BIRTHDAY SPECIAL CELEBRATING THE VERSATILE ACTING ICON’S DIVERSE ROLES ACROSS GENRES AND LANGUAGES
Talented Bollywood star Tabu is seen as one of the finest actresses of this generation and has a brilliant body of work to back it up.
The versatile performer has shown off her impressive range in a wide variety of genres across different languages and is regularly called upon to add weight to commercial blockbusters.
She will celebrate her 51st birthday on November 4 and plays a key role in hotly anticipated film sequel Drishyam 2, which releases on November 18.
Eastern Eye decided to mark the magnificent acting icon turning a year older this week and her new film releasing next month, by listing her 20 finest performances, in chronological order.
Maachis (1996): Tabu showed she was an actress to be reckoned with after delivering a stand-out turn in the period political thriller. The winning performance of a woman caught up in the aftermath of the 1984 Sikh massacre and subsequent insurgency would win her a National Award. The young actress added weight to a male-dominated movie and would do that throughout her career.
Ninne Pelladata (1996): Tabu stepped out of the comfort zone of Hindi films early on by acting in other Indian languages and starred in this National Award-winning Telugu blockbuster. The romantic drama about a couple torn apart by family won her a well-deserved Filmfare Awards South Best Actress (Telugu) trophy.
Kaalapani (1996): Although the epic Malayalam language historical drama headlined by Mohanlal was predominantly set on a prison island, during the days of the British Raj, the actress counterbalanced those tortuous conditions with her portrayal of a devoted wife waiting for her husband’s return. The award-winning film showed that the actress could play a transformative smaller role and still make a major impact.
Kadhal Desam (1996): The Hindi film actress continued to cross boundaries early on and made her Tamil language debut with this successful film. In a departure from the artistic, character-driven roles, Tabu showed she could shine in the more commercial space with her performance of a young woman who gets caught up in a love triangle between two best friends.
Virasat (1997): The remake of Tamil language film Thevar Magan (1992) was a real game-changer for the actress and won her a Filmfare Best Actress (Critics) award. One of the finest performances of her career saw Tabu take on the challenging role of an innocent village girl, who suddenly finds herself married to an educated man from overseas, in love with someone else and caught in the crossfire of rural politics.
Chachi 420 (1997): She may be more known for serious roles, but the actress has consistently shown her hilarious side in comedies like this Bollywood remake of Hollywood film Mrs Doubtfire (1993). She delivers a delightful portrayal of a divorced wife, who is duped by an ex-husband, when he dresses up as a nanny and works for her.
Hu Tu Tu (1999): The critically acclaimed drama may not have been commercially successful, but that didn’t stop Tabu from getting another Filmfare Best Actress (Critics) award. She portrays a kidnapped woman, who re-evaluates her life while in captivity, and adds interesting layers to the well-written role, in a story that sent out an interesting message.
Astitva (2000): Another major stand-out moment from Tabu’s stunning career was this critically acclaimed drama, which was filmed simultaneously in Hindi and Marathi. The actress won multiple Best Actress awards for her portrayal of a woman who has a secret past that comes out into the open. The taboo-busting performance set across different time periods was another masterclass from her.
Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000): The Tamil adaptation of classic Jane Austen novel Sense And Sensibility was a major commercial success. The film was praised for being progressive in how female characters were portrayed and a big part of that was the way Tabu added real depth to a role which brought a classic character to a contemporary Indian setting.
Chandni Bar (2001): Tabu won a second National Best Actress award for her stunning portrayal of a young woman who ends up working in a dance bar and gets caught up in a criminal web. She skilfully goes from innocence to a sharp and sensuous woman trapped in a dark underbelly. The impactful turn would inspire a generation of Bollywood leading ladies to attempt similar characters.
Maqbool (2003): The stunning Bollywood adaptation of William Shakespeare classic Macbeth has become iconic, largely thanks to the lead performances. Tabu took on the challenging role inspired by the villainous Lady Macbeth and added her own uniqueness in a menacing way. Hiding a villainy and a gradual insanity beneath an innocent exterior confirmed her as being one of the most talented performers of this generation.
The Namesake (2006): The actress left a lasting impact in her Hollywood debut. She adds real stature as the first-generation immigrant who gets married and moves to America with her husband in search of a new life. The less is more approach enables her to deliver a beautifully restrained performance of a woman going from a tranquil innocence in India to facing challenges in a new land. She, along with Irrfan Khan, gives the movie emotional depth.
Cheeni Kum (2007): Only someone with the talent of Tabu could have taken on the role of a 34-year-old who falls in love with a 64-year-old chef. She holds her own opposite Amitabh Bachchan and stands tall in the cross-generational romance, as the no-nonsense woman finding love in the most unexpected place. It would earn her another Filmfare Best Actress (Critics) award.
Haider (2014): The actress reunited with Maqbool director Vishal Bhardwaj for his Bollywood adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet and was once again serving up an unpredictable, grey-shaded role. She won the most praise for her performance and multiple Best Actress honours. Although Shahid Kapoor was outstanding in the title role, many felt the movie belonged to Tabu with one of her career’s stand-out performances.
Drishyam (2015): Only Tabu could have played this role in the Bollywood remake of the acclaimed Malayalam movie of the same name. Like most of her movies, she adds real weight with her perfect portrayal of a strict police officer investigating her son’s murder and going up against a formidable opponent, played by Ajay Devgn. She returns for the sequel, due for release on November 18, which picks up the story years later.
Golmaal Again (2017): The hit Golmaal series of films hadn’t been known for story or performances until Tabu joined the franchise and added a formidable stature with her presence. Even though the film is dominated by a male cast, her performance as a ghostbuster who can see spirits is the real hero and enabled her to give the comedy credibility.
Andhadhun (2018): Although she has played a wide range of roles across her career, Tabu has consistently shown that no frontline actress can play a grey or dark shaded role quite like her. She is simply stunning as the murderous woman who plays a game of cat and mouse with a pianist, pretending to be blind, and the police. The deliciously dark parallel lead role got her multiple Best Actress nominations but deserved so much more.
Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo (2020): The actress is quickly making her mark in memorable mother roles in films like De De Pyaar De (2019) and this smash-hit Telugu language drama. Her sterling supporting role as the mother who has her baby switched and then receives help from the estranged son years later saw her deliver another heavy-hitting performance that gave the film a solidity.
A Suitable Boy (2020): After decades of delighting audiences in films, the actress finally made her TV debut with this BBC adaptation of the iconic 1993 Vikram Seth novel. Despite the drama series having a huge cast of characters, she was the headline act and had a magnetic presence as seductive courtesan Saeeda Bai.
Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 (2022): If budget versus profit at the box office is calculated, then this spooky comedy has been the only Bollywood blockbuster of 2022. A massive part of the movie’s success is a stunning double role from the actress, which is unpredictable and filled with plenty of surprises. She shows off her impressive range and demonstrates there is no one quite like Tabu.
The actor’s evolving style from youth to maturity getty images
Aamir Khan embracing vintage looks with classic charmgetty images
Bold and dramatic changes defining Aamir Khan’s careergetty images
From rugged to refined Aamir Khan’s versatile appearancesgetty images
Memorable film moments showcasing Aamir Khan’s unique stylegetty images
Aamir Khan’s blend of classic and contemporary fashiongetty images
Aamir Khan’s dedication to authentic character portrayals getty images
Cinematic milestones reflected in Aamir Khan’s on-screen imagegetty images
A seated Jain enlightened teacherAshmolean Museum, University of Oxford
Ganesha from JavaAshmolean Museum, University of Oxford
A Chinese silk painting depicting the BuddhaAshmolean Museum, University of Oxford
ArdhanarishvaraAshmolean Museum, University of Oxford
Head of a grimacing yakshaAshmolean Museum, University of Oxford
NagaAshmolean Museum, University of Oxford
The Bimaran casketAshmolean Museum, University of Oxford
Hunia Chawla
A still from rehearsal
Them performing liveNajmuddin Saifuddin Qawwal Group
The cast of Marriage Material in key moments from the play, including Avita Jay, Kiran Landa, Omar Malik, Irfan Shamji and Anoushka Deshmukh
Sathnam Sanghera’s 'Marriage Material' adapted into bold new play on conformity
The play Marriage Material at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre is Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti’s adaptation of Sathnam Sanghera’s novel of the same name, which first came out in 2013.
She is lucky to have Iqbal Khan direct Marriage Material. The play, a co-production with the Birmingham Rep, is set in the late 1960s. Mr and Mrs Bains (played by Jaz Singh Deol and Avita Jay) run a corner shop in Wolverhampton. Their younger daughter, Surinder (Anoushka Deshmukh), is 16, her sister Kamaljit (Kiran Landa) is just a bit older.
They have a neighbour, Patwant Dhanda (Irfan Shamji), who, as we shall soon see, is not a very pleasant man. In fact, he comes across just as racist as Enoch Powell, who represented Wolverhampton South West for the Tories from 1950 to 1974.
It will be recalled this was a time when Sikhs working on the buses were told they couldn’t wear a turban. That was a hard-fought battle that had to be won.
The Bains, meanwhile, simply want to get their girls married off.
Nothing new here, I thought.
What makes the tale different is that the plot twists and turns down the generations. Mr Dhanda, who has the makings of a paedophile, makes a pitch for one of the girls when Mr Bains dies early in the play. “A life with no man in the house is no life,” he informs the newly widowed Mrs Bains.
Mr Dhanda has a wife but she has returned to India so he considers himself to be a free man.
Surinder’s English teacher from school, Miss Flanagan (Celeste Dodwell), who is also head of the fifth form, tells Mrs Bains about her daughter: “I don’t want to embarrass you, but she is bright. Ridiculously bright.”
She adds: “Mrs Bains, I think it would be a pity if Surinder didn’t stay on at school.” The initial response from Mrs Bains is not encouraging: “Too much education makes people’s brains get mixed up, they don’t sleep at night…”
But she is finally persuaded that Surinder should be allowed to stay on for a while longer before being married off.
Mr Bains was very old school. When Surinder confides she would one day like to be “a somebody”, he is amused that “my daughter wants to be a somebody”.
“Like you,” she tells her father.
Mr Bains consoles his daughter: “We will find a somebody for you to marry.”
At the point of a possible marriage, however, Surinder is sweet-talked by chocolate salesman Jim Wilson (Tommy Belshaw) into running away with him. They share a love of literature, and he calls her “Sue Bains”. But the relationship does not end well.
Once she has left, Surinder is written off as “dead” by her family. The story that is circulated is that she was only 16 when she was killed in a car crash. That’s better than to let on that she ran off with a white man.
By the time she is reconciled with her sister towards the end of the play, a great deal has changed. Kamaljit married Tanvir Banga (Omar Malik), a young man who helped out in the Bains’ corner shop. When the two sisters meet again, Tanvir has also died. But he and Kamaljit had a son, Arjan Banga (Jaz Singh Deol doubles up for this role after the death of Mr Bains). He has come home after his father’s death to help his mother who is still running the family corner shop.
Meanwhile, Mr Dhanda’s business has prospered. He now has a son, Ranjit Dhanda (the role is taken by Omar Malik after Tanvir’s death), and he is nearly as unpleasant as his father.
Arjan has an English fiancée, Claire (Celeste Dodwell). In London, Arjan worked as a creative director. But after deciding to stay in Wolverhampton to help his mother, he decides he cannot marry Claire because she is white. In other words, Asians are not free of racism, either. Happily, at the end, the couple are reconciled.
As for Surinder, she parted company with Jim Wilson after realising he was all talk, depended on her for money and had failed to earn a penny from his literary pretensions. She had prospered, though, as a hotel owner and had been transformed in time into a well-groomed businesswoman. After being tracked down by Arjan, she decides to return to her roots in Wolverhampton and help Kamaljit run the family corner shop. Perhaps 50 years had passed during the passage of the play.
Being subjected to racism turned some Asians into racists themselves. The word goreh (white person) is repeatedly spat out with venom. Maybe it is worth remembering the play’s audience isn’t exclusively Asian – white folk are watching as well. And maybe some of the toilet humour ridiculing white people, which always makes me cringe, could be cut out.
In Sanghera’s novel, there is a quote from Enoch Powell’s speech in November 1968: “The West Indian or Asian does not, by being born in England, become an Englishman. In law he becomes a United Kingdom citizen by birth; in fact, he is a west Indian or an Asian still... he will by the very nature of things have lost one country without gaining another, lost one nationality without acquiring a new one. Time is running out against us and them. With the lapse of a generation or so we shall at last have succeeded – to the benefit of nobody – in reproducing ‘in England’s green and pleasant land’ the haunting tragedy of the US.”
In Marriage Material, where the acting is marvellous (apart from Mr Dhanda’s Indian mannerisms and accent being overdone) we do travel across a couple of generations.
There is a scene when Tanvir rejects Mr Dhanda’s vision of creating a little Punjab in Wolverhampton.
Mr Dhanda wants to take over the Bains’ corner shop and is putting pressure on Tanvir to sign the papers. He says: “In this country, money is the path to freedom.”
“Sign, please,” he instructs Tanvir. “We must make sure our children learn to behave nicely, according to our rules.”
He insists: “We maintain our identity so we can be ourselves.”
Tanvir disagrees: “We can be us here. With the goreh.”
Dhanda warns him: “Then we will be inviting chaos.”
Tanvir’s comment is telling: “You sound like Enoch.”
Kamaljit, who is expecting a baby with her husband Tanvir, says: “I would like my child to grow up knowing the history of the Gurus and to read the Granth Sahib. And to love their culture.”
Tanvir tells his wife: “I would like my child to go to the finest schools, to cheer for England in the World Cup and eat Yorkshire pudding on a Sunday.”
Kamaljit sets out a dream that has perhaps come to pass with many third and fourth generation British Asians: “Maybe our child can do both.” Much, much later, in a throwback to the past, we learn of Surinder’s O-level results: “Biology A, Chemistry A, English Language A, English Literature A, French A, History B, Latin A, Mathematics A, Physics A…”
Kamaljit tells her younger sister: “Never mind about the B.”
And that is quintessentially Asian. Their acting is outstanding.
Marriage Material is at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre until June 21, and at the Birmingham Rep from June 25-July 5