Tabu has been around for decades in the film industry, establishing herself as an artist who could comfortably tread the path from entertainment movies to critically acclaimed films. Whether it is Maachis, Chandni Bar, Maqbool, Haider, and Andhadhun, the actor has always opted for characters that help her experiment with her art.
As Tabu celebrates her 55th birthday on November 4, 2026, there are some interesting stories about the actress that reveal more about the person who plays the characters so brilliantly. Some of these include her early association with the director Dev Anand, her views about marriage, and her unique way of refusing movies.
Tabu Was Just 14 When She Worked With Dev Anand: How She Got Her Screen Name
Tabu’s involvement with films started when she was still young. While she is mostly known for starring in the 1985 film Hum Naujawan directed by Dev Anand as a young girl, her career in the film industry started much earlier, in fact, with an anonymous performance in Bazaar (1982). Tabu featured in the film Hum Naujawan as Dev Anand’s daughter. During an interview with The Indian Express in 2019, Tabu shared how she got this role.
She was only 11 years old when she first appeared in front of the camera for Hum Naujawan? No. As Tabu told in the interview, she was 11 years old when she was first spotted? Her recollection was that she was 11 during the film’s making, while the film was released in 1985.
The nickname of Tabu also bears relevance to Dev Anand. Known to the world as Tabu, she was originally named Tabassum Fatima Hashmi. She adopted the name Tabu because her veteran director abbreviated her name. At first, the name was written as ‘Tabbu’ in the film Hum Naujawan. It is notable that acting was not something Tabu had planned as a career from childhood. In an interview with The Indian Express, she said she never initially wanted to become an actress and was drawn into the profession before gradually developing an interest in it.
Why Tabu Never Got Married: What The Actress Once Said
Tabu’s personal life has often attracted public curiosity, particularly because she has never married. However, the actress has spoken about singlehood in several interviews and has made it clear that she does not consider marital status a measure of happiness or a person’s worth. In an interview with Hindustan Times in 2017, she said that she had never been particularly troubled by being single. She also questioned why people assess others based on whether they are married or have children.
In another conversation with Filmfare, when asked why she was still single, Tabu explained that there were several factors involved, including the other person and timing.
She said, “I was not told to be single… it just didn’t happen for me. If I’m still single that means I definitely want to be so.”
The actress also spoke about the advantages of being single, while acknowledging that marriage and family bring their own experiences. She said she did not feel that her life was incomplete because she was unmarried.
Tabu once even joked about Ajay Devgn being responsible for her single status. In a 2017 interview with Mumbai Mirror, she recalled how Devgn and her cousin Sameer Arya would keep an eye on boys who tried to talk to her when she was younger. She jokingly said that if she was single, it was because of Ajay and added that she hoped he regretted his actions. The remark was made in a humorous context, reflecting the long-standing friendship between the two actors.
Tabu Once Revealed Why She Doesn’t Make Excuses While Rejecting Films
Tabu’s straightforward approach to choosing films is another interesting aspect of her career. The actress has often spoken about prioritising the script and her own conviction rather than accepting projects simply to remain busy. In a conversation with Harper’s Bazaar India in May 2026, she recalled the advice she received early in her career about rejecting film offers. Instead of openly saying that she did not like a script, actors were often advised to cite scheduling conflicts or date issues.
Tabu, however, said she never understood the need to make such excuses.
“You should not give a real reason for not doing a film. Give the excuse of dates and walk away. I didn’t understand that. If I don’t like the script, I don’t like it. And I said so,” she said.
The actress also explained that she has never felt compelled to accept films out of fear that work might not come her way. She has previously spoken about being clear about what she wants from her career and not measuring her choices against other people’s expectations.
That approach has allowed her to move between different genres and characters without following a conventional career path. At 55, Tabu’s journey remains an unusual one in Hindi cinema: a child performer who gradually found her way into acting, an actress who has never treated marriage as a necessary milestone, and a performer who continues to be selective about the work she takes on.