Tabu Quick Facts
| Full Name | Tabassum Fatima Hashmi |
| Profession | Actress |
| Date of Birth | 4 November 1971 |
| Age | 54 years (as of 2026) |
| Birthplace | Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh (now Telangana), India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Years Active | 1982–present |
| Debut | Hum Naujawan (1985), first credited role |
| Breakthrough | Vijaypath (1994) and Prem (1995); Maachis (1996) |
| Known For | Maachis, Virasat, Chandni Bar, Maqbool, Haider, Andhadhun, Drishyam 2 |
| Family | Sister Farah (actress); aunt Shabana Azmi and uncles Tanvi Azmi and Baba Azmi |
Tabu Career in Numbers
Here is a quick snapshot of Tabu’s career.
| Milestone | Details |
|---|---|
| Films | About 100 film credits listed, including cameos and special appearances |
| Career Span | 1982–present |
| Languages | Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, English, Bengali and Marathi |
| Major Awards | Two National Film Awards for Best Actress; a record five Filmfare Awards for Best Actress (Critics); Padma Shri (2011) |
| Latest Release | Drishyam: The Conclusion (2026) |
Early Life and Family
Tabu was born Tabassum Fatima Hashmi on 4 November 1971 in Hyderabad. Her mother, Rizwana, is a former school teacher. Her father, Jamal Ali Hashmi, reportedly acted in Pakistan in the 1970s and left the family when she was about three.
Her older sister, Farah, is also an actress. Her aunt Shabana Azmi and uncles Tanvi Azmi and Baba Azmi are members of the Akhtar-Azmi family.
Tabu Career Journey
Early Start (1982–1995)
She first appeared as a teenager in Hum Naujawan (1985). Coolie No. 1 (1991) was her first lead role in a Telugu film. She then made her Hindi lead debut in Vijaypath (1994), which earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut.
Critical Recognition (1996–2007)
Maachis (1996) brought her the National Film Award for Best Actress. Virasat (1997), Hu Tu Tu (1999), Astitva (2000) and Chandni Bar (2001) were followed by Maqbool (2003), while Cheeni Kum (2007) added another Filmfare Critics Award.
Hollywood and Commercial Films (2008–2019)
She appeared in the English-language films The Namesake (2006) and Life of Pi (2012). In Hindi cinema she was seen in commercial films such as Golmaal Again (2017) and critically praised films such as Haider (2014), Drishyam (2015) and Andhadhun (2018).
Recent Work (2020–Present)
Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo (2020) earned her a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress (Telugu). Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 (2022), Drishyam 2 (2022) and Crew (2024) followed, and her latest listed releases are Bhooth Bangla and Drishyam: The Conclusion, both in 2026.
Tabu Movies: Complete Filmography
Below is Tabu’s filmography. Films are in Hindi unless noted. Roles that sources do not state are marked Undisclosed, and unreleased titles are marked Upcoming.
| Year | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Bazaar (Uncredited appearance in a song) | Unnamed |
| 1985 | Hum Naujawan (First credited role) | Priya |
| 1991 | Coolie No. 1 (Telugu) | Ranjani |
| 1994 | Pehla Pehla Pyar | Sapna |
| 1994 | Vijaypath | Mohini / Vrushali |
| 1995 | Prem | Laachi / Sonia |
| 1995 | Saajan Ki Baahon Mein | Kavita Verma |
| 1995 | Sisindri (Cameo) | Herself |
| 1995 | Haqeeqat | Sudha Singh |
| 1996 | Himmat | Anjali Pathak |
| 1996 | Kadhal Desam (Tamil) | Divya |
| 1996 | Tu Chor Main Sipahi | Kajal |
| 1996 | Jeet | Tulsibai |
| 1996 | Kaalapani (Malayalam) | Parvathi |
| 1996 | Maachis | Veerandar |
| 1996 | Saajan Chale Sasural | Divya Khurana |
| 1996 | Ninne Pelladata (Telugu) | Mahalakshmi |
| 1997 | Darmiyaan In Between | Chitra |
| 1997 | Virasat | Gehna Rane |
| 1997 | Border | Yamora Kaur |
| 1997 | Iruvar (Tamil) | Senthamarai |
| 1997 | Chachi 420 | Janki Paswan |
| 1998 | Aavida Maa Aavide (Telugu) | Archana |
| 1999 | Hu Tu Tu | Parveen Panna |
| 1999 | Biwi No.1 | Lovely Khurana |
| 1999 | Kohram | ACP Kiran Patkar |
| 1999 | Hum Saath-Saath Hain | Sadhna Sharma Chaturvedi |
| 1999 | Thakshak | Suman Dev |
| 2000 | Hera Pheri | Anuradha Panikar |
| 2000 | Kandukondain Kandukondain (Tamil) | Sowmya |
| 2000 | Tarkieb | Roshni Choubey |
| 2000 | Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar | Kamya Lal |
| 2000 | Shikari | Suman |
| 2000 | Astitva (Bilingual) | Aditi Pandit |
| 2000 | Ghaath | Kavita Choudhary |
| 2000 | Snegithiye (Tamil) | ACP Gayatri Varma |
| 2000 | Cover Story (Malayalam) | Jasmine Khan |
| 2001 | Do Hazaar Ek | Billu |
| 2001 | Thayin Manikodi | Anjali |
| 2001 | Hanuman (French-Indian film) | Anja |
| 2001 | Dil Ne Phir Yaad Kiya | Roshni Batra |
| 2001 | Chandni Bar | Mumtaz |
| 2001 | Aamdani Atthani Kharcha Rupaiyaa | Meena |
| 2002 | Maa Tujhhe Salaam | Captain Sonia Khanna |
| 2002 | Filhaal | Rewa Singh |
| 2002 | Chennakesava Reddy (Telugu) | Devi |
| 2002 | Zindagi Khoobsoorat Hai | Shalu |
| 2002 | Saathiya (Cameo) | Savitri Rao |
| 2003 | Abar Aranye (Bengali) | Amrita |
| 2003 | Khanjar | Shilpa |
| 2003 | Hawa | Sanjana |
| 2003 | Jaal | Neha Pandit |
| 2003 | Maqbool | Nimmi |
| 2004 | Main Hoon Na (Cameo) | Aparna |
| 2004 | Meenaxi Tale of Three Cities (Multiple roles) | Meenaxi / Maria Zarkova / Tanu |
| 2005 | Bhagmati The Queen of Fortunes | Shivranjani / Bhagmati |
| 2005 | Andarivaadu (Telugu) | Shanthi |
| 2005 | Silsiilay | Rehana |
| 2006 | Shock (Telugu) | Gita |
| 2006 | Fanaa | Malini Tyagi |
| 2006 | The Namesake (English) | Ashima |
| 2007 | Sarhad Paar | Pammi |
| 2007 | Rakkilippattu (Malayalam) | ACP Gayatri Varma |
| 2007 | Cheeni Kum | Nina Verma |
| 2007 | Om Shanti Om (Special appearance) | Herself |
| 2008 | Idi Sangathi (Telugu) | Swarajyalakshmi |
| 2008 | Pandurangadu (Telugu) | Amrutha |
| 2010 | Toh Baat Pakki | Rajeshwari Saxena |
| 2010 | Khuda Kasam | Neetu Singh |
| 2011 | Urumi (Special appearance) | Herself |
| 2012 | Life of Pi (English) | Gita Patel |
| 2013 | David (Also shot in Tamil under the same title) | Frenny |
| 2014 | Jai Ho | Geeta Agnihotri Khanna |
| 2014 | Haider (Also playback singer for one song) | Ghazala Meer |
| 2015 | Drishyam | IG Meera Deshmukh |
| 2015 | Talvar (Cameo) | Reema Kumar |
| 2016 | Fitoor | Begum Hazrat Jaan |
| 2017 | Golmaal Again | Anna Matthew |
| 2018 | Missing (Also playback singer for one song) | Aparna Dubey |
| 2018 | Sanju (Cameo) | Herself |
| 2018 | Andhadhun | Simi Sinha |
| 2019 | De De Pyaar De | Manjana Manju Rao Mehra |
| 2019 | Bharat | Meher / Gudiya Kumar |
| 2020 | Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo (Telugu) | Yasoda Yasu |
| 2020 | Jawaani Jaaneman | Ananya |
| 2022 | Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 | Manjulika / Anjulika |
| 2022 | Drishyam 2 | Meera Deshmukh |
| 2023 | Kuttey | Poonam Pammi Sandhu |
| 2023 | Bholaa | Diana Joseph |
| 2023 | Khufiya | Krishna Mehra |
| 2024 | Crew | Geeta Sethi |
| 2024 | Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha | Vasudha Chaudhary |
| 2026 | Bhooth Bangla | Yashoda |
| 2026 | Drishyam The Conclusion | Meera Deshmukh |
| Upcoming | Slumdog 33 Temple Road (Filming) | Undisclosed |
Tabu Awards and Achievements
| Year | Award | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Filmfare Award – Best Female Debut | Vijaypath |
| 1996 | National Film Award – Best Actress | Maachis |
| 1996 | Filmfare Award – Best Actress (Telugu) | Ninne Pelladata |
| 1997 | Filmfare Award – Best Actress (Critics) | Virasat |
| 1998 | Smita Patil Memorial Award – Best Actress | Recognition for 1998 |
| 1999 | Filmfare Award – Best Actress (Critics) | Hu Tu Tu |
| 2000 | Filmfare Award – Best Actress (Critics) | Astitva |
| 2001 | National Film Award – Best Actress | Chandni Bar |
| 2007 | Filmfare Award – Best Actress (Critics) | Cheeni Kum |
| 2011 | Padma Shri | Civilian award |
| 2014 | Filmfare Award – Best Supporting Actress | Haider |
| 2020 | Filmfare Award – Best Supporting Actress (Telugu) | Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo |
| 2022 | Filmfare Award – Best Actress (Critics) | Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 |
Tabu Personal Life
Tabu has kept most of her personal life private, and the sources reviewed for this profile do not report a marriage or children. Her family ties with the Akhtar-Azmi family are well documented.
Tabu Net Worth
Tabu’s net worth is estimated at approximately Rs 22 crore (about USD 2.6 million), according to an Asianet Newsable article published on 3 November 2025. The article does not name a source for the figure, so this estimate is unconfirmed.
Net worth figures are estimates based on publicly reported information, including entertainment industry reports and media estimates. These are not audited financial statements and may not account for liabilities, family holdings or changes in asset values.
Lesser-Known Facts About Tabu
- She was born Tabassum Fatima Hashmi.
- She made her first credited appearance in Hum Naujawan (1985) as a teenager.
- She appeared in two English-language films, The Namesake (2006) and Life of Pi (2012).
- She has won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Critics) a record five times.
- Drishyam: The Conclusion (2026) is listed as the highest-earning film of her career in one source.
Legacy and Impact
Tabu is widely regarded as one of Hindi cinema’s most accomplished actresses, known for complex and often troubled characters. Her work across languages and genres has earned her a Padma Shri and several national and Filmfare honours.
Frequently Asked Questions About Tabu
How old is Tabu?
Tabu was born on 4 November 1971, so she is 54 years old as of 2026.
What was Tabu’s debut film?
Her first credited film was Hum Naujawan (1985). Her first lead role was in the Telugu film Coolie No. 1 (1991), and her Hindi lead debut was Vijaypath (1994).
What is Tabu’s biggest hit?
Drishyam: The Conclusion (2026) is described as the highest-earning film of her career in one source. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 (2022) and Golmaal Again (2017) are among her commercially successful releases.
What is Tabu’s latest and upcoming movie?
Her latest listed releases are Bhooth Bangla (2026) and Drishyam: The Conclusion (2026). Slumdog: 33 Temple Road, a Telugu film, is listed as upcoming with no confirmed release date.
What is Tabu’s net worth?
Her net worth is estimated at approximately Rs 22 crore, according to an Asianet Newsable report from 3 November 2025. The source does not name its basis, so the figure is unconfirmed.
Final Summary
From a teenage debut in 1985 to a career built on acclaimed Hindi films and a record run of critics’ awards, Tabu remains one of Indian cinema’s most respected actresses.
