Many actresses today feel that Tabu is an inspiration because of her gutsy choices.Point that out to her and ask her if it was difficult to take the route less taken and she says, “It was definitely not difficult for me personally. I was very clear about my choices and the choices could be anything on different days. I’m very clear about why I’m doing ‘Maqbool’ or ‘Saajan Chale Sasural‘ or ‘Namesake’ or ‘Virasat’ or a ‘Beewi No 1’. In retrospect, these things become like a story but when you’re making those choices, or living that life, you are not thinking about being a path-breaker. Your desires or aspirations will push you in the direction which you want. For me it was doing stuff which was not formula, at that point of time. But I kept coming back to formula and went away from it. For me, it’s not interesting to be stuck in one zone or one genre or just one road.”
However, for the people in the industry and outside, it was quite a shock! The ‘Astitva‘ actress added, “For people, at that time, it was very blasphemous to see an actress coming from mainstream commercial cinema and make these choices. So, the challenge was bigger for them to be okay with my choices. But I was not interested in people’s opinions. I was very clear about – the films I wanted to do. May be because I was not playing by the rules and everyone else was playing by the rules. There were unwritten rules like ‘heroine should not do this and that’, or this is not commercial enough.”
She further elaborates, “I did not really see sense in that because I was really not trying to prove a point. I just wanted wanted to do good work. I wanted to do something which I knew I would be good at. I did not want to be in a space where I’m not allowed to explore my ability to perform. I wanted those platforms and then those directors and scripts came to me. At that point, you want these characters to give you space to do something and not just be characters which have no relevance as an actor.”
Tabu is grateful for everything that contributed to her career. “I think it all depends on your ‘soch’ (thinking). I had the thinking that why should I do what everyone else is doing. Why should I keep giving the same expressions which I’ve been giving. For me, more than being different, I just wanted to do something which is mine. I wanted to say that ‘this is me and this is coming from me’ and bring it to people in the best way. I’m grateful for all the factors that made it possible. Later it was called ‘pathbreaking’ but it was a long journey to be able to be called that. Not that I set out to be called that. But it was extremely engaging and satisfying on many levels for me as an actor. The choices you make reflect you as a person and that’s what I wanted,” said the actress.
