I just find myself really fortunate that
my directors and my filmmakers did not stereotype me
Now we are growing old together
You're the most amazing actress ever I have a girl crush on you
Do you like promotions?
Tabu ma'am welcome to Pinkvilla (Interviewer) Thank you (Tabu)
Just an opportunity to be in the same room as you is an honor for me
My God
So this conversation is a bonus
My God it's an honor thank you thank you I feel really really privileged
you've given two of the biggest hits of this year
and both have done phenomenal numbers
but I want to ask after all these years Do numbers still matter for you?
See if the numbers are good and great then there is a
I mean there's an atmosphere of joy and happiness in the whole crew
in with the team with the people that have been part of it
In the media, in the audiences, so you automatically become part of that whole energy
You celebrate it and you're also happy for the people who are involved in the film
and you're actually you're happy for the journey you made
It's like celebrating that entire journey that you made with these people
I of course don't think of the numbers and get into a movie
because you can't think like that you can't work backwards
and do your process, especially an actor's process is a very different process
We are not like we're really not calculating numbers and all that
because we have other things to worry about
you know you have to go and act you have to do the scene
wear the costume, be on set
It's really like a practical it's a lived experience
So for me once my the most important thing is doing the film correctly
and doing my job and then it's out
I mean I'm away from the system that takes place after the
after my job is done
Because I'm not there in that process you know I'm not physically there
it's just up to somebody then the director will edit it
and this will happen and the film will release
and then finally it's in the hands and it's in the life of the audiences you know
who are going to receive it or not wanting to watch it
or you know like it, don't like it
It's a process that is completely away from me
and I have no control over I can just hope and wish
that the audience goes to theatres
and they like what they see and you know the producer gets his worth
and the film is appreciated and my work is appreciated
we can just hope but I can't attach myself there you know
Do you like promotions?
The thing is in the beginning when this whole thing started with like
and when it started it was really intense
Everywhere! (Interviewer) everywhere and it was too much
you know but I think now there has been some kind of
you know balance that has come around
It's not that I don't like it or like it
I get tired doing so many interviews in the same day
and because for me, I like to give time to one interview do it properly
you know do that thing well and then do the other thing also well
So if I'm doing 45 interviews in a day
I'm not going to be able to have good quality of all the interviews
So for me that was the only thing
That it is tiring to do that
But some parts of promotions I enjoy
Like going on a reality show watching the performances
going on Kapil's show you know
going on Bigg Boss. Meeting Salman there
So those are the things that
also becomes a part of your experience of the film and all that yeah
Lovely! (Interviewer)
Before I was coming for this interview I met someone
So that someone has sent a message for you
Who? (Tabu)
Can I play? Okay let's go for it (Interviewer)
Scary
Tabu ma'am loves of love to you
I absolutely love you (Shriya) Shriya! (Tabu)
you're the best
You're the kindest soul ever the love you gave me
the first time you met me and the love you give me now is the same
I love your warm hugs, I love your smile
and I think you're one actress who inspired me to keep working hard
Aww! And I love the characters you do and
you're the most amazing actress ever
Aww! I have a girl crush on you
Good! Good to hear that
She is lovely! and we've struck like a
actually funny this is the third film that I'm doing with her
We've done a Telugu film together many many many centuries ago
and then we did Drishyam and then we did this Drishyam
So I think we worked well together and we are good together and we have a bond
from Telugu to Hindi and she's a lovely girl, she's lovely
and my whole Drishyam family though it is not my family
It's the you know conflicting family
It's been tremendous yeah it's been really nice
It feels like home now 'Drishyam'
you know I don't know if there'll be a third part
but now we all feel part of the 'Drishyam' family
We all do! Even from the outside, we feel that come on we know these people
Yeah! Actually, that's yeah that's what has
happened with this whole family and yeah what it is created with people
Yeah you know man if we look at your filmography
there's a Virasat, there's a Namesake, there's a Maachis
there's a Biwi No.1, there's a Hera Pheri, there's a Golmaal
just see how dichotomic and diverse all these films are
How is it that you've not been stuck by stereotype in all these years?
I think that's the best thing that has happened
Of course (Interviewer) to me (Tabu)
I just find myself really fortunate that my directors
and my filmmakers did not stereotype me in their heads
because it's what the filmmakers and the writers and the directors
how the way they look at you and your graph
is the kind of film that they'll offer you
So that's one thing that I should be really grateful for
That any kind of character different kinds of character
conflicting characters have been offered to me
and I have enjoyed doing them I think also that is the interesting thing
in that becomes like the challenge for you
Like this director has come to me with something that I have not done before
"Unlike my previous films, this is different"
But still, they're thinking of me for this character
Oh my God! Let me you know let me do this well, let me be completely
honest and sincere to this character, let me build this in a way that
you know stands out let me build this in a way that
the team is happy with what I have created for them
So I think that's the most interesting part
of any actor's journey and especially for me
because I have done such different roles In all these every film of mine
Like especially with 'Bhool' it was it was from the day I heard it I knew that
"My God" this character can become really something
I have never attempted something like this
and I knew that this was going to be a really intense journey for me as an actor
For me also to push myself that much more for a character
to look like that and I remember the 'Look Test' that we did
with that you know and we built it
we did not know that 'Manjulika' is finally going to look like this
It was December 25th, 2019 when we did the 'Look Test'
It was Christmas day yeah in my Mehboob Studios
and my makeup artist Mehek Anis was telling her
and then we kept you know attempting things
discovering stuff, adding things removing things
and then we had that you know look for Manjulika and all that
So it's just (Tabu) Stands out (Interviewer)
Yeah and it just adds that much more to your experience I feel
and then the action and then the really the out of out of the ordinary stuff
that I did in 'Bhool' with this character was just something I enjoyed
Even there's this popular phrase called "Dying is easy comedy is hard"
Do you agree to it?
I feel that
trying to be funny might not always work
you know and it's a very very tricky space and place
and I think the writing and the director are very very crucial
In bringing out fun and in making people laugh
and it's also a lot of timing and the chemistry
and the exchange that the actors are having on set
and what the director is bringing out from them and what they are saying
Yeah yeah (Interviewer)
you know so it's a tricky place
But do you enjoy it? (Interviewer) I enjoy it! I love it! (Tabu)
Because people usually associate you with more serious roles
but you've done such crazy comedy roles also in all these years
I love watching, I love doing I love being part of that
I love being on a set where there's you know funny stuff happening
and people are laughing and all that yeah
You know I've seen so much of your work ma'am over the years
that I definitely know 'Tabu the artist'
but I don't know so much about 'Tabu the person'
So in case if I have to give you a scenario
if you're at home you're not doing anything you're not shooting today
How is a normal day in Tabu's life?
There is nothing exciting happening
What am I doing?
There's something or the other always because I feel in our field there's never
What do you call that?
There is never a dull moment You know in a film person's life
So there'll always be something to attend to
there'll always be something to organise there'll always be something to manage
because you're managing stuff all the time
but I'll spend time reading the newspaper
now that newspapers are back after the pandemic
So that I enjoy that morning newspaper reading part
I read something, I write sometimes I have my music, I have stuff to do yeah
there too much to do
If you're living in Mumbai then even when you're not working you are working
But do you like try to keep it away from the film world if you are not shooting?
Socially I'm not so much there
and my friends though are from films you know but I don't think
anybody like socializing all the time with each other
There's not a conscious effort but it's automatically
now it's become like after so many years
I mean you form your own space you form your own social circle
and I must say I think during the pandemic
and because of the pandemic a lot of our social connections
are not the same as they used to be before that
and also I think everybody started working so much to make up for you know
the lost time that I would
yeah but I travel I try and spend time with my friends and yeah
Lovely just like us (Interviewer) Like everyone yeah (Tabu)
I also want to speak to you about Ajay Sir
because again your association with him also is so long
If you have to tell me how is he has a friend
as a person as a co-star and as a director is he different?
He is very different, he's a completely different person when he's a director
How does it differentiate?
Now when we do 'Bholaa' promotions no that's the time I'll tell you
But the association is very long now right I mean?
Very long 30 more than 30 years now
Is it very comfortable on? (Interviewer) Now we are growing old together (Tabu)
So next year also looks very exciting ma'am there is 'Khufiya'
there is Aasmaan film which is 'Kuttey'
and then there is 'Bholaa' which is with Ajay Sir directing the film
Right (Tabu) How excited are you for the next year? (Interviewer)
I'm excited, I'm pretty excited 'Kuttey' will come first
Then there'll be Bholaa and then there'll be Khufiya
So yeah with Khufiya yeah my backlog of releases that I started shooting
one and a half years back with be over
and they've all been intense experiences they've all been
like you know back to back, back to back
So I'm just excited for Aasmaan
and I'm just excited to see how people receive his film
I was just asking you, you deserve a break are you planning to do one?
I really deserve one I'll go for like 2-3 days for New Years
somewhere and come back because I can't be away for more than that
because I have 'Kuttey' coming up
Please go (Interviewer) Okay (Tabu)
You are like "Please go away"
Last question if there is I think it's a difficult question
but you've done so much good work Tabu ma'am all these years
If there was a time in this world
when we had to save something in a box for posterity
and you have to save one of your performances
Which one would you like to be there for the future generations to always watch?
Maqbool (Tabu)
Oh my God! What an amazing film why would you say that what's your reason for it?
I don't know instinctively I feel that about that film
I can't wait ma'am to see everything else you're doing in the future
this conversation was like I said right in the beginning
was an absolute honor for me I hope you had a good time
I had a great time thank you thank you thank you thank you for receiving
'Bhool Bhulaiyaa' and 'Drishyam' so well really I am so so grateful to
everybody everybody and the audiences that you know because really it's
It's just luck that the audience give so much love
You never know I mean it's really you know a gamble in the movies
This year especially with so much You can't predict what people are gonna like and not like
So I think I'm just lucky to be a part of two successful films and you know
But I think people are always gonna like you
and respect you whatever you do and I mean it from my heart
Thank you so much once again
Thank you, thank you so much