Harshada Rege (DNA; January 25, 2019)

A lot has changed in Bollywood in recent times. The star system has taken a beating and social media has become a force to reckon with. Tabu, who has been a part of the industry for more than three decades, has adapted to the changing tide, which has helped her stay relevant. We spoke to the actress about how she deals with the beast that these social-networking sites have become and how today’s films are more about the characters than the stars. Over to her...

Do you consider social media to be a distraction?
That depends on how much time and mind space you want to give these things. If your priorities are very clear, which I think is the case with me, then it’s not a distraction. I am not 16 where I am still learning or discovering my priorities. You know you have a certain space for everything in your life and when something new comes, it depends on how much time you want to give it. I am not on many social media platforms.

Go on...
But I am on Instagram because I like pictures. I love to post snapshots with people as they are happy memories. Also, neither does it take my time nor do I have to get into in-depth discussions with anyone. So, it’s nice to connect with the world and express yourself. You should use social media as per your comfort.

Do you think today, films are more about the characters rather than the actors?
We have always had films with great characters, but for a while, it had become only about the lead actors. Despite that, there have been actors, who have played strong characters. There’s no doubt that without interesting characters, which, of course, fit in the film’s premise, no story is complete. Now, the change is on a bigger scale. In the recent past, characters have become so interesting and important, irrespective of the fact whether the films are mainstream or not. Of course, there are movies that have a main lead, but there are also films where everyone’s a protagonist. In AndhaDhun (2018), for example, you can’t call any one person the protagonist. Everybody drives the plot ahead. There’s also been a change in the writing, understanding of cinema and society at large, which has led to this transformation.

Do you think actors today are open to playing characters that are out-of-the-box?
Actually, in the past five years, interesting stories have started coming up. Actors are getting exciting parts to play, which are not uni-dimensional. They are not being offered what a typical hero or heroine would get to do. I’m sure they are enjoying all that’s been offered to them. They’re a confident lot and are open to expressing and experimenting. It isn’t really experimenting because everything is much more acceptable now than it was 20 years back. At that time, you would feel that certain roles are risky, but now it’s become the norm.

An often-asked question is, will we get to see more of you on the big screen?
(Laughs) Yes, I’ve been asked that for 20 years now. But it’s good that people are asking me that because it means they want to see me. It gives me more motivation to select work and do more. A lot depends on what comes my way. And this seems to be a good time, interesting offers are coming my way. Sab achha hi ho raha hai. If I get 10 good films in one day, I do them all. If I don’t get them and I don’t do anything for the next six months or a year, that’s also okay.

Have you ever thought of directing or producing?
Nahin yaar... There might have been a stray thought, but I’ve never worked on it actively. Acting has taken a lot of time, energy and mind space. But never say never. However, I don’t know if I’m suited for producing or directing a full-length feature film. Maybe writing or directing a short is more my zone. If you decide to act in a movie, then you have to go on the sets and do your job. But if you are directing or producing a project, then you have a huge task on hand. I would ideally be interested in collaborating with a writer for a film.