When Tabu opened up about not using her father’s surname, never meeting him: ‘I am not curious about him, not felt like meeting him’

Actor Tabu, who made her debut in the movies in 1982’s Bazaar in an uncredited appearance, and later was seen in a credited role in 1985 release Hum Naujawan, has come a long since then. Tabu has dabbled in various film industries and across genres to establish herself as one of the most respected female actors of the present generation.
From acclaimed hits, box office successes to National Awards, Tabu has done it all. On screen, her cinematic voice as an arte is dinct. But you would be surprised to know that she was an introvert as a child, and self-admittedly, even after she became a bonafide actress!

Speaking to Simi Garewal on Rendezvous with Simi Garewal, Tabu opened up about her childhood, stating that she had a happy time growing up with her mother’s grandparents in Hyderabad: “I had a great childhood, we lived in Hyderabad all our lives, I lived with my grandparents (mother’s parents), after my parents divorced. My mum was a teacher and so I ended up spending more time with her mother, and my grandmother would pray and read books, and I grew up with that. I was very timid, I did not have a voice, in fact even after becoming a heroine, an actor, I did not have a voice,” the versatile actor said with a laugh.
In the same interview, Tabu spoke about not being connected with her father. Her parents had divorced when she was only three, and the father had gone on to marry someone, and has two daughters from his second wife. Speaking about her surname and why she never used it (Hashmi), the actor said, “I never really used it, I never thought it was important for me to use my father’s surname, it was always Tabassum Fatima, which was my middle name. In school, Fatima was my surname. I have no memories of him. My ser has met him on occasion, but I have never really felt like meeting him. I am not curious about him, I am happy the way I am, the way I have grown up. I am very settled in my own life.”

Tabu also got candid about growing up in a household full of women who were used to handling their own matters. “We have always had very strong women in our family, and that has made me extremely independent. I think it is intimidating for men to deal with women who have grown up in women-led households and have strong female influence on them, because it is very unconventional (for them) that there are these females who don’t really need men to support them. That kind of shatters their image of themselves as men, and as providers, and that is what most of them cannot come to terms with. Of course there are some men who are very evolved and understanding too,” Tabu signed off with a smile.
Tabu has never been married, however, there have been many reports over the years about her relationship with actor Nagarjuna Akkineni. The two have maintained they are very close friends till date, and have a special place in their hearts for each other.