity with which she handles her character, will take her far in her film career." She received her third Filmfare Best Actress (Critics) for ''Astitva''. Down south, Tabu had 2 releases in Tamil, namely ''Kandukondain Kandukondain'', a multi-starrer blockbuster film directed by Rajeev Menon and she stard with Mammootty, Ajith Kumar and Aishwarya Rai; and ''Snegithiye'' directed by Priyadarshan, along with a Malayalam release ''Cover Story opposite Suresh Gopi''. The original Malayalam version of ''Snegithiye'', titled ''Raakilipattu'' released in 2007.2001 saw her star in ''Chandni Bar'' directed by Madhur Bhandarkar. Her portrayal of a bar dancer met with unanimous acclaim from critics, and she won her second National Film Award for Best Actress for her performance. Critic Taran Adarsh said: "''Chandni Bar'' is Tabu's film all the way and there are no two opinions on that. Her performance deserves the highest marks and of course, all the awards. Her work is flawless and the impact her character makes on the minds of the viewer is also due to a tailor-made role". Another critic mentioned: "if there is one actress who can carry a film on her shoulders, it is Tabu. As usual, she sparkles!"
She has acted in a number of Telugu movies, many of them very successful, such as ''Coolie No. 1'' (1991) and ''Ninne Pelladutha'' (1996), the latter being one of her most famous and popular movies. She further continued to star in films such as ''Aavida Maa Aavide'' (1998) with Nagarjuna, ''Chennakeshava Reddy'' (2002) and ''Pandurangadu'' (2008) with Nandamuri Balakrishna and ''Andarivaadu'' (2005) with Chiranjeevi. Tabu made a comeback into Telugu films after a long hiatus with the film ''Pandurangudu'' in 2008. Her roles in Telugu movies are largely eye-candy and glamorous.
In 2003, Tabu starred in an adaptation of William Shakespeare's ''Macbeth''. The actress played Nimmi based on the character Lady Macbeth. The film, titled ''Maqbool'', was directed by Vishal Bhardwaj and premiered at the 2003 Toronto International Film Festival. ''Maqbool'' was a box-office failure, but was met with high acclaim. Tabu's performance opened to high critical acclaim; critic Ron Ahluwalia said: "Tabu shines in a dark role. The most versatile actress in Bollywood takes to villainy like a second nature. She is menacing and seductive, but keeps an innocent look on her face, making her even viler. The way Tabu delivers her taunts is simply perfect. Her gradual insanity is heart-wrenching and her final outburst is easily the highlight of the film." Another critic said: "Tabu is fantastic in a complex role. Her performance in the film is worthy of awards. After ''Chandni Bar'', this is another role that will be remembered for a long, long time."
She had a supporting role in ''Fanaa'' (2006), 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 big hit overseas.
In 2007, she starred in ''Cheeni Kum'', in which she played a 34-year-old woman who falls in love with a 64-year-old chef played by Amitabh Bachchan. The film received positive reviews from critics; Taran Adarsh said: "Tabu stands on her feet despite a formidable co-star's domineering presence. She's excellent." Though the film was moderately successful in the domestic market but it performed well overseas, especially in UK and US.
Expansion (2000–2007)
In 2000, Tabu starred in the comedy ''Hera Pheri'' and the drama ''Astitva''. The former was a box-office success, whilst the latter was critically acclaimed. ''Hindustan Times'' critic Arnab Banerjee wrote of her performance: "Tabu is brilliant and once again proves her mettle as an actress. The mind-blowing range of emotions she displays, her exquisite face and her subtle quiet dignity with which she handles her character, will take her far in her film career." 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. Down south, Tabu had two releases in Tamil, namely ''Kandukondain Kandukondain'', a multi-starrer blockbuster film directed by Rajeev Menon and she starred with Mammootty, Ajith Kumar and Aishwarya Rai; and ''Snegithiye'' directed by Priyadarshan, along with a Malayalam release ''Cover Story'' opposite Suresh Gopi. The original Malayalam version of ''Snegithiye'', titled ''Raakilipattu'' released in 2007.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, but it took 45 days to secure a meeting with her to discuss the film. The film received critical acclaim, and Tabu received her second National Film Award for Best Actress and a fifth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. Critic Taran Adarsh said: "''Chandni Bar'' is Tabu's film all the way and there are no two opinions on that. Her performance deserves the highest marks and of course, all the awards. Her work is flawless and the impact her character makes on the minds of the viewer is also due to a tailor-made role". A ''Rediff.com'' critic wrote, "if there is one actress who can carry a film on her shoulders, it is Tabu. As usual, she sparkles!" She further continued to star in films such as ''Aavida Maa Aavide'' (1998) with Nagarjuna, ''Chennakeshava Reddy'' (2002) and ''Pandurangadu'' (2008) with Nandamuri Balakrishna and ''Andarivaadu'' (2005) with Chiranjeevi. Tabu made a comeback into Telugu films after a long hiatus with the film ''Pandurangudu'' in 2008, 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''. The actress played Nimmi based on the character Lady Macbeth. The film, titled ''Maqbool'', was directed by Vishal Bhardwaj and premiered at the 2003 Toronto International Film Festival. She further continued to star in films such as ''Aavida Maa Aavide'' (1998) with Nagarjuna, ''Chennakeshava Reddy'' (2002) and ''Pandurangadu'' (2008) with Nandamuri Balakrishna and ''Andarivaadu'' (2005) with Chiranjeevi. Tabu made a comeback into Telugu films after a long hiatus with the film ''Pandurangudu'' in 2008, 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''. The actress played Nimmi based on the character Lady Macbeth. The film, titled ''Maqbool'', was directed by Vishal Bhardwaj and premiered at the 2003 Toronto International Film Festival. ''Maqbool'' was a box-office failure, but was met with high acclaim. Tabu's performance opened to widespread critical acclaim; critic Ron Ahluwalia said: "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." Another critic said: "Tabu is fantastic in a complex role. Her performance in the film is worthy of awards. After ''Chandni Bar'', this is another role that will be remembered for a long, long time."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. The same year, she starred in her first Hollywood film ''The Namesake'', directed by Mira Nair. The film was a big hit overseas, and she received positive reviews for her performance.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 64-year-old chef played by Amitabh Bachchan. The film received positive reviews from critics; Taran Adarsh said: "Tabu stands on her feet despite a formidable co-star's domineering presence. She's excellent." Though the film was moderately successful in the domestic market, it performed well overseas, especially in UK and US. She received her record-setting fourth Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Critics) for her performance in the film.Expansion (2000-2009)
In 2000, Tabu starred in the comedy ''Hera Pheri'' and the drama ''Astitva''. The former was a box-office success, whilst the latter was critically acclaimed. ''Hindustan Times'' critic Arnab Banerjee wrote of her performance: "Tabu is brilliant and once again proves her mettle as an actress. The mind-blowing range of emotions she displays, her exquisite face and her subtle quiet dignity with which she handles her character, will take her far in her film career." 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. Down south, Tabu had two releases in Tamil, namely ''Kandukondain Kandukondain'', a multi-starrer blockbuster film directed by Rajeev Menon and she starred with Mammootty, Ajith Kumar and Aishwarya Rai; and ''Snegithiye'' directed by Priyadarshan, along with a Malayalam release ''Cover Story opposite Suresh Gopi''. The original Malayalam version of ''Snegithiye'', titled ''Raakilipattu'' released in 2007.2001 saw her star in ''Chandni Bar'' directed by Madhur Bhandarkar. Her portrayal of a bar dancer met with unanimous acclaim from critics, and she won her second National Film Award for Best Actress for her performance, in addition to her fifth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. Critic Taran Adarsh said: "''Chandni Bar'' is Tabu's film all the way and there are no two opinions on that. Her performance deserves the highest marks and of course, all the awards. Her work is flawless and the impact her character makes on the minds of the viewer is also due to a tailor-made role". Another critic mentioned: "if there is one actress who can carry a film on her shoulders, it is Tabu. As usual, she sparkles!"She has acted in a number of Telugu films, many of them very successful, such as ''Coolie No. 1'' (1991) and ''Ninne Pelladutha'' (1996), the latter being one of her most famous and popular films. She further continued to star in films such as ''Aavida Maa Aavide'' (1998) with Nagarjuna, ''Chennakeshava Reddy'' (2002) and ''Pandurangadu'' (2008) with Nandamuri Balakrishna and ''Andarivaadu'' (2005) with Chiranjeevi. Tabu made a comeback into Telugu films after a long hiatus with the film ''Pandurangudu'' in 2008, for which she earned her first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Telugu. Her roles in Telugu films are largely eye-candy and glamorous.In 2003, Tabu starred in an adaptation of William Shakespeare's ''Macbeth''. The actress played Nimmi based on the character Lady Macbeth. The film, titled ''Maqbool'', was directed by Vishal Bhardwaj and premiered at the 2003 Toronto International Film Festival. ''Maqbool'' was a box-office failure, but was met with high acclaim. Tabu's performance opened to widespread critical acclaim; critic Ron Ahluwalia said: "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." Another critic said: "Tabu is fantastic in a complex role. Her performance in the film is worthy of awards. After ''Chandni Bar'', this is another role that will be remembered for a long, long time."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. The same year, she starred in her first Hollywood film ''The Namesake'', directed by Mira Nair. The film was a big hit overseas, and she received positive reviews for her performance.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 64-year-old chef played by Amitabh Bachchan. The film received positive reviews from critics; Taran Adarsh said: "Tabu stands on her feet despite a formidable co-star's domineering presence. She's excellent." Though the film was moderately successful in the domestic market, it performed well overseas, especially in UK and US.2010–2019
In 2010, Tabu portrayed the lead role in the romantic comedy film ''Toh Baat Pakki!'', which earned huge publicity as it marked Tabu's return to Bollywood after 3 years. However, the film was a commercial failure. Her next release of the year was ''Khuda Kasam'' opposite Sunny Deol, a film long-delayed. Her other film ''Banda Yeh Bindaas Hai'', directed by B. R. Chopra, got indefinitely shelved owing to the plagiarism issues. She made a comeback to Malayalam cinema in 2011 with her brief song appearance in the multi starrer film ''Urumi'', directed by Santosh Sivan. The song "Aaranne Aaranne" featuring Tabu alongside Prabhu Deva and Prithviraj Sukumaran was declared a chartbuster of the year.In 2012, she featured in her second Hollywood film ''Life of Pi'', directed by Ang Lee. She played a supporting role as the mother of the protagonist. Her next and only release in 2013 was ''David'', co-starring Vikram in the lead and directed by Bejoy Nambiar. The year 2014 saw her comeback to mainstream commercial cinema with the Salman Khan-starrer ''Jai Ho'', a remake of the Telugu film ''Stalin'', playing the elder sister role to Khan. The film evoked mixed responses and was successful at the box office. Following this, she teamed up with her ''Maqbool'' director Vishal Bhardwaj for his adaptation film of Shakespeare's ''Hamlet'', titled ''Haider''. In the adaptation, she played the role of Ghazala Meer (Gertrude) to Shahid Kapoor's Haider (Hamlet). ''Haider'' was a major critical and commercial success, and Tabu's performance received widespread critical acclaim with ''The New York Times'' saying that the film should have been titled ''Ghazala'', rather than ''Haider''. Her next venture saw her teaming up with actor Ajay Devgan after a gap of 16 years. She paired opposite him in Nishikant Kamat's murder-mystery film ''Drishyam'' (2015), which was a remake of the acclaimed Malayalam film with the same name. Her performance as a strict police officer investigating her son's murder case received highly positive reviews. This was followed by a cameo appearance in Meghna Gulzar's directorial ''Talvar''. She then starred in Abhishek Kapoor's ''Fitoor'' (2016), an adaptation of Charles Dickens' ''Great Expectations'', opposite Aditya Roy Kapoor and Katrina Kaif, in which she essayed the role of Begum Hazrat, based on the character of Miss Havisham. Although the film did not do well at the box office, she received high critical acclaim for her performance.
Breaking from her mould of serious cinema, in 2017, Tabu starred in the fourth edition of Rohit Shetty's ''Golmaal'' (film series) titled ''Golmaal Again''. She played the role of a ghostbuster and drew critical praise for her performance, with ''The'' ''Indian Express'' saying that her inclusion to the film is an "unexpected pleasure" and she "lifts" the film. ''Golmaal Again'' became one of the highest-grossing films of the year.
Her first release in 2018 was Mukul Abhyankar's thriller film ''Missing'' where she paired opposite Manoj Bajpai. Though her portrayal of a petrified mother was praised, the film underperformed at the box office.
In 2018, she featured in a cameo role as herself in Rajkumar Hirani's biopic ''Sanju'' starring Ranbir Kapoor. She hit the peak of her popularity through Sriram Raghavan's black comedy crime thriller ''Andhadhun'' (2018) which saw her as the parallel lead Simi Sinha, alongside Ayushmann Khurrana's Akash Saraf, and drew high critical acclaim from critics. ''The Hindustan Times'' lauded Tabu asking, "Has there ever been a femme as fatal as Tabu?" Film critic Rajeev Masand praised Tabu's portrayal mentioning that, "the film's towering performance comes from Tabu." ''Firstpost'' called Tabu, "tremendously gifted, whose chameleon-esque talent is put to great use here." It further remarked, "The manner in which Tabu (Simi) switches from one emotion to the next to the next, at one point her face and voice conveying completely different feelings, is a sight to behold." Actor Vicky Kaushal praised Tabu calling her " a goddess who is in a league of her own". Actress Kangana Ranaut said in a press interview, "I think last year, Tabu-ji gave an amazing performance in ''Andhadhun''. I am floored by what she has done."
In 2019, she appeared in Akiv Ali's romantic comedy ''De De Pyaar De'' opposite Ajay Devgn and Ali Abbas Zafar's drama ''Bharat'' co-starring Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif.
In 2019, ''Film Companion'' ranked Tabu's performance in ''Haider'' and ''Andhadhun'' among ''100 Greatest Performances of the Decade''.
2010–present
In 2010, Tabu portrayed the lead role in the romantic comedy film Toh Baat Pakki!, which earned huge publicity as it marked Tabu's return to Bollywood after 3 years. However, the film was a commercial failure. Her next release of the year was Khuda Kasam opposite Sunny Deol, a film long-delayed. Her other film Banda Yeh Bindaas Hai, directed by B. R. Chopra, got indefinitely shelved owing to the plagiarism issues. She made a comeback to Malayalam cinema in 2011 with her brief song appearance in the multi starrer film Urumi, directed by Santosh Sivan. The song "Aaranne Aaranne" featuring Tabu alongside Prabhu Deva and Prithviraj Sukumaran was declared a chartbuster of the year.In 2012, she featured in her second Hollywood film Life of Pi, directed by Ang Lee. She played a supporting role as the mother of the protagonist. Her next and only release in 2013 was David, a Tamil / Hindi bilingual film, starring Vikram in the lead and directed by Bejoy Nambiar. The year 2014 saw her comeback to mainstream commercial cinema with the Salman Khan-starrer Jai Ho, a remake of the Telugu film Stalin, playing the elder sister role to Khan. The film evoked mixed responses and was successful at the box office. Following this, she teamed up with her Maqbool director Vishal Bhardwaj for his adaptation film of Shakespeare's Hamlet, titled Haider. In the adaptation, she played the role of Ghazala Meer (Gertrude) to Shahid Kapoor's Haider (Hamlet). Haider was a huge critical and commercial success, and Tabu's performance received high critical acclaim with The New York Times saying that the film should have been titled Ghazala, rather than Haider. Her next venture saw her teaming up with actor Ajay Devgan after a gap of 16 years. She paired opposite him in Nishikant Kamat's murder-mystery film Drishyam (2015), which was a remake of the acclaimed Malayalam film with the same name. Her performance of a strict police-officer investigating her son's murder case received highly positive reviews. This was followed by a cameo appearance in Meghna Gulzar's directorial Talvar. She then starred in Abhishek Kapoor's Fitoor (2016), an adaptation of Charles Dickens' Great Expectations, opposite Aditya Roy Kapoor and Katrina Kaif, in which she essayed the role of Begum Hazrat, based on the character of Miss Havisham. Although the film did not do well at the box office, she received high criitical acclaim for her performance.Breaking from her mould of serious cinema, in 2017, Tabu starred in the fourth edition of Rohit Shetty's Golmaal (film series) titled Golmaal Again. She played the role of a ghostbuster and drew critical praises for her performance, with The Indian Express saying that her inclusion to the film is an "unexpected pleasure" and she "lifts" the film. Golmaal Again became one of the highest-grossing films of the year.Her first release in 2018 was the Mukul Abhyankar's thriller film Missing where she paired opposite Manoj Bajpai. Though her portrayal of a petrified mother was praised, the film under-performed at the box office.In 2018, she featured in a cameo role as herself in Rajkumar Hirani's biopic Sanju starring Ranbir Kapoor. She hit the peak of her popularity through Sriram Raghavan's black comedy crime thriller Andhadhun (2018) which saw her as the parallel lead Simi Sinha, alongside Ayushmann Khurrana's Akash Saraf, and drew high critical acclaim from critics. The Hindustan Times lauded Tabu asking, "Has there ever been a femme as fatal as Tabu?" Film critic Rajeev Masand praised Tabu's portrayal mentioning that, "the film's towering performance comes from Tabu." Firstpost called Tabu, "tremendously gifted, whose chameleon-esque talent is put to great use here." It further remarked, "The manner in which Tabu (Simi) switches from one emotion to the next to the next, at one point her face and voice conveying completely different feelings, is a sight to behold." Actor Vicky Kaushal praised Tabu calling her " a goddess who is in a league of her own". Actress Kangana Ranaut said in a press interview, "I think last year, Tabu-ji gave an amazing performance in Andhadhun. I am floored by what she has done."In 2019, she appeared in Akiv Ali's romantic comedy De De Pyaar De opposite Ajay Devgn and Ali Abbas Zafar's drama Bharat co-starring Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif.In 2019, Film Companion ranked Tabu's performance in Haider and Andhadhun among 100 Greatest Performances of the Decade.As of September 2019, she has made her comeback in Telugu films after a decade by starring in Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, a project of Trivikram Srinivas and Allu Arjun. She has also starred in a family entertainer titled Jawaani Jaaneman (2020) co-starring Saif Ali Khan with whom she shared screen space after 2 decades.As of February 2021, she is filming Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, a horror comedy by Anees Bazmee, which is scheduled to be released on 19 November 2021.Resurgence (2010–2019)
Following a short hiatus, Tabu starred as a clever middle-class woman in the romantic-comedy ''Toh Baat Pakki!''. The film was panned by critics with Raja Sen of ''Rediff.com'' describing it as a "bland, preposterously dated 'comedy'", adding that Tabu’s poorly written character hindered her performance. She next starred opposite Sunny Deol in the unremarkable ''Khuda Kasam''. This was followed by her return to Malayalam cinema in 2011 with her brief song appearance in the multi-starrer film ''Urumi'', directed by Santosh Sivan. Neither of Tabu's 2010 releases as a lead performed well commercially or critically. Tabu had also completed filming for B. R. Chopra's ''Banda Yeh Bindaas Hai'', however, the film was indefinitely shelved due to plagiarism issues. In 2012, she featured in her second Hollywood film ''Life of Pi'', directed by Ang Lee; she had a supporting role as the mother of the protagonist. A.O. Scott of ''The New York Times'' described her limited screen time as "excellent". Her sole release of 2013 was in Bejoy Nambiar's Telugu-Hindi bilingual crime thriller ''David.'' Led by Vikram and Neil Nitin Mukesh, the film failed at the box office.'' Despite being six years younger than Khan, she played the role of his elder sister. She said her decision to feature in the film was "to enjoy herself" in contrast to the sombre characters she is accustomed to playing. The film was subject to divergent reception from critics but was successful commercially. Following this, she reunited with Bhardwaj for his film adaptation of Shakespeare's ''Hamlet'', titled ''Haider''. The film completed Bhardwaj's Shakespearean Trilogy that previously featured Tabu in ''Maqbool''. Initially hesitant on playing a mother to Kapoor, Tabu rejected the role, prompting Bhardwaj to stress the character's importance to the plot, ultimately convincing her. In the adaptation, she portrayed the role of Ghazala Meer, based on Gertrude, to Shahid Kapoor's Haider (Hamlet). ''Haider'' emerged a major critical and commercial success with unanimous acclaim for Tabu's performance.'' The New York Times''' Rachel Saltz joked that the film should have been titled ''Ghazala'', rather than ''Haider''. She earned the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. Her next venture ''Drishyam'' (2015), saw her alongside Devgn after 16 years. The film, directed by Nishikant Kamat, was a remake of the acclaimed Malayalam film of the same name. Her portrayal of a police officer investigating her son's murder case received critical acclaim, thus earning her third nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. This was followed by a cameo appearance in Meghna Gulzar's directorial ''Talvar''. Tabu then starred in Abhishek Kapoor's musical romantic drama ''Fitoor'' (2016), an adaptation of Charles Dickens' ''Great Expectations'', opposite Aditya Roy Kapoor and Katrina Kaif. She essayed the role of Begum Hazrat which was based on the character of Miss Havisham. This was followed by a cameo appearance in Meghna Gulzar's directorial ''Talvar''. Tabu then starred in Abhishek Kapoor's musical romantic drama ''Fitoor'' (2016), an adaptation of Charles Dickens' ''Great Expectations'', opposite Aditya Roy Kapoor and Katrina Kaif. She essayed the role of Begum Hazrat which was based on the character of Miss Havisham. Though critics were generally ambivalent towards the film and it underperformed commercially, her performance was considered a highlight. Saltz noted that Tabu's performance wasn't her "finest" in comparison to those in her other English tragedies, but added that "with her great tragedienne’s face she can express loss with just a gaze". Breaking from her mould of serious cinema, in 2017 Tabu starred in the fourth edition of Rohit Shetty's ''Golmaal'' (film series), ''Golmaal Again''. She expressed her admiration for Shetty's work as the key reason for her return to comedy. Her portrayal of a ghostbuster drew critical praise with ''The'' ''Indian Express'' writing that "her inclusion to the film is an unexpected pleasure". ''Golmaal Again'' became one of the highest-grossing films of the year. Her first release of 2018 was Mukul Abhyankar's thriller, ''Missing,'' opposite Manoj Bajpai. Despite her portrayal of a petrified mother being praised, the film underperformed at the box office. She followed this with a cameo appearance in Rajkumar Hirani's biopic ''Sanju,'' starring Ranbir Kapoor.A major turning point in her career came with Sriram Raghavan's black comedy crime thriller ''Andhadhun'' which saw her as the parallel lead to Ayushmann Khurrana. The film, along with her performance, received unanimous critical acclaim. ''Hindustan Times'' lauded Tabu asking, "Has there ever been a femme as fatal as Tabu?" Critic Rajeev Masand commended Tabu's performance, praising her as "the film's towering performance". With a gross of over ₹457 crore (US$64.9 million), the film emerged her highest grosser 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 2019, she starred in Akiv Ali's romantic comedy, ''De De Pyaar De'' opposite Devgn and Rakul Preet Singh as his ex-wife. Despite otherwise disliking the film, ''Rediff.com'''s Sukanya Verma described the film as "watchable" due to Tabu's presence, adding that "everything about her feels right". She then played a supporting role in Ali Abbas Zafar's drama ''Bharat'' starring Salman Khan and Kaif as Khan's missing younger sister.Further career, acclaim and commercial success (2010–2019)
In 2010, Tabu portrayed the lead role in the romantic comedy film ''Toh Baat Pakki!'', which earned huge publicity as it marked Tabu's return to Bollywood after 3 years. However, the film was a commercial failure. Her next release of the year was ''Khuda Kasam'' opposite Sunny Deol, a film long-delayed. Her other film ''Banda Yeh Bindaas Hai'', directed by B. R. Chopra, got indefinitely shelved owing to the plagiarism issues. She made a comeback to Malayalam cinema in 2011 with her brief song appearance in the multi starrer film ''Urumi'', directed by Santosh Sivan. The song "Aaranne Aaranne" featuring Tabu alongside Prabhu Deva and Prithviraj Sukumaran was declared a chartbuster of the year. Her performance in the film earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. Her next venture, ''Drishyam'' (2015), saw her teaming up with actor Ajay Devgan after a gap of 16 years. The film, directed by Nishikant Kamat, was a remake of the acclaimed Malayalam film with the same name. Her performance as a strict police officer investigating her son's murder case received highly positive reviews, thus earning her third nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. This was followed by a cameo appearance in Meghna Gulzar's directorial ''Talvar''. She then starred in Abhishek Kapoor's musical romantic drama ''Fitoor'' (2016), an adaptation of Charles Dickens' ''Great Expectations'', opposite Aditya Roy Kapoor and Katrina Kaif, in which she essayed the role of Begum Hazrat, based on the character of Miss Havisham. Although the film underperformed at the box office, her performance received widespread critical acclaim.Breaking from her mould of serious cinema, in 2017, Tabu starred in the fourth edition of Rohit Shetty's ''Golmaal'' (film series) titled ''Golmaal Again''. She played the role of a ghostbuster and drew critical praise for her performance, with ''The'' ''Indian Express'' saying that her inclusion to the film is an "unexpected pleasure" and she "lifts" the film. ''Golmaal Again'' became one of the highest-grossing films of the year.Her first release in 2018 was Mukul Abhyankar's thriller film ''Missing'' where she paired opposite Manoj Bajpai. Though her portrayal of a petrified mother was praised, the film underperformed at the box office.In 2018, she featured in a cameo role as herself in Rajkumar Hirani's biopic ''Sanju'' starring Ranbir Kapoor. She hit the peak of her popularity when she starred in Sriram Raghavan's black comedy crime thriller ''Andhadhun'' (2018) which saw her as the parallel lead Simi Sinha, alongside Ayushmann Khurrana's Akash Saraf, and drew widespread critical acclaim. ''The Hindustan Times'' lauded Tabu asking, "Has there ever been a femme as fatal as Tabu?" Film critic Rajeev Masand praised Tabu's portrayal mentioning that, "the film's towering performance comes from Tabu." ''Firstpost'' called Tabu, "tremendously gifted, whose chameleon-esque talent is put to great use here." It further remarked, "The manner in which Tabu (Simi) switches from one emotion to the next to the next, at one point her face and voice conveying completely different feelings, is a sight to behold." Her performance in the film earned her a sixth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress'','' and her fifth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Critics).In 2019, she appeared in Akiv Ali's romantic comedy ''De De Pyaar De'' opposite Ajay Devgn Her performance in the film earned her a sixth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress'','' and her fifth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Critics).In 2019, she appeared in Akiv Ali's romantic comedy ''De De Pyaar De'' opposite Ajay Devgn and Ali Abbas Zafar's drama ''Bharat'' co-starring Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif.2020–present
In 2020, she made a comeback in Telugu films after a decade by starring in ''Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo'', a project of Trivikram Srinivas and Allu Arjun. She has also starred in a family entertainer titled ''Jawaani Jaaneman'' (2020) co-starring Saif Ali Khan with whom she shared screen space after 2 decades.In 2022, she received critical acclaim for portraying a double role in ''Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2'', a horror comedy by Anees Bazmee, which garnered the highest box office opening amongst Hindi films of 2022.Later that year, she starred in the sequel to ''Drishyam'', ''Drishyam 2'', directed by Abhishek Pathak. It became a huge critical and commercial success, along with becoming her highest-grossing film of her career.
She announced her new project, The Crew, co-starring Kareena Kapoor and Kriti Sanon in November 2022.Later that year, she starred in the sequel to ''Drishyam'', ''Drishyam 2'', directed by Abhishek Pathak. It became a huge critical and commercial success, along with becoming her highest-grossing film of her career.
She announced her new project, The Crew, co-starring Kareena Kapoor and Kriti Sanon in November 2022.
Further acclaim (2020-present)
Tabu began 2020 with her return to Telugu films after over a decade with Trivikram Srivas's ''Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo'' as Allu Arjun's mother. The film went on to become the second highest grossing Indian film of 2020 and Tabu's performance received praised, earning her the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Telugu. She followed this with both her television and streaming debut as a ghazal singer who falls in love with a younger man in Mira Nair's ''A Suitable Boy'', based on Vikram Seth's 1993 novel of the same name. The series marked the first BBC period-drama series to have a non-white cast. It received mixed reviews from critics, however, Tabu was praised with ''NDTV'''s Saibal Chatterjee writing that her "bewitching interpretation of the culture that Saeeda Begum represents is made all the more hypnotic by Kavita Seth's soulful rendition of Dagh, Ghalib and Ameer Minai". She then had a special appearance opposite Saif Ali Khan, two decades after ''Hum Saath-Saath Hain'', in the comedy-drama ''Jawaani Jaaneman'', also starring Alaya F.'''' The film emerged a moderate commercial success despite ''Film Companion'''s Prathyush Parasuraman describing Tabu as "wasted". She described the dual role as "quite a challenge" as she had to portray the characters in multiple time periods. Writing for ''Hindustan Times'', Monika Rawal Kukreja thought Tabu "stole the show" but considered her inferior to Vidya Balan in the predecessor. Her performance in the film earned her 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 in the sequel ''Drishyam 2'', directed by Abhishek Pathak. Archika Khurana of ''The Times of India'' praised Tabu as "simply outstanding", while ''The Wire'''s Tanul Thakur found her "at best, forgettable". Regardless, the film received both critical and commercial acclaim, emerging as one of the highest grossing in her career.2023 saw Tabu portray a government official thrice. She first played a police officer alongside Arjun Kapoor in Bhardwaj's ''Kuttey''. Though a box-office bomb, her performance was commended, with ''NDTV''’s Saibal Chatterjee describing it as "unblemished". Once again as a police officer, Tabu starred opposite Devgn in the action-thriller ''Bholaa,'' which he also directed. The film emerged a moderate commercial success. She reunited with Bhardwaj for a fifth time in his spy thriller ''Khufiya'', as an operative of an intelligence agency alongside Ali Fazal and Wamiqa Gabbi. Released on Netflix, the film received polarising reception from critics. Anuj Kumar of ''The Hindu'' was appreciative of Tabu's performance but thought that she was overshadowed by Gabbi.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. In preparation, they received training from former cabin crew members. ''Outlook'' Garima Das thought that Tabu was the standout among the trio. Later this year, she will reunite with Devgn for a tenth time in Neeraj Pandey's ''Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha''.Recent work (2020–present)
In 2020, she made a comeback in Telugu films after a decade by starring in ''Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo'', a project of Trivikram Srinivas and Allu Arjun. The film went on to become one of the highest grossing Indian films of 2020 and Tabu's portrayal was greatly commended, thus winning her the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Telugu. She has also starred in a family entertainer titled ''Jawaani Jaaneman'' (2020) co-starring Saif Ali Khan with whom she shared screen space after 2 decades. Critics said she "shines" in her brief role.In 2022, she received high critical acclaim for portraying a double role in ''Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2'', a horror comedy by Anees Bazmee, which garnered the highest box office opening amongst Hindi films of 2022. Several critics stated that Tabu "stole the show". Her performance in the film earned her 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 starred in the sequel to ''Drishyam'', ''Drishyam 2'', directed by Abhishek Pathak. It became a major critical and commercial success, thus becoming the highest-grossing film of her career.In 2023, Tabu first portrayed a police officer in ''Kuttey''. Her performance garnered critical acclaim, with critics labelling her as "stunning" and praising her "unblemished performance". Tabu also appeared alongside Ajay Devgn in action-adventure film ''Bholaa'', which has proved to be a commercial success after entering the 100 crore club. The same year, she appeared in Vishal Bhardwaj's spy thriller ''Khufiya'', as an operative of an intelligence agency.Tabu will next appear in ''Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha'' alongside Ajay Devgan. Tabu is also set to star in ''Crew'', co-starring Kareena Kapoor and Kriti Sanon.Wildlife controversy
In 1998, Tabu was charged with poaching two blackbuck in Kankani during the filming of Hum Saath Saath Hain along with co-stars Salman Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre and Neelam Kothari. 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. The Rajasthan state government then filed a revision petition before the Rajasthan high court 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 Jodhpur High Court issued her with a notice, challenging her acquittal on 11 March 2019.Controversy
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. 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. 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. 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.Personal life
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. 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. 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. 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.Latest Photos
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Tabu Filmography
