Tabu: Nobody can replace anybody

Says Tabu when asked about stepping in for Rekha in Fitoor; is happy reuniting with buddy Ajay Devgn in her next which has her playing a cop.
READ: ​Tabu approached to step into Rekha’s role, after the senior actress walked out
Tabu has a day off from shooting and she is looking forward to spending some time with her mother before mom flies off to the US for a month to visit Tabu's aunts and 23 cousins. Her maid of 40 years has come down from Hyderabad to keep her company and she's looking forward to mouth-watering biryani.The actress admits that she'd have liked to be a part of the annual family reunion too but the world of make-believe keeps her rooted in Mumbai.
Tabu has recently replaced Rekha in Abhishek Kapoor's Fitoor as Begum, modelled on Charles Dickens' Miss Havisham. Quiz her on the subject and she retorts, "Nobody can replace anybody. We can just bring what we have to a project. Manish Malhotra and Rekhaji have together designed some exquisite costumes which I will now get to wear." She had just returned from an outdoor of Drishyam and was looking forward to a month long break, when Abhishek, approached her with his desi Great Expectations. Has the character undergone any changes? "We had just a couple of days before I started shooting, there was no time to mess with the script," she laughs."Besides, no matter who plays her, Begum will be eccentric and her relationship with the other characters won't change."
Last year, Tabu enthralled as the desi Gertrude in Haider, Vishal Bhardwaj's adaptation of Hamlet. Her subtly nuanced performance culminating in an explosive climax had many in tears, and brought her idol, Sridevi, to her home. "She was graceful and gracious, telling me how much she'd liked the film and my performance. It's an unforgettable memory I'll always cherish," she says emotionally.
The emotions rise to the surface again when she talks about her next film Drishyam which reunites her with Ajay Devgn with whom she'd given her first hit, Vijaypath. "We grew up together. He was my brother's buddy and every evening he'd drive up in his open jeep while we sat waiting on the bungalow wall," she reminisces. "The camaraderie is the same. He's crazy, fun and all heart. We started in March and the film was over by May. With Ajay around, it was a picnic. Director Nishikant Kamat too won't shoot after 6 pm."
Tabu had seen the Malayalam original a year ago, at a special screening organised by the producers who are her friends. "I watched the film alone and was dazzled by the character of the IG," she says. It was a happy coincidence when Kumar Mangat called to offer her the cop's role in the Hindi remake.
She points out that in Indian cinema, it's not often that you get to see such strong women characters. "She's cold, ruthless but also emotional and you feel for her. It's a tough space to be in," she points out, admitting that she didn't need much prep because the original script is so powerful and they haven't changed much. "She's seen in khaki in only a few scenes and there is no action. Her job is to take charge and give orders which she does really well."
She was also offered a cop's role in the Sonakshi Sinha-starrer Akira but the dates were clashing with Drishyam's."Roles come everyday but there's nothing meaningful. No worries, I'm happy being me," she smiles.
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Tabu to play cop in Nishikant Kamat’s remake of Drishyam - BT