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Tabu Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 16, 2026 • 4 min read

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Quick Info

Date of birth4 November 1971

Age47 (as of 2022)

BirthplaceHyderabad, Telangana, India

ProfessionActress

NationalityIndian

Marital statusUnmarried

FamilyFather - Jamal Hashmi; Mother - Rizwana; Sister - Farah Naaz

Tabu Biography

Tabu (born Tabassum Fatima Hashmi) is an Indian actress known for a long and acclaimed career across Hindi and South Indian cinema and occasional English‑l

Early life and background

Tabassum Fatima Hashmi, known professionally as Tabu, was born on 4 November 1971 in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. She grew up in Hyderabad after her parents separated when she was very young and was largely raised by her maternal grandparents. Her mother worked as a school teacher and her maternal grandparents were retired professors who ran a school. Tabu attended St. Ann’s High School in Hyderabad and later studied at St. Xavier’s College for two years. She belongs to a Hyderabadi Muslim family and is an Indian national.

Tabu has said she had a happy childhood in Hyderabad. She developed an early interest in radio programs and reading, and has described enjoying simple pastimes such as playing with dolls. She began appearing in films as a child: her earliest on‑screen work includes an uncredited appearance in the 1982 film Bazaar and a credited role in Hum Naujawan (1985).

Career

Tabu built a diverse filmography spanning multiple languages. Her career includes work in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Marathi, Bengali and English films, and she has appeared on streaming television. Her formal industry debut as a leading actress is dated to the early 1990s, and she won recognition early on for Vijaypath (1994), which earned her a Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut.

Throughout the 1990s and 2000s Tabu took on a mix of mainstream and critically driven roles. She received the National Film Award for Best Actress for Maachis (1996) and later for Chandni Bar (2001). Other notable Hindi films during this period include Virasat, Hu Tu Tu, Astitva, and Chachi 420. She worked in prominent ensemble and commercial projects as well, appearing in hits such as Hum Saath‑Saath Hain and Biwi No.1.

Her South Indian credits brought her popularity across the region. Tabu played significant roles in Telugu cinema, including Ninne Pelladata (1996), and in Malayalam cinema she appeared in the historical Kaalapani (1996). She has worked with well‑known actors across industries and has demonstrated facility with multiple languages, reportedly fluent in Telugu, Urdu, Hindi and English.

Tabu’s international and bilingual projects include roles in Astitva (a Marathi‑Hindi bilingual), the French‑Indian film Hanuman (1998), Mira Nair’s The Namesake (2006), and a part in Life of Pi (2012). In 2018 she drew wide praise for her portrayal of Simi Sinha in Andhadhun, and in 2014 she received strong critical notice for her role in Vishal Bhardwaj’s Haider.

Awards and honours

Over her career Tabu has collected multiple industry awards. She has won several Filmfare Awards, including multiple Critics awards, Filmfare Awards South, and two National Film Awards for Best Actress. In 2011 she was honoured with the Padma Shri by the Government of India, recognizing her contribution to cinema. Her awards list also includes the Smita Patil Memorial Award and various supporting actress and critics awards spanning regional and national ceremonies.

Public profile

Tabu has kept much of her personal life private while maintaining a long public career. She is unmarried. Her immediate family includes her father Jamal Hashmi, her mother Rizwana, and her elder sister Farah Naaz, who is also an actress. Her extended maternal family includes relatives who have worked in academia and the film industry, among them Shabana Azmi and cinematographer Baba Azmi.

Over the years Tabu’s personal relationships have been covered by the media; she has also been named in legal matters that received public attention. Beyond acting, she lists hobbies such as collecting perfumes, writing poetry and reading.

Latest updates

Tabu’s recent screen work includes a role in the 2020 web series A Suitable Boy, in which she played Saeeda Bai. Her later film roles include the 2020 Telugu film Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo (for which she received supporting actress recognition) and the 2022 Hindi film Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, for which she received critical acting honours. She continues to be cited for both commercial successes and acclaimed, character‑driven performances.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Tabu, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded

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Recent Work

A Suitable Boy

Web series in which Tabu appeared as Saeeda Bai (2020)

2020
Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo

Telugu film; Tabu received supporting actress recognition for her role (2020)

2020
Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2

Hindi film for which Tabu received a critics' Best Actress award (2022)

2022
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Career Highlights

  1. Two National Film Awards for Best Actress (Maachis, Chandni Bar)
  2. Multiple Filmfare Awards including Best Female Debut and several Critics awards
  3. Padma Shri recipient (2011)
  4. Versatile career across Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Marathi, Bengali and English cinema
  5. Noted performances in Haider and Andhadhun
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Tabu born?

Tabu was born on 4 November 1971.

What is Tabu known for?

Tabu is known for actress.

What is Tabu’s marital status?

Tabu's marital status is listed as Unmarried.