‘Maybe it’s just good make-up’

I’ve never prepared for any film. I don’t believe in this question. No, make that, I don’t understand the question. I don’t remember the process. Nothing can prepare me for acting. What do I train for? If I’m required to perform roller-skating or martial arts in a film, then I will prepare for it. But how do you prepare to enact the role of a mother in a film like The Namesake? Come on, give me some credit. I’m used to doing this, damn it.

In films like Chandni Bar, Maqbool, Astitva and now The Namesake, whenever your character ages, you, as in Tabu, age physically in front of us. It is quite magical for the viewer. Isn’t that method acting or great preparation on display?

It’s difficult for me to see what you are seeing. Maybe you are so involved in the character that you feel her journey or maybe that’s just good make-up.

You mean to say you are totally disconnected with what you are doing.

No, what I am trying to say is that I try and be real to the setting of the film. I try and catch the sur of the character. In The Namesake, for instance, I needed to be real and simple. Ashima could not be larger than life because there is no melodrama in her character. She’s not like Nimmi in Maqbool who had so much drama happening within her.

So what is more difficult — playing simple characters or larger-than-life roles?

It is easier to play larger-than-life roles. I would love to do films like Maqbool. I felt that even in Chandni Bar, my character Mumtaz is stable, uske aas paas sab ho raha hai. Mumtaz was just reacting, she just supported other people’s performances. Astitva had some more shades; at least it had certain upheavals.

Which role had really satisfied you?

If you mean a character, then it will be Panna in Hu Tu Tu. I believe it is one of my better pieces of work. It was an unusual character. She gave me a lot of tension.

And which role stumped you, as in maybe made you think and prepare?

That would have to be Nimmi in Maqbool. Let me be honest with you — I didn’t quite understand her. And since Vishal (Bharadwaj) left everything to the actors, I was really anxious. Even now, I don’t know whether she is good, bad or pathetic. She could’ve easily become a vamp or, if she wanted sympathy, become melodramatic. I would like to believe she was neither and that she was just the character.

Mira Nair has said that you are a young Meryl Streep and even you have to agree that like Streep, you have the ability to pick up accents, the Bengali twang in The Namesake being a recent example.

Yeah, well, I think I’ve a flair for languages. When I was a child, I spoke two languages: Telugu in school and Urdu at home. And since I started my career in Telugu films when I was 18, I put a lot of emphasis on getting the language right. Then I did the Malayalam film Kaalapaani and since most of my films were doing badly at that time, I had no option but to give my best to that film. So I learnt Malayalam. I think it is the most difficult language in India. But I think the biggest linguistic achievement for me was dubbing for the Bengali film Abar Aranye. That was quite a milestone.

When critics and directors describe a female actor’s performance as ‘a very Tabu performance’, what do you feel?

It feels great.

Which actress comes close to you as a performer?

I can’t look at myself objectively. Nobody can be anybody else. They can be better or worse but not me. My way is known as Tabu’s way of acting. We take good points from someone and do our own thing, that’s how art sustains. Someone can inspire you or become your reference point but you can’t become that person.

Who all have been your reference points?

I grew up on the films of 1970-90. I grew up on Laawaris, Sholay and Golmaal.

Looking at your body of work, do you feel you’ve been bang on about your choices?

Arre, I can’t plan my life. I have no clue what I’ll have for dinner so how can I ever plan my career? I’ve never planned anything in my life. People offered me roles. The ones I liked I did, and the ones I didn’t I declined. I didn’t discriminate between big and small films, big and small roles. I did everything and anything that I liked. And that became my foundation.

There was a lull in your career recently.

The roles that come to me are always great. I think I’ve earned the reputation that directors come to me only if it is a great role. But just a great role doesn’t excite me anymore. That need is over. Now I want a great role to be supported by a good project, director, money, producer and other performers. I want to be a part of a good film in totality. I don’t want the balance to be tilted on my side. We have to realise that a film cannot be just about one actor’s performance. I also want to derive some joy out of a film.

People who know you claim that you are not very confident and that you can’t take a compliment. Comment.

I no longer get perturbed when people tell me I’m different or phenomenal. I don’t know what they mean. This is what I am and it’s too late to change. Whether I’m different or out of the rat race, I don’t know and I don’t wish to know. All I know is that I don’t want to change for anything.

Let me rephrase it. Are you extremely critical of your work?

I know my limitations and my abilities. My work is on public display but what I think about it is not. That’s just my opinion.

What’s the best thing about The Namesake?

That I’m so detached from it. The physical world where the film is based is New York and that’s far away from me. I never had any expectations from the film as far as my career is concerned. I was doing the film for a personal experience. Since this is perhaps the only act in my life that I performed without any expectation, I will always cherish it. I gave it all.

You are not looking for an international career.

I’m looking for nothing. I take every film as just a film. I live the moment and then come out of it.

What do you want to do next?

I want to do a comedy next. I want to laugh and make people laugh.

Is there a recent film that you wish you had acted in?

Vivaah and Frida.

How do you react to the international press calling you the new Julia Roberts?

I just laugh. (Laughs)