‘Never understood why I should only play a good girl’
When you think of Tabu, you get three flashing images: one is from her years as the Ruk Ruk Ruk gal, the other is the poignant Veeran from Maachis (1996), and the third is the adulterous wife in Vishal Bhardwaj’s Maqbool (2003). Add to the bunch the confident, unamused accomplice in a crime, determined to get rid of all evidence that might give her away, Simi from AndhaDhun (2018).
The 47-year-old actor says that these choices came from a place of confidence and conviction. “It wasn’t a career move. I never thought ki aisa picture karoongi to mera aisa zone mein aisa ho jayega, ya main cool kehlaungi. Aisa kuchh nahin tha,” she says and points out that people around her were “not happy” with what she was doing. “A lot of people were afraid for me. They couldn’t understand why I was doing a film like Maqbool and many other films as they thought there was too much risk involved,” shares
Tabu.
“I never understood why I should only play a good simple girl,” says the actor who is probably one the few leading actors to have done the most number of dark roles. “I mean, I do love doing that (playing the good girl role). But there is nothing wrong with playing other characters; these films contributed a lot in making mewhoIamasa professional. These characters have defined me,” she says.
Reflecting further about portraying grey characters, she says, “Playing dark characters has become a thing now for female actors. When I was doing it, no one else was. For me, I have always understood the grey area very well. Also, it was not that I was trying to break the glass ceiling. Ye sab bas hota gaya and female characters ke liye base banta gaya. I have never looked at [roles] as risks. Also, I was never doing it with an intention of making a statement or trying to make some different kind of impact. The decisions came from my heart and my instinct,” says Tabu, who insists that she “never tried to manufacture an image” for herself.
In an industry that is still on the cusp of seeing landmark changes, especially when it comes to the roles that female actors are offered after they reach a certain age, Tabu has stood her own ground. The two-time National Film awardee shares, “I am in the best place in my career. I always felt that I am in the position to choose. I have always given credit and been thankful to the offers. You can only make those choices if you have those offers. Also, you create opportunities because of the body of work. There has not been any kind of director who has not come to me. It is a great feeling that they have the belief that I can deliver.”
Playing dark characters has become a thing now for female actors. When I was doing it, no one else was... It was not that I was trying to break the glass ceiling. Ye sab bas hota gaya.
TABU ACTOR