Throwback To When Tabu Spoke About Growing Up In An All-Women Household & Not Using Her Father's Surname

Tabassum Fatima Hashmi, who goes by the stage name Tabu, turned 52 years old today. Counted among the most talented actors in the Indian film industry, Tabu has completed 37 years in the industry. She was born in Telangana, and her journey has been an impressive one. Many people don't know that Tabu made her debut as a child actor in 1982's Bazaar and Dev Anand's Hum Naujawan in 1985.

Tabu has portrayed several strong characters in a range of genres across various industries. Her career graph has established her as the most respected female actress in the country. As the recipient of several accolades and an artist who emulates so well on screen, you will be surprised to learn that the actor was an introvert as a child.

Tabu had opened up about her childhood to actress Simi Garewal in Rendezvous with Simi Garewal and added that she had a happy time growing up at her mother's grandparents' house 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," she had said.

Calling herself timid, Tabu laughed and said, "I did not have a voice, in fact even after becoming a heroine, an actor, I did not have a voice."

Tabu, in the same interview, also revealed that she had no connection with her father. Her parents divorced when she was only three, and her father married someone else. She revealed he had two daughters from his second wife. She went on to talk about not using her father's surname (Hashmi) and 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 sister 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."

The versatile actress also got candid about growing up in a household led by strong women who used to handle their own matters, which made her 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," she added.

Tabu didn't marry anyone; however, back then there were reports that she was in a relationship with actor Nagarjuna Akkineni. The two call themselves good friends. Meanwhile, Tabu shares a beautiful bond with Ajay Devgn and will soon be seen with him in Drishyam 2.