‘I NEED FREQUENT BREAKS FROM FILMS’

It’s very important for her to explore life beyond cinema, says Tabu

Ilove to sign films for which you can wrap up the shooting as soon as possible. One of the many reasons why I signed Missing was the fact that the shooting was over in 18-20 days. Then you’re mentally free,” jokes Tabu at the outset of our conversation.

“Is that the Hyderabadi talking to us, or is that just a stereotype (of Hyderabadis being lazy)?” we ask her in jest. “Maybe it’s not just a stereotype. I clearly fit into it, so it must be true, na,” Tabu quips back. The actor then explains that even though she loves her profession, there are “days” when she feels like exploring life “beyond” films.

“I don’t mean to say that in a negative way,” she adds. “[Acting] stuck with me, rather than me getting stuck to acting. The thing is that if I don’t get frequent breaks from acting, then I start to get a bit restless, because my life is much more than cinema. And it’s very important for me to have those frequent breaks.”

“That being said,” the actor continues, “I’m very happy with what I’m doing. I can safely say that I have worked with some of the biggest filmmakers, with some of the biggest stars in the industry, and I’m really lucky to be able to have done that. There was something of value, something to learn, in this line, and so it became my career path .... It’s something I am proud of.”

Now 46, Tabu has done a variety of characters in her 30year career. The actor insists that she only wants to be a part of projects that try and “touch a chord” with the masses.

“At the end of the day, [acting] is an audiencefriendly profession, so I do care about what people have to say. I remember a few years back, people wanted to see me doing a comedy again. My mom had started saying ‘Kitni tragedies karegi?’ They wanted to see me in that Biwi No. 1/ Hera Pheri (1999/2000) kind of role, and then Golmaal Again (2017) came at a very good time for me. I realised that audiences enjoyed some kind of work I did, and then wanted me to do something different,” says Tabu. In her just released thriller, Missing, she reunites with actor Manoj Bajpayee. They last co-starred in Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar and Ghaath, both released in 2000. (A day before Missing was out in cinemas, Tabu was acquitted in the blackbuck case that saw actor Salman Khan convicted. He later got bail. We reached out to Tabu, but she did not comment.)

Tabu adds, “You have to be part of projects that touch a chord with people. Of course, it also depends on your mind frame, but the right thing to do is to do projects where audiences can relate to the subject and the characters.”

PHOTO: RAAJESSH KASHYAP/HT