I’ve never cared about being a heroine: Tabu

Her choice of films have almost become the yardstick of good and meaningful cinema, but actor Tabu refuses to succumb to the pressures that come with being a National Award-winning actress, when it comes to choosing her films.

“When I choose a role, I don’t think about it as doing justice to the awards that I’ve won or with an aim to win some more,” says Tabu, adding that her choice only depends on factors like the story and whether it reflects a certain sensibility that I can relate to not just as an actress, but as a cinema-lover as well.

What Tabu does admit, however, is that it narrows down her choice automatically. Does this also explain her hiatus from the big screen for nearly two years now?

“Not really,” says the actress clarifying that she hasn’t turned her back to mainstream Bollywood at all. “Of course, I’m game for a mainstream entertainer, but I’m in no rush to sign every film that comes my way either. I can afford to be choosy — after all and that’s what I’m being,” she laughs.

As for her strong affinity towards women-centric stories, she says, “I’m not on a pro-feminist mission, but my choice of women-centric roles are definitely reflective of my evolution as an actor and as a person, so yes they score higher on my interest rate for sure.”

Tabu also reveals that she’s maha-impressed with the kind of cinema being churned out these days. “Many more film-makers are thinking out-of-the-box now, something that Gulzaarsaab had done years ago. And it’s interesting to see the natural blending of sensible cinema with mainstream entertainers,” she says.

Point out that she had taken a huge risk back then, when she decided to plunge into off-beat cinema and do films like Maachis and Hu Tu Tu Tu long before any of the actresses today and Tabu reveals that risks were something she was never afraid off.

“Once I sorted out my financial status, for me the only draw to act was to do films that interest me. I’ve never cared about being a heroine anyway. Being an actor is my call and I’ll stick to it,” she ends.