Two weeks before the end of the year, I was already done watching all the Rani Mukerji movies I could get my hands on [1], and by Christmas I had already devoured about ten movies with Tabu [1], casting her in my Joan Crawford Indian re-adaptations. So I’m pretty much done watching Tabu’s main basic filmography. I might have two or three more that I want to watch (Prem, Border and Khudam Kasam) that I’ve been able to locate with subtitles, while Kala Pani I haven’t been able to find in a subbed version.
Her alongside Rani and Vidya Balan are my current top contemporary Indian actresses. I wish the first two were as eager to get lead vehicles (nowadays) instead of supporting… like Tabu in the last decade! Be it a lead or supporting role, though, Tabu remains interesting and slightly girl-empowering.Ghaath and Hu Tu Tu (and to a degree: Aamdani Atthani Kharcha Rupaiyaa) had Tabu in a tux or sporting a short hair with a tomboy-ish attitude, urging people to be revolutionaries (or terrorists, depending on your POV), and doing all those sneaky subtly sex scenes in things like Maqbool (to a degree -though not hidden- in The Namesake), Ghaath, and definitely Astitva.
I was amazed at how consistently good she was even in poor vehicles like Hawa or Silsiilay. She’s also a straight-forward no bullshit kind of person. Even if you give her the best role to fit her schedule, if she doesn’t like you, she won’t work with you. That means she’ll probably never agree for a Lars Von Trier movie, and that Ang Lee is the best.
Also, there are two new Tabu movies coming up~ Jai Ho with Salman seems like it can be crap because Stalin (the Telugu movie it’s a remake of) was so, and I’m completely unable to stand Salman Khan except for Maine Pyar Kiya. Then there’s Haider by Vishal Bhardwaj, so that’s -at least- some kind of relief. That has got to be somewhat interesting, even if it turns out not superb.
*Updated Apr’16*
Standard Tabu Ranked MUBI list.
| Year | Name of Film | Alternate Title | Notes | Film Rating | Tabu Participation | Performance | Rank |
| 1996 | Ninne Pelladatha | నిన్నే పెళ్లాడుతా | Telugu // Tabu’s voice sounds dubbed // [Movie No Subs] [Alternative Link] | 3.25 | 100% | 3.5/5 | 13 |
| 1996 | Maachis | माचिस | Hindi // [Subbed Movie] | 3.5 | 65% | 3.5/5 | 9 |
| 1996 | Virasat | विरासत | Hindi // [Movie No Subs] | 3.5 | 45% | 3.75/5 | 8 |
| 1996 | Iruvar | The Duo / இருவர் / इरुवर | Tamil | 3.5 | 30% | 3.5/5 | 20 |
| 1997 | Chachi 420 | चाची 420 | Hindi | 3.25 | 40% | 3.5/5 | 19 |
| 1999 | Hu Tu Tu | हु तू तू | Hindi | 4 | 100% | 4/5 | 6 |
| 1999 | Kohram | कोहराम : द एक्स्प्लोजन / కొహ్రామ్ | Hindi // [Movie No Subs] | 3 | 20% | 3.25/5 | 28 |
| 2000 | Hera Pheri | हेरा फेरी | Hindi // [Subbed Movie] | 3.25 | 40% | 3.5/5 | 21 |
| 2000 | Kandukondain Kandukondain | I Have Found It / கண்டுகொண்டேன் கண்டுகொண்டேன் | Tamil // [Subbed Movie] | 3.5 | 85% | 3.5/5 | 11 |
| 2000 | Astitva | अस्तित्व | Hindi // [Subbed Movie] | 4 | 100% | 4/5 | 3 |
| 2000 | Ghaath | घात / ఘాత్ | Hindi | 3.5 | 100% | 3.5/5 | 10 |
| 2001 | Chandni Bar | चांदनी बार / చాందినీ బార్ | Hindi // [Movie No Subs] | 4 | 100% | 4/5 | 2 |
| 2001 | Aamdani Atthanni Kharcha Rupaiya | आमदनी अठन्नी खर्चा रुपइया | Hindi // [Movie No Subs] | 3.25 | 75% | 3.5/5 | 25 |
| 2002 | Saathiya | साथिया | Hindi // Cameo | 3 | * | * | * |
| 2003 | Hawa | हवा | Hindi | 2.75 | 100% | 3.25/5 | 27 |
| 2003 | Maqbool | मक़बूल / مقبُول | Hindi / Urdu | 4 | 60% | 4/5 | 5 |
| 2005 | Silsiilay | सिलसिले | Hindi // [Subbed Movie] | 2.5 | 30% | 3.5/5 | 30 |
| 2006 | Fanaa | फ़ना / فناء | Hindi / Urdu | 2.75 | * | * | * |
| 2006 | The Namesake | द नेमसेक | English / Bengali / Hindi / French | 3.75 | 75% | 4/5 | 7 |
| 2007 | Cheeni Kum | चीनी कम | Hindi // [Subbed Movie] | 3.25 | 80% | 3.5/5 | 15 |
| 2008 | Om Shanti Om | / | Hindi // Cameo as herself | 3 | * | * | * |
| 2010 | Toh Baat Pakki! | तो बात पक्की | Hindi | 3.25 | 100% | 3.5/5 | 16 |
| 2012 | Life of Pi | / | English / Tamil | 3.5 | 10% | 3.5/5 | 24 |
| 2013 | David | டேவிட் | Tamil | 3.25 | 30% | 3.5/5 | 23 |
| 2010 | Khuda Kasam | ఖుదా కసమ్ | Hindi / English / Marathi // [Subbed Movie] | 2.75 | 85% | 3.5/5 | 26 |
| 1997 | Border | बोर्डर / బోర్డర్ | Hindi / English / Punjabi / Rajasthani // [Subbed Movie] | 3.25 | * | * | * |
| 2004 | Main Hoon Na | / | Hindi // [Subbed Movie] | 3.25 | * | * | * |
| 1995 | Prem | प्रेम | Hindi // [Subbed Movie] | 3.25 | 80% | 3.5/5 | 14 |
| 2004 | Meenaxi: Tale of 3 Cities | / | Hindi / Urdu / English | 3.75 | 95% | 3.75/5 | 4 |
| 2014 | Jai Ho | जय हो | Hindi | 2.5 | 40% | 3.25/5 | 37 |
| 2008 | Pandurangadu | పాండురంగడు | Telugu // [Subbed Movie] | 2 | 25% | 3.25/5 | 38 |
| 1994 | Vijaypath | विजयपथ | Hindi | 2.5 | 40% | 3.25/5 | 34 |
| 1999 | Thakshak | तक्षक | Hindi // [Subbed Movie] (audio problem) // [Movie No Subs] | 3 | 40% | 3/5 | 31 |
| 2003 | Abar Aranye | In the Forest …Again / আবার অরণ্যে | Bengali / English | 3.5 | 70% | 3.5/5 | 17 |
| 1999 | Biwi No. 1 | बीवी नम्बर वन | Hindi // [Movie No Subs] | 3 | 10% | 3/5 | 36 |
| 1999 | Hum Saath-Saath Hain | हम साथ साथ हैं / We Stand United | Hindi // [Subbed Movie] | 3 | 25% | 3/5 | 35 |
| 1998 | Hanuman | / | English | 3 | * | * | * |
| 2002 | Filhaal… | فی الحال / Momentary | Hindi / English // [Subbed Movie] | 3 | 100% | 3.25/5 | 18 |
| 1996 | Saajan Chale Sasural | साजन चले ससुराल | Hindi // [Subbed Movie] | 3 | 35% | 3/5 | 29 |
| 2002 | Bhaggmati: The Queen of Fortunes | भागमती / Bhagmati | Hindi / Urdu | 3 | 40% | 3/5 | 33 |
| 2014 | Haider | / | Hindi / English | 4 | 80% | 4/5 | 1 |
| 2015 | Drishyam | दृश्यम् / درشيم | Hindi / English | 3 | 50% | 3.25/5 | 22 |
| 2015 | Talvar | Guilty / तलवार | Hindi / English // Cameo | 4 | 1% | 3.5/5 | 32 |
| 2016 | Fitoor | Passion, Obsession / फितूर / فتور | Hindi / Urdu / English | 3.25 | 30% | 3.5/5 | 12 |
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