The magic of the 90s era in Bollywood somehow still manages to draw us. The films, songs, and the actors have a part of us that we don’t want back. What we crave to have back are the films that evoke the same feelings in us. That is precisely why we root for the actors from the 90s and don’t easily replace them with emerging stars.
This would immediately teleport you to the timeless SRK, Salman, and others in the league. Sure, their fandom is enormous but then there is Tabu Hashmi reigning supreme with her back-to-back blockbusters.
This Twitter thread by Aniruddha Guha, the screenwriter of Rashmi Rocket (2021) and Malang (2020) has precisely deciphered Tabu’s magnitude in Bollywood.
When we talk of ’90s stars still ruling the roost, we only ever mention the male actors. Most of Tabu’s last few films – #BhoolBhulaiyaa2, De De Pyaar De, Andhadhun, Golmaal Again, Drishyam – have been box office hits. Meaty parts in all. Faultless performances. True GOAT. pic.twitter.com/rYF2L29BIg
— Aniruddha Guha (@AniGuha) June 20, 2022
What sets Tabu apart from the rest is that she isn’t thriving in Bollywood due to her pre-existing stardom, rather, she is enchanting even the younger audience by taking on parts that leave a mark.
She does not imitate the role but inhabits them. This is why, be it Andhadhun, Drishyam, or Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, imagining someone else playing her characters gives a sense of discomfort.
What also sets Tabu apart is that she takes on parts you can’t imagine another actor in. Or may be she makes them her own to a point that no one else can cross your mind. She can be stoically poignant in a Haider, and then go full camp in #BhoolBhulaiyaa2. And nail both. KWEEN! pic.twitter.com/JGyt3WkBpl
— Aniruddha Guha (@AniGuha) June 20, 2022
Her presence has not only enhanced spectacular scripts like Drishyam and Haidar, but it has also made a meal out of a mediocre script in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2. In the midst of male actors delivering average films, Tabu is becoming a part of the cultural fabric of even the newest generation by offering films that never fail to impress.
Her characters aren’t meek, her charisma isn’t overhauled by the male actors in the films, and she knows how to mark her territory with every role she plays. This is Tabu’s world and we’re simply living in it.
