We havenât seen Tabu around for years. Piali Banerjee drops by to find out what he's been up to As always, a gathering with Tabu begins with a cat-andmouse game, with Tabu enacting the more diffident creature. (Letâs meet next week, next Saturday, next Monday,
What have you been doing for years?
I â ve done Telugu films.
Poor Tabu. âPoor me, and they dont even have a reason to sit down and talk,â he says, when you finally pin her down. Itâs true. They havenâ seen Tabu around since Cheeni Kum, and that was over years ago.
Do you earn as much there as in Bollywood?
I earn more there!
You âre the largest star of the Telugu film industry?
(Laughs, till he drops) Are you crazy? I donât do films to be a regular star there.
You donât do films there, you donât do films in Bollywood. What do you do?
All right, from now on Iâll act in every film (mimics a robot). As I grow elderly I become more finicky. Sometimes I read scripts, and dont know what to make of them. If the script is nice, Iâm not definite I need to work with those people. a nice role isnât for me to say âyesâ to a film any more.
No. But Iâm not a filmmaker.
Youâre worse. Youâre from the press. (Laughs at her own wisecrack, then realises it wasnât polite). Hey, you know what I mean. If anyone wishes to contact me, they can.
Possibly some filmmakers donât approach you because they feel youâre inaccessible, and youâll say ânoâ.
