‘I TAKE IT AS A BIG COMPLIMENT IF PEOPLE SAY I AM TIMELESS’
Tabu says that in her three-decade-long career, her endeavour has always been to pick varied roles
There’s hardly anything that Tabu hasn’t tried her hand at when it comes to portraying different characters on screen, and she so seamlessly made each one of them work. Not many people know that she began her career as an actor with a Telugu film, Coolie No 1, 30 years ago, which later became the inspiration for David Dhawan’s Coolie No 1. And since then, there’s no genre this Padma Shri awardee hasn’t experimented with. Excerpts:
Timeless is one word people attach to you. How does that make you feel?
(laughs) I don’t know how to be otherwise. I take it as a big compliment, I don’t feel so much time has gone by.
Has your reason for taking up a project changed? Or are you the same Tabu who started three decades ago?
I feel I am the same person, I don’t know how people perceive me now. More or less, my reasons to do a film, or genres have never differentiated. I started my career with films like Prem (1995), then Hu Tu Tu, Biwi No 1 (both 1999), Maqbool (2003), Haider (2014). It’s not planned. Whatever came my way, if I liked it, I did it. I want to do all genres. It’s been about different experiences with different people.
This year marks 25 years of your first National Award for Maachis. How much importance do you attach to awards?
It will not be right to say I don’t feel happy when I receive awards. At least for me, the relationship you have with awards, and the gratification, it alters over time. When I got the National Award, it was something I couldn’t believe. Of course, you grow. But finally, it’s your craft and work that will stay. If awards have to happen, they will.
When I National got the was Award, it something couldn’t I course, believe. you Of finally, grow. But it’s your and work craft that will stay.
TABU,
Actor
International projects like A Suitable Boy too gravitated towards you. Do you feel you get better roles in the West?
Fortunately, I have always got important roles in whatever projects that have come to me. Also, the stories were such, with good and important parts.