Tabu Ranked

January 23, 2014 — 1 Comment

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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  1. Tabu~ Outgrowing Indian Cinema | personal.amy-wong.com - A Blog by Amy Wong. - December 30, 2014

    […] where he sings praises left and right of Tabu’s latest performance [which has, in fact, trumped all her performances], and talks about her most (critically and commercially successful) notable […]

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