Tabu: 5 Best Performances by the Queen of Versatility

Tabassum Fatima Hashmi, better known as Tabu, is undoubtedly one of the most versatile actresses in Indian cinema. She never seems to settle for the stereotypical Bollywood herione’s role and chooses unconventional characters to play on screen.

It comes as no surprise that Tabu has won the National Film Award for Best Actress twice and has also received 6 Filmfare Awards. The Government of India honoured her with a Padma Shri in 2011.

Tabu’s acting career started in 1982, at a young age, with a small appearance in the film Bazaar. She has come a really long way since then. Here’s a look at 5 of her best performances till date:

1. Maachis

Tabu’s acting prowess was first recognised in this 1996 political thriller, directed by Gulzar. Tabu played a Punjabi woman, Virender Kaur a.k.a. Veeran, who becomes a victim of the Sikh insurgency in Punjab.

2. Virasat

In this 1997 movie, Tabu appears as a simple village girl, Gehna, who enters into a marriage of convenience due to her circumstances, but supports her husband as he faces various upheavals in his life, being the head of the village.

3. The Namesake

In this 2006 film adaptation of Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel, Tabu effortlessly slips into the role of Ashima, a Bengali woman who migrates with her husband to the US in the 1970s. Due to Tabu’s realistic portrayal, we can connect with Ashima’s sentiments as she learns to live and raise kids in a strange country, and evolves with the changes that life brings. 

4. Haider

In this impressive adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Tabu played Shahid Kapoor (Haider’s) mother Ghazala who has a love-hate relationship with her son. Her brilliant performance helped subtly highlight Haider’s Oedipus complex. 

5. Andhadhun

As the antagonist of this black comedy — the unfaithful wife/murderer of her husband, Pramod, a former film actor — Tabu was a treat to watch and reminded us how she is always ahead of her time.

Audiences have also loved Tabu in her various supporting roles in movies like Biwi No. 1 and Hum Saath Saath Hain. We are sure that Tabu will wow us again with her future performances.