Can’t relate with every character you play, says Tabu

The cast and crew of Andhadhun didn’t expect it to get such a huge response but actor Tabu is delighted that the film received a unanimously positive feedback and it is being acknowledged in every department. “Whatever we are experiencing is purely the merit of the film,” says Tabu about Andhadhun becoming the surprise hit of the year.

So, did any remarkable compliment come her way? “Hate to sound pompous, there have been many. My neighbour told me that she is never going in an elevator with me alone (laughs). People are still watching the film. Overall, the impact has been amazing. It’s also one of the most hard-core characters I’ve played,” says the actor.

The past two years have been good for Tabu owing to the success of Golmaal Again (2017) and now Andhadhun. However, she says one can’t always consider box-office consequences while signing a film. “You never know what can happen to a film. If it becomes a hit, then you do much more work. Nothing succeeds like success. Who does not like it? You enjoy the best of what success is giving you. But it is always going to be a result of what you’ve done. It’s not going to come in isolation,” she says.

Considering her choices and roles in films such as Astitva (2000), Cheeni Kum (2007) and Haider (2014), ask if she has always stayed ahead of her times and Tabu says, “Maybe it’s something in me, that my characters (on screen) have had some progressive streak. They were thinking differently, liberated and had a mind of their own. They have always called out to me. And I always like to look ahead. I gravitate towards experiences that would help me grow, whether it is learning a language, playing a certain character or working with someone in particular.”

So did she ever have a set of don’ts? The Fitoor (2016) actor says, “Morality ko leke, I should be the last person to speak. Right from killing my mother, cheating, murdering someone — sab kuch lar liya, on screen. Moral compass tod diya (laughs). Again, it depends on the dayra of a story. Unless something is really unnecessary, I won’t do it. On a serious note, you can’t relate with every character that way. But in the world such kinds of characters exist, that’s why they are written. If you find something too outlandish, you discuss it. But when I played a suicide bomber or a beer bar dancer – it’s far from the regular reality. There are many factors. I can’t break down (the process) in words.”

As for reuniting on screen with Ajay Devgan in De De Pyaar De, she says, “I hope we maintain the status quo of being a successful combination. It’s an interesting film. Again, a character I would totally and easily relate to.”

Morality ko leke, I should be the last person to speak. Right from killing my mother, cheating, murdering someone — sab kuch lar liya, on screen.

ACTOR