TABU : On The Horns Of A DilemmaWhy do people find her so special? Why is Tabu every man's Numero Uno? Because she's quite unlike any other actress, any other woman you will ever meet. The explanation for her appeal...
There is a moment in most of Tabu's films when the camera stops dead in its tracks and lingers on. It's as if the camera can read your mind. Meeting her in person, you know you were right. Without a drop of make-up, even in most ordinary threads she's easily the most exquisite woman. Tabu scoffs at the notion that she is beautiful, and she can almost convince you she's just an average woman with average concerns.
Almost. While most actresses would have told stories that painted them in the best possible light, Tabu is the exact opposite. Totally candid. Even her outlook on life is a million miles removed from the normal showbiz folderol. Her conversation too is peppered with lines that could have been written half-way up a Himalayan mountain. As she sits talking about movies, marriage and whatever else, her every word comes as a breath of breezily, bull-free fresh air. Yes, the moot point, the explanation for her appeal.....the smouldering combination of looks and sensitivity. No wonder Bollywood - and most of the rest of the world - was besotted and she was snapped up by cinematic geniuses like Mani Rathnam, Gulzar, Priyadarshan for their masterpieces, bestowing on her parts which required her to go way beyond her heavenly looks. What's most amazing is that this classic combination of beauty and talent has proved her versatility in such a short span of time despite her career not being totally blissful all along. Chucking the Pehla Pehla Pyar and Prem fiascos behind her, she stopped people in their tracks with her Ruk ruk act. Soon her glamour doll image caught up with the filmmakers and here she was effortlessly matching steps with Govinda (Saajan Chale Sasural) and Akshay Kumar (Tu Chor Main Sipahi). But not wanting to end up being just a piece of movie decoration she followed these commercial potboilers up with a clutch of films by those filmmakers who were not the types to concentrate only on her looks and little else.
Already her performance as the young Malayalee girl in Priyadarshan's extravaganza Kaalapani is creating waves. Besides, she has an important role in Mani Rathnam's Anandam. She's also doing K.T. Kunjumon's Tamil film, Kaadaldesam and Nagarjuna's home production, Aravindam in Telugu. Not to mention Gulzar's tender love story in strife-torn Punjab, Maachis. So despite the slight hiccups like Himmat and Tu Chor Main Sipahi along the way, this amazing actress knows it is going to be an extraordinary year ahead. And then it is not onlv her roles that are getting bigger and better. On the personal front too, things seems to be looking brighter. The actress, it seems, has at last found the love of her life and is contemplating tying the knot with Sajid Nadiadwata. Not denying the piece of news with the cliched 'We're just friends', she concedes that she has found her Mr. Right in him and does not hold back the info that he would lead her to the altar sometime in the future.
Sitting across from me now, Tabu looks less frazzled, happier and even more beautiful. A tinge of pink colours her luminescent skin while her eyes twinkle merrily whenever she lets out that throaty laughter during the course of the conversation. But this amazing level-headed girl tells you that presently she is focussing more on her career, which has caught momentum and is in full bloom like her love life. For Tabu Kaalapani has turned out to be an important milestone in her career. The film has already been released in Malayalam and declared a hit. It has won five national awards in five categories and it is not surprising to learn that Tabu has started getting fan mail from the farthest reaches of the Milky Way. "You know, now I'm in the top wanted list of actresses in Malayalam cinema," she says a wisp of a smile. "And considering how ruthless the audiences down South can be if they don't appreciate you, that's no mean achievement. I'm so thrilled that I have one more avenue open to me. Now I'm looking forward to the film's release in Hindi. I hope I'm appreciated here too."But Tabu quickly adds that she gives all the credit to director Priyadarshan for making her character as the naive Malayalee girl, determined to free her husband from a cellular jail, so believable. "I fitted in very convincingly because of Priyan. I owe everything to him, my look, my performance, my confidence and that's the secret my success. I just followed h instructions to a T. Working with Priyan is a whole new experience. He knows what he wants from his artistes and gets it, even if it requires 40 retakes! I know I have given 14 takes for a half a minute expression. But then the results were also mindblowing. I was amazed when I saw myself on screen . "
It may be recalled that when Tabu was working with Priyadarshan she was working simultaneously with the inimitable David Dhawan (supposedly the king of raunch) on the other hand. How was it working with two directors diametrically opposite professionally and temperamentally? "David and Priyan are so different and yet so alike," she reveals. "They may belong to different schools but like Priyan, David too is truly dedicated to his craft, whatever be his style. We may have a lot of fun on the sets, but when it comes to doing your job, that's no laughing matter. And then you have to survive in the industry. I have immense faith in all my directors. Not to say that I can't convince them if I don't want to say a particular line or wear a particular dress. And now that Saajan Chale Sasural is a hit, David has once again proved that he's a director to reckon with."
Tabu also seems to be overly excited about working with Gulzar, the director who has memorables such as Mausam, Parichay and others to his credit and has cast her in his Maachis. "I readily accepted the film because it was a dream come true for me. I always wanted to work with Gulzarsaab. I have loved all his films. In fact, during the making of Pehla Pehla Pyar, when I got to know his assistant, Salim, who was working with us on that film, I asked him to recommend me to Gulzarsaab. So obviously when I was offered Maachis, I grabbed it with both hands. And I can tell you, it's a treat working with Gulzarsaab. He explains things so beautifully that you immediately strike the right note. He's not just a director, he's like a father, like a friend.""The best thing about working with directors like Priyan and Gulzarsaab is that you learn so much from them. After doing a few films, we artistes generally think that we know everything about acting. But after working with them I realised that my knowledge about the craft was zilch."
But most artistes seem to think that if veering away from the mainstream cinema would bring in the accolades, it could also mean the beginning of an end of a career in the commercial circuit. This, however, brings a wry smile on her lips. "That's not true. Every actor worth his salt wants to do good, meaningful cinema. But the question is, does everybody get to do such films? It's when such parts are hard to come by that they make statements like these," she adds, "Frankly, it's up to you to make a choice and if you want to strike a balance, you can do it. I'm keen on doing the regular Hindi films, but I also want strong, meaningful roles in my repertoire. I can devote equal time and attention to both. Why can't I do Maachis on one side and a Saajan Chale Sasural on the other? Anything is possible if you have the requisite talent. Didn't Shabana aunty (Shabana Azmi) do an Ankur and an Amar Akbar Anthony with an equal amount of zeal?"
But Shabana Azmi had mentioned in an interview, that Tabu with her immense potential should stick to doing roles of substance only. "I'm happy and proud that Shabana aunty thinks so highly of me. I know she wants the best for me. When Gulzarsaab told her that he was considering me for Maachis she didn't let him utter a word and promptly told him that she'd get in touch with me right away. I'd be blessed if I could achieve even a fraction of what she has achieved."
But what about rumours suggesting that she had dropped out of Mani Rathnam's venture? "Oh, that was nothing," she clarifies. "There was some confusion about my dates. I couldn't give the time required for the part I was to play. So Mani Rathnam offered me the other role. Now I'm back in the film. The role I was to play has been given to Aishwarya Rai. My role may be shorter now, but the length of a role has. never really bothered me. I know I can work wonders in a single scene." Well, well, looks like the actress knows her true worth.
But now that she's in the limelight on the sheer dint of her roles, how does she feel doing those thinly sketched characters of Hindi film heroines in mainstream cinema? "Oh, I enjoy all that too. Commercial cinema has its own charm. I'm very proud to have done a Saajan Chale Sasural or a Vijaypath. I'm at ease in every role and can do total justice to it. And anyway, I have never really taken up something insignificant. (That's in term of histrionics, not footage). I have always felt that it is better to do a few good films, those I enjoy doing and am proud of, than a dozen insignificant ones."But despite her being so selective and choosy the actress does have a handful of flops to her credit. "See, when I hear a script I instantly decide whether I want to do the film or not. I don't think about its fate at the box-office or make any other judgement. To me the director is the only consideration. And if the film does flop, I don't regret doing it. I loved my role in Himmat and I consider my performance in Prem one of my best, despite it being a major bloomer. Prem will always remain very close to my heart."
After having done so many films with the topnotch directors, is there any aspect about acting that she still dreads," "Oh, yes! I hate doing scenes which have something to do with sports," she laughs, a tinge of honesty behind her eyes. "I know with my physique, I may seem like the ideal sportswoman, but I have hated sports since I was at school. Of course, if required, I'll enact the scene convincingly, but it's something I'd rather do without." Does she ever attribute her. good performance to the chemistry between co-stars? "Oh! there's nothing like having a compatible co-star. But I've never let my performance suffer due to the lack of harmony. Basically you have to concentrate on your own performance. If you start getting affected by others around you, you are not doing justice to your work."
Tabu is one actress who has seemingly come out of nowhere to nab roles in major motion pictures and has already played with the big boys. What is the secret of her survival in the industry? "I really wouldn't know," she says puckering her brow. "One actress has all the qualifications required to be a Hindi film heroine, yet fails to make headway. And someone truly laidback like me survives. This industry is so paradoxical. Nobody knows what is gonna happen. Only one thing is certain. You have to be very lucky. You should be destined for stardom."
Isn't she more fortunate than her sister, Farha, the fiery actress, who after a fairly successful stint in films is now making waves on the small screen? "She was also very lucky, I'd say. But today, Farha has really grown as an actress. I think she's creating more impact on TV than she did in all her films put together. I'm really proud of her." The conversation veers to her love life. Tabu had surprised everyone by admitting in print that Sajid is the love of her life and the man she'd like to settle down with. Wouldn't such statements s producers away and affect career which is taking off in way? Instead of recoiling in fear, she faces the query with an air ofindifference. "Look, I'm not so irresponsible that I'll leave work midway to get married. I would never do anything so foolish. I intend completing all my assignments before I settle down. And it will take me two to three years to do that."
Does she plan to leave films after marriage?' "Yes, I will quit once my films are complete. Being a wife and mother is a full-time job. I cannot continue doing movies after marriage. For me, home and family come first. I'd hate to get up in the morning for a nine o'clock shift, or go outdoors leaving husband behind. That's not my scene at all I'd like to relax, enjoy myself and perhaps do something else but certainly not do films. I won't have problems taking up another profession because I can adapt myself easily to circumstances." Perhaps she'd also turn to the small screen? No, I really don't see myself doing television," she says shaking her head vigorously.
With that emphatic reply she rises to go. She has several appointments to keep, for in another two days she goes back to the South. This time for Mani Rathnam's film. The momentum of her career proves beyond doubt that Tabu is in supreme form today. And the love of her life also beckons. Caught between the headiness of one and ecstacy onthe other, whither goes Tabu?
BY: GEETY SAHGAL - TINSEL TOWN
