There are few actors who can lay claim to being a bona fide star 31 years after their debut. Tabu, who turns 51 today, is one of them. The actor made her debut in Coolie No. 1 (1991) and spent the Nineties doing films as varied as Gulzar’s Maachis (1996) — her portrayal of the young Veeran, who becomes an insurgent, remains haunting — to Sooraj Barjatya’s Hum Saath Saath Hain (1999) in which she played the sanskari bahu, had barely a dialogue and was mummified in shiny saris. Conventionally, as women actors age into their 30s, they tend to go on hiatus. Sometimes this is voluntary, but it’s also a feature of working in an industry that has traditionally limited women characters to being either nubile or maternal. Tabu is one of those actors who has worked consistently over the decades, showing through her roles that older women can be more than just a catalyst in a protagonist’s life. Whatever the role, Tabu embodies it so effortlessly that you almost convince yourself that this must be her in real life. On screen, she can become anyone and convince you of anything. In Cheeni Kum, she gave us a heroine who is unapologetic about both her choices and the fact that she’s in her mid-30s. Later, she’d play the hero’s mother, but her Ghazala had an electric sensuality that made her nothing like the stereotype that Bollywood has known. Even in supporting roles, like the two-bit appearance she had in Fanaa (2006), Tabu’s performances made an impact. From Nimmi in Maqbool to Anjulika and Manjulika in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, Tabu is unforgettable.
From her diverse filmography, here are some of our favourite roles in which Tabu has defied the constraints usually placed on mature, women characters.