- Born
- Birth nameTabassum Fatima Hashmi
- Height5′ 6¾″ (1.70 m)
- Tabu is an Indian actress. She has mainly acted in Hindi films, though she has also starred in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Marathi and Bengali-language films, as well as one American film. She has won the National Film Award for Best Actress twice, and holds the record for the most wins of Filmfare's Critics Award for Best Female Performer, with four. With few exceptions, she is best known for acting in artistic, low-budget films that go on to garner more critical appreciation than substantial box-office figures. Her appearances in commercially successful films were few, and her parts in these films were small, such as Border (1997), Saajan Chale Sasural (1996), Biwi No. 1 (1999) and Hum Saath-Saath Hain (1999). Her most notable performances include Maachis (1996), Virasat (1997), Hu Tu Tu (1999), Astitva (2000), Chandni Bar (2001), Maqbool (2003) and Cheeni Kum (2007). Her leading role in Mira Nair's American film The Namesake (2006) also drew major praise.
Regarded as one of the most talented Indian actresses of her generation, Tabu is known to be selective about her film roles. She was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award, in 2011 by the Government of India for her contributions towards the arts.
- IMDb mini biography by: Tariq I. Samy (qv's & corrections by A. Nonymous)
- Parents
- RelativesFarha Naaz(Sibling)Shabana Azmi(Aunt or Uncle)Kamran Rizvi(Cousin)
- Tabu maintains a distinctive, low-register vocal delivery across three decades of cinema. The actor utilizes this resonance as a primary tool for dramatic gravitas in Maqbool (2003), where she portrays Nimmi, and in Haider (2014), where she plays Ghazala. Industry analysts and sound engineers frequently cite her vocal texture as a defining performance element that distinguishes her from contemporaries in the Hindi, Telugu, and Tamil film industries. The production of Astitva (2000) specifically leveraged her natural cadence to anchor the film's dialogue-heavy thematic structure.
- Tabu frequently portrays characters defined by a confluence of psychological resilience and profound emotional vulnerability.
- The performer often collaborates with director Vishal Bhardwaj on Shakespearean adaptations. Credits include the role of Nimmi in Maqbool (2003), based on Macbeth, and Ghazala Meer in Haider (2014), based on Hamlet.
- Tabu's mom Rizwana (Rezvanah Naaz) is Shabana Azmi's sister. Tabu mom acted in the movie Diljalaa as Jackie Shroff's mother. Tabu maintains a familial connection to the Indian film industry as the niece of Shabana Azmi. Her mother, Rizwana, also recognized as Rezvanah Naaz, performed the role of the mother to Jackie Shroff's character in the 1987 production Diljalaa.
- Her Jamal Hashmi appeared in the production Garam Hawa (1973) following his relocation from Pakistan to India. Hashmi secured a role in the drama Ek Nazar (1972) featuring Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan.
- The President of India Pratibha Patil conferred the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, upon Tabu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on 24 March 2011.
- The Indian National Film Awards honored Tabu with the Best Actress award for the drama Maachis (1996) at the 44th ceremony. She received a second National Film Award for Best Actress for her performance in Chandni Bar (2001) at the 49th ceremony held in 2002. Tabu holds the record for the most wins of the Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Critics) with five victories for Virasat (1997), Hu Tu Tu (1999), Astitva (2000), Cheeni Kum (2007), and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 (2022).
- The actress maintains the record for the highest number of Filmfare Best Actress nominations without a win in the popular category, totaling eight nominations as of 2025. These nominations include Maachis (1996), Virasat (1997), Hu Tu Tu (1999), Astitva (2000), Chandni Bar (2001), Andhadhun (2018), Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 (2022), and Crew (2024).
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