It was Gulzar’s birthday, a day he is shy, is almost scared to celebrate. He takes great care to run away from home and hide himself in a place where no one can find him, however hard they try. One birthday however, he couldn’t escape. Meghna (better known as Bosky), his only daughter and her boyfriend (now her husband) Govind had planned to celebrate his sixtieth birthday. Gulzar tried his best to plead with them not to break with his tradition which he had set for himself years ago. But they would not listen. All his efforts failed and Meghna and Govind succeeded in celebrating what was a very pleasant party held at Boskiyana, the house Gulzar built and named after Bosky. A party which was selective, sober and yet stylish and simply sophisticated. Govind and Meghna decided to have the stars and moon in the sky as decoration. Soon the guests started walking in and one of them was Tabu, shining in all her glory and reflecting her light in Gulzar, the poet’s eyes. The man who was shy and blushed all the time at his guests suddenly sprang into action. He was the host personified.
Those were days when the industry was full of talk of Tabu giving up films, getting married and settling down. She was disgusted, disappointed, disillusioned and was almost on the verge of dismissing herself. Her friends and advisers asked her, even begged of her, not to take such a drastic step at such an early age. She had no choice when some of the best brains in the industry and some of her most loving friends succeeded in asking her to make a promise that she would not give up films, not till she had proved herself as a good actress, atleast.
Gulzar who always had an “eye” on her soon cast her in one of his most difficult films, Maachis. She proved how good she was when she won the National Award for the best actress for her performance in the film. That was just the beginning of one of the most significant chapters in the history of acting in Hindi films. Tabu followed one film after another, with one performance more brilliant than the other and was ranked among the first few bests among actresses in Hindi films. Tabu also proved how brilliant she was when she acted in any number of superb films made both in Mumbai and in the South. It was difficult to say whether she was better at home in Mumbai or in the South where every talented director wanted her. Today, Tabu is in a dilemma of sorts. She is being offered the best roles in the best films made in both places. She has already given a massive complex to actresses all over the country and experts are already predicting a greater and brighter future for her.
TABU FATIMA HASHMI talks about herself, her life and lives, her time and times, the truth and and nothing but the whole truth about Tabu, the actress, par excellence, a fact accepted by lovers of cinema all over.

Have all the euphoria, the shouts of praise, the awards, the singing of your praises in voices which can touch the sky, made you forget the dismay, the disappointment, the depression that was gradually leading to the degeneration of an actress who was otherwise destined to be great one day?
No, no, no, not at all. I can never forget those dark days which had almost destroyed me as an actress. I can never forget the way I was treated by men and women who are struggling today, may God help them. I can never forget the five years that it took me to complete my first film, Prem. One of my producers from the South, Dr. D. Rama Naidu, who gave me my first break in a Telugu film always says that he made eighteen films during the time I took to make just that one film. I have forgotten the pain of those early days but I can never forget the bitter lessons I learned. They can and will hurt me at times but I will try my best to avoid them as for as possible because remembering them can act as blockades. Remembering them can also teach me a number of lessons, I guess. The pain I went through during those days almost made me give up and I even decided to give it all up at one time. So, you can imagine the state of mind I was in those days, neither here nor there, nowhere, no one to go to, but I continued working in “B” and “C” grade films just to be around but there was no satisfaction. I was not myself. How could I even dare to? I wanted to be good and the films I was doing were taking me nowhere near my goal. The flopping of my films and the dismal roles that I was forced to play made people realise that I was a good- for-nothing actress and decided to dismiss me but I had the courage and the confidence to carry on. I was determined to make an impact and come into the light from the darkness that was threatening to surround me on all sides.

Some of the most talented directors like Vijay Anand, Dev Anand, your mentor who gave you your first break in Hindi films in Hum Naujawan, Govind Nihalani, Yash Chopra and Manmohan Singh, the amazingly brilliant cinematographer who made his debut as a director with Pehla Pehla Pyar with you saw a great future for you as an actress of a very high order, as an actress par excellence. What happened to their predictions?
Thankfully, they all came true. I didn’t have to wait long before Gulzar Sahab offered me Maachis on the recommendation of my aunt, Shabana Azmi and that was the turning point in my career. Working with Gulzar Sahab was like jumping from the 1st standard straight to university. Gulzar Sahab was the director who went out of his way to inspire me to do Maachis and I accepted his offer because I knew that I would never get another opportunity to work with a writer and director like the great Gulzar Sahab again.
Just that one film Maachis made me more than half the complete actress I wanted to be. Now I knew I was on the right path. Now I knew that I was well on my way to reach my destination and the day I won the National Award for the best actress for Maachis, I knew my life had changed, my time and times had changed, the best times I was waiting for had come rushing in a hurry to hug me, Tabu, the new born actress had come into a new world, the world I always wanted to belong to, ever since I decided to become an actress.

Soon all the good directors, both in Mumbai and the South, were desperately looking for you. You were flooded with offers, but you were being very very selective. What was the reason?
nI had to be very choosy, if I had to make it as a good or even a very good actress. I resisted some of the most tempting offers where there was a lot of money involved. I did just a handful of films like Virasat which was a landmark in my career, Sazaye Maut Kala Pani, Hu Tu Tu and a number of outstanding films in the South which gave me all the opportunities to show what I could do as an actress.

Can you tell me about some of the people you are grateful in shaping your career? Gratitude, as you know is going out of fashion in your generation?
I am a born grateful actress, forever grateful to those who have helped me to be what I am, who I am, where I am today.

Your ultimate ambition?
To work hard, to work for the betterment of others, to hurt nobody, to heal all those who have been or are being hurt. I will have lived a complete life if I am of some use to mankind of whom I am a very very insignificant part.

You are working with all the best directors, the men who changed you and your career. But there are many other bigger, commercial and naami directors who have yet to take you seriously, even though they know that you are such a fantastic actress. Why do you think this happening?
I realised that luck was on my side, supporting my determination and talent all the time. Yes, I was working with directors like Gulzar Sahab, Govind Nihalani (Takshak), Priyadarshan and some other brilliant directors from the South who recognised my talent and got the best out of me by writing and moulding roles which suited my talent. I knew, I have still to work with some of the biggest directors in Mumbai, but I have no regrets. I have always done my best till now and I am totally optimistic about working with the big-time directors of Mumbai soon. I hope to make the best of both worlds as an actress and I will.

Don’t you think Kondanandai Kondanandai was one of the best films you have done in the South? How was it working with a comparatively new director like Rajeev Menon and work hand in hand with the former Miss World, Aishwarya Rai?
It was undoubtedly one of my best experiences. I am thankful to Rajeev for giving me such a rare and difficult opportunity. Working with Ash was a fascinating experience too. I like the way she is growing into a very good actress, much better than some of the actresses who call themselves good actresses but end up as mannequins and dolls. I have some other films like “K.K” in the making or in the planning stages. I hope to make the best use of them. This is my best season and I have to put my all into saving myself from being caught in a storm from which I will not be able to walk out. I try my best without interfering in any of my, director’s jobs. I don’t believe in any negative points once I agree to do a film, a role. I have not gone wrong in most films till now. I don’t know what the future holds for me. I only know that I work to the best of my ability and when I say the best I mean the very best of my ability and sincerity and leave the rest to God who has taken care of me till now and I am sure will till the very end.

But what about those roles in the typical Mumbai masala films, films like Vijaypath,Saajan Chale Sasural, Hera Pheri, Dilruba, and a whole lot of films you have signed?
Most of the Hindi films I do in Mumbai are mainly for the “Mutton Masala”, the “Dal roti”, but I try not to give my second best even to the worst films I am asked to do and I agree do. I am the same Tabu, the same actress in those masala films too, but I can’t help it if the films themselves are bad. The scripts have nothing to offer me and the directors know just nothing more than shouting “silence (the director who calls for silence screams the most), camera, action and cut. I am not ashamed or guilty of doing films like” Saajan Chale Sasural and Hera Pheri and Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar. They give me so much relief and they also give me lots of money, and tell me who doesn’t like money? Moreover I have my share of good films to keep my balance, thank God.

What about women-oriented films, films which fight for women’s rights, their welfare, their place and status in society and the country as a whole?
I am ready for such films any time. Like I have just done a film called Astitva. It’s a very challenging film and I have a very difficult role to play, in fact, one of the most difficult roles I have done till now. I think the director, Mahesh Manjrekar, knew his subject thoroughly. There are so many women-based subjects which can be made in India but there are no good good-intentioned directors who are willing to take the risk because according to their way of thinking women-oriented subjects don’t sell even if they are made with the topmost female stars. No one wants to take risks in this mahaan country and as long as we don’t have people who are not willing to take any risks, I don’t see any kind of great future for my loving country. It is a shame that we have more men making films about the problems than women making films about their own problems. What a sorry state of affairs.

But there are so many films based on female subjects, subjects like female dacoits like Phoolan Devi, on rape, on prostitution, films made under the guise of sex education, films which are nothing but pornography and they make much more money than all the good-intentioned women-oriented subjects ?
This comes to me as a nude shock. These films are made, I am told by dirty minds with innocent young boys and girls as the various characters in their films. They are made only by filthy minds, minds without a conscience, minds which are only interested in making money by making films to show the women as a heroine when the fact is that they are making those films only to degrade women and make money at their cost.

You have loved working in the South. Why?
Yes, I really love working with some of the best filmmaking minds in the South. I love their subjects, their dedication and their discipline. I admire the people who respect their work, almost worship it. Filmmking for most of them is pure passion. They are a class by themselves. It is a great feeling working with them.

You have also said that you would love to work with films made in all the Indian languages?
Yes, I am trying my best and once I try never give up. I will succeed one day. Succeed in doing all that I want as an actress.

What about your talking about working in Hollywood?
Yes, my aunt Shabana and actors like Om Puri and Naseer can work there and be recognised by the toughest filmmakers and critics, why not me? I have already started making plans to find a place in Hollywood, roles that are not insignificant but roles that are really worth my talent.

Some of your Hindi films to come, good, bad, indifferent.
There are so many. There are times when I think I have made mistakes by signing so many films. I have decided to cut down the quantity of films and concentrate on the quality of films and roles which will do both me and Hindi films a world of good.

What about marriage which you gave top priority five years ago?
Heaven can wait. I have many other earthly dreams to fulfil before I can think of the realities of a great institution of marriage which agrees with some and doesn’t with many. I don’t want to make mistakes.

PS: The little girl who came to Mumbai with her sister Farha, to try it out in films and found it difficult in the beginning is one of the most well known names in the country today when it comes to true acting.

Tabu who lived in a one room apartment now lives in a sky-rise starlit building aiming for the sky, just like one of its brightest tenants, Tabu.

Change is the need of the hour, Tabu firmly believes, change for herself, change for cinema, change for society, change for the country, change for the world. No change, no progress, no peace, no prosperity, she says. What else does man need as he goes forward to face the new millennium with fortitude. And with women like Tabu around, optimism is the only feeling that spreads and gifts hope to every human being. The Tabus of the world are born to spread this feeling of hope. What would we do without our Tabu?

Ali Peter John