Tabassum Naz (better known as Tabu) doesn’t like being branded ‘elusive’ and insists the tag was inflicted by a section of the media. Not that she minds it. “If people think I’m elusive, I can live with it,” she grins. In real life, Tabu seems down-to-earth and vibrant as she settles down for a chat session.
In town to attend the premiere of Vishal Bharadwaj’s Maqbool at IFFI, Tabu confesses: “I don’t have the quotes that spice up interviews. I don’t know how to market myself but then so far people have appreciated me, so that’s okay.”
Although she admits that she hasn’t read Shakespeare’s Macbeth, on which Maqbool is based, she says she could connect to Minnie, her character in the film: “She is a woman with many faces, a mystery. I empathise with her and I’ve never played anyone like her before.” She says she’s made her share of mistakes in choosing films (a reference to Jaal and Hawa, perhaps?), adding: “I know what I’m getting into most of the time and I don’t like blaming people later.”
Tabu never consciously seeks work. “I’m too laidback. After being a part of the industry for almost a decade I expect filmmakers know where to reach me if they have a role. I act only for my sake although it’s nice to be appreciated with an award or by critics,” she says.
{{/usCountry}}Tabu never consciously seeks work. “I’m too laidback. After being a part of the industry for almost a decade I expect filmmakers know where to reach me if they have a role. I act only for my sake although it’s nice to be appreciated with an award or by critics,” she says.
{{/usCountry}}Tabu likes to read (anything from comics to biographies), watch films, drive down to Manali from Delhi or spend a day at home. She considers herself a misfit in South Mumbai high society, and is still a “normal girl with my feet firmly on the ground”.