Tabu (born 4 November 1971) is an Indian actress who works mainly in Hindi films, as well as in Telugu, Tamil and English-language cinema. One of the most respected actresses of her generation, she is known for playing complicated, often troubled women. She won the National Film Award for Best Actress for Maachis (1996) and Chandni Bar (2001) and received the Padma Shri in 2011.
Quick Facts
| Full name | Tabassum Fatima Hashmi |
| Born | 4 November 1971, Hyderabad, India |
| Age | 54 |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Education | St. Ann’s High School, Hyderabad; St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai |
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Relatives | Sister Farah Naaz (actress); niece of Shabana Azmi |
| Honours | Padma Shri (2011), two National Film Awards |
Early Life
Tabu was born in Hyderabad. Her parents separated soon after her birth, and she was raised by her mother, a schoolteacher, and her grandparents, who were retired professors. She moved to Mumbai in 1983. She had a small part as a child in Bazaar and played Dev Anand‘s daughter in Hum Naujawan (1985).
Career
Her first lead role was in the Telugu film Coolie No. 1 (1991). In Hindi she became known with Vijaypath (1994), opposite Ajay Devgn, which won her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. In 1996 she starred in the Telugu hit Ninne Pelladata, the Tamil Kadhal Desam and Gulzar’s Maachis, about Punjab in the years of militancy.
She won Filmfare Critics Awards for Virasat (1997), Hu Tu Tu (1999) and Astitva (2000), and a second National Award as a Mumbai bar dancer in Chandni Bar (2001). She played the Lady Macbeth figure in Vishal Bhardwaj’s Maqbool (2003), with Irrfan Khan, and starred with him again in Mira Nair’s The Namesake (2006). Cheeni Kum (2007) paired her with Amitabh Bachchan.
She appeared in Ang Lee’s Life of Pi (2012) and won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress as the mother in Haider (2014). Drishyam (2015), Andhadhun (2018), Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 (2022) and Crew (2024) were major hits. In 2024 she played Sister Francesca in the American series Dune: Prophecy.
Personal Life
Tabu has never married and keeps her private life out of the press. She lives in Mumbai.
Awards and Honours
Selected Filmography
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Tabu’s real name?
Her full name is Tabassum Fatima Hashmi.
How old is Tabu?
She was born on 4 November 1971 in Hyderabad and is 54 years old.
Which National Film Awards has Tabu won?
She won the National Film Award for Best Actress for Maachis (1996) and Chandni Bar (2001).
Is Tabu married?
No. She has never married and keeps her private life out of the press.
What are Tabu’s best-known films?
Maachis, Chandni Bar, Maqbool, Haider, Drishyam, Andhadhun and Crew are among her best-known films.
Featured image: Tabu (centre) with Kareena Kapoor Khan (left) and Kriti Sanon at the trailer launch of Crew, Mumbai, March 2024. Photo by Verghese TK, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
