Tabu's most unconventional roles in Bollywood; read full list

Bollywood has given us several strong and independent female characters. Though the golden era of Hindi cinema had traditional storylines and conventional roles, several actors refused to fall in line with the same. They carved a niche for themselves and stunned everyone with their incredible performances. 

Tabu is known for her unconventional roles. She kick-started her acting journey with a small appearance in 1980's Bazaar and there was no looking back since then. Here are some of her hard-hitting performances in Bollywood films. 

Here are Tabu's best performances:

1. Maachis

Helmed by Gulzar, this political thriller film sheds light on the rise of the Sikh insurgency. It occurred after the anti-Sikh riots which was followed by the assassination of India's former prime minister Indira Gandhi. Set in the backdrop of the darkest period in 1984, Maachis revolves around Kripal Singh Pali (Chandrachur Singh), whose revengeful desire leads him to join a terror group. Kripal’s lover Veeran (Tabu) follows his footsteps to lend her support. The naive village girl gets blinded by her feelings for him. Tabu’s intense role of Veeran was highly appreciated by the audience. She also won accolades for her performance in Maachis.

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2. Astitva

This Mahesh Manjrekar-directorial portrays the circumstances surrounding a woman accused of adultery. Tabu plays the role of a housewife, Aditi in Astitva. She is dominated by her husband Shrikant Pandit (Sachin Khedekar) who leaves no stone unturned in shattering her confidence. Devastated, she finds solace in her music teacher. Aditi involves physically with Malhar Kamat (Mohnish Bahl). Though she is not emotionally connected to him, Aditi finds much-needed consolation outside of her marriage. However, her husband and son react rather harshly after knowing the details years later. Tabu’s performance was widely praised. 

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3. Chandni Bar

Madhur Bhandarkar's Chandni Bar depicts the story of strugglers in the city of dreams. A young girl Mumtaz goes through emotional turmoil after her family gets killed in communal riots. She stays with her alcoholic uncle who persuades her to work in a bar. However, she meets a gangster Pottiya, gets married and raises children with him. Later on, he gets killed by the police. Chandni Bar proves that life is not a bed of roses. Though she wants to raise her children differently, her son eventually follows the footsteps of his father, while her daughter starts working in a bar for money. This hard-hitting film earned Tabu several national awards. 

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