Tabu

Tabu Biography

Tabassum Fatima Hashmi, known professionally as Tabu, was born on 4 November 1971 in Hyderabad into a Hyderabadi Muslim family, to Jamal Ali Hashmi and Rizwana. Her father had been an actor in Pakistan and moved back to India, but left the family when she was three; she was raised by her mother, a school teacher, and her maternal grandparents, who were retired professors. Her elder sister, Farah, is also an actress, and she is a niece of Shabana Azmi, Tanvi Azmi and Baba Azmi. She was schooled at St. Ann’s High School in Hyderabad, moved to Mumbai in 1983 and studied at St. Xavier’s College for two years.

Tabu appeared uncredited in Bazaar (1982) at the age of eleven and made her first credited appearance in Dev Anand’s Hum Naujawan (1985). Her first leading role came in the Telugu film Coolie No. 1 (1991), and the Hindi action drama Vijaypath (1994) won her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. She received the National Film Award for Best Actress for the political thriller Maachis (1996) and a second for her portrayal of a bar dancer in Chandni Bar (2001).

Widely regarded as one of Hindi cinema’s most accomplished actresses, and known for playing complex, often troubled women, she has received seven Filmfare Awards — including a record five Critics Awards for Best Actress — and two Filmfare Awards South. She was honoured with the Padma Shri in 2011. She worked twice with Vishal Bhardwaj on his Shakespeare adaptations Maqbool and Haider, and expanded into American cinema with The Namesake (2006) and Life of Pi (2012). Her biggest commercial successes include Golmaal Again (2017), Andhadhun (2018), Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo (2020), Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and Drishyam 2 (both 2022), Crew (2024) and Bhooth Bangla (2026). She has remained unmarried, a choice she has spoken about publicly.

Basic Details

• Full Name: Tabassum Fatima Hashmi
• Known As: Tabu
• Date of Birth: 4 November 1971
• Birthplace: Hyderabad, then in Andhra Pradesh, now Telangana, India
• Nationality: Indian
• Profession: Actress
• Industries: Hindi cinema, with work in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and English-language films
• Education: St. Ann’s High School, Hyderabad; St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai
• Family: Parents Jamal Ali Hashmi and Rizwana; elder sister, actress Farah Naaz
• Honours: Two National Film Awards; seven Filmfare Awards; Padma Shri (2011)
• Years Active: 1985 – present

Career Highlights