Tabu on working with Vishal Bhardwaj: ‘Whatever scripts he writes, he thinks of me only’

At Netflix’s Films Day event, Tabu and Vishal Bhardwaj unveiled the first look of their film Khufiya. The actor-director duo, who is working together after Maqbool and Haider, also spoke about their fondness for each other.
As host Maniesh Paul and Mallika Dua quizzed Tabu about Khufiya, the actor said that when she picked Khufiya, she felt the filmmaker had written the role for her. “When I read a script of Vishal ji, I feel it is written for me. I think it will always happen this way only. Whatever script he writes, he thinks of me only,” she said.
Even as Vishal Bhardwaj agreed with her statement, he also shared that there is a lot of love between them that helps them create magic on screen. “I have been in love with Tabu since many lives,” the filmmaker quipped.
Sharing his prerequisites for picking a film, Bhardwaj said that the process of filmmaking is very difficult and a long commitment. He also remarked that one should be mentally ready to take on that challenge. “You get scared to get into this commitment. I personally wait and think whether I should get into this arduous journey, which is so painful. But then there are stories which pulls you instantly. Like it happened with Maqbool or Haider. You have sleepless nights, and feel restless until you do it.”

As for Tabu, she shared the characters have to be interesting and she should understand the character. She added, “With every film, the factors change. Sometimes you want to work with a director or co-actor or the role is so different and something that you have never done before. I feel like you must do it as it will help you grow in my craft.”
Talking about working with Vishal Bhardwaj, Tabu said that he is very particular about language and pronunciation. She even shared that actors who want to work with the filmmaker should brush up their Urdu.
(Photo: Varinder Chawla)
(Photo: Varinder Chawla)
Towards the end, Maniesh Paul left Bhardwaj stumped when he asked why the filmmaker is yet to make his acting debut given he is well versed with other departments of filmmaking. With a shy smile, the director said, “I am a very bad actor. I just freeze as soon as the camera is switched on. I am otherwise very edgy, witty behind the camera. I have never seen myself as an actor, and I think I know my reality well.”
Khufiya is set to stream soon on Netflix.