Awards, accolades and the trappings of fame aside, Tabu leads her life — both on and off the screen — on no one’s terms but her own. The critically-acclaimed actor and lone ranger continues to tread a unique path that leads the way for other independent women. Shraddha Jahagirdar-Saxena meets the insightful star on the eve of her latest cinematic offering, Andhadhun.
If her fans had to encapsulate their admiration for her in one sentence, they would probably be quoting Shakespeare’s, ‘age cannot wither her nor custom stale her infinite variety’. This is because she tends to step into the shoes of strong characters whose psyches reflect complexities that I too find fascinating. Consummate artiste that she is, Tabu has consistently held my interest, even though her silver screen outings — especially in recent years — have been few and far between. my respect for the 46-year-old actor, who has tried her hand at masala and offbeat indie films, has sustained over every revisit to her work, each movie reinforcing how well she brings her diverse avatars to life. Some of her most memorable roles include the strong yet vulnerable software professional Neena Verma (Cheeni Kum, 2007), the resilient immigrant housewife Ashima Ganguly (The Namesake, 2006), the tragic nautch girl Mumtaz Ali Ansari (Chandni Bar, 2001), the passionate mother Ghazala meer (Haider, 2014) and the tough cop with a soft heart Meera Deshmukh (Drishyam, 2015).
Tabu is content in her own space — one that lets her speak in her own voice, do the work she wants to and live life on her own terms. She seems to have, through her hits and misses, created her personal ecosystem, one that does not try to change the essence of the woman she is. and though I myself, as a writer and editor, have largely found my so-called comfort zone and am often willing to step out of it for risks I want to take, I envy her ability to walk her talk and be completely free.
Denne historien er fra September 2018-utgaven av Verve.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra September 2018-utgaven av Verve.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Making Amends
This generation’s penchant for thoughtless consumption gets Madhu Jain roiled up, and she wonders if nature is getting its own back for our missteps…
Diamonds With Provenance
In keeping with the company’s commitment to environmental and social responsibility, Anisa Kamadoli Costa, chief sustainability officer at Tiffany & Co. and chairman and president at The Tiffany & Co. Foundation, enlightens Shirin Mehta on the efforts that make the jewellery giant an industry leader in transparency
SARTORIAL ECONOMICS
Sisters Tashi and Tara Mitra demonstrate to Akanksha Pandey how deviating from the mainstream can bend the way we think, live and dress
NOTES TO SELF
An anthropomorphized tiger’s perspective, a viscerally worded futuristic interpretation of loss, a critique of performative activism, a meta reflection on the earth’s crises. Told through different lenses, Janaki Lenin, Indrapramit Das, Keshava Guha and Roshan Ali’s stories — written exclusively for Verve — attempt to make sense of the fraught reality that we exist in today
The Eternal Optimist
As Generation X and xennials grapple with fully transitioning to conscious living, young millennials and Generation Z are leading the charge to reverse human-caused environmental damage. Sahar Mansoor, founder and CEO of the Bengaluru-based zero-waste social enterprise Bare Necessities, has a simple overarching philosophy: consume less and stay positive. Verve gets deeper into the mindset of the action-oriented earth advocate
Redemption SONGS
Indian music festivals have been demonstrating a refreshing sense of responsibility in terms of their ecological impact. Interacting with stakeholders who strive to make these large-scale events greener, Akhil Sood investigates the reasons behind the improved attitudes of audiences and the increase in corporate support.
earth hour
Crafted using nature’s elements, these dials draw inspiration from the many heterogeneous materials and hues around us.Verve turns its lens onto a mesmerising few
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
Children are holding adults accountable for both the grim future they are facing and the toll this is taking on their mental health. Madhumita Bhattacharyya initiates conversations with families of young climate activists and observes the extent to which parenting has changed in the face of catastrophe
NATURAL JUSTICE
Most of us are only just waking up to the urgency of climatic action. When the stakes are so high, what can individual action solve? Mridula Mary Paul, an environmental policy expert, is proof of the tenacity needed to effect systemic change. It’s not glamorous, and the rewards are few and far between, but that doesn’t stop her from aiming big, finds Anandita Bhalerao
Along For The Ride
Navigating Indian streets as a woman is hard enough. But what is it like while riding a bicycle? Bengaluru-based Shreya Dasgupta, a regular cyclist, speaks to five urban women about the pros and cons of this increasingly popular means of transport.
