'I Was Never Curious About Him': Tabu Explains Why She Didn’t Use Her Father’s Surname

Despite being one of the most formidable actors in Indian cinema today, Tabu’s personal journey has been shaped by distance, quiet resilience, and independence from an early age. The actor has previously spoken about never having a relationship with her father, who separated from her mother when she was just three years old. Raised in a household of strong women, Tabu found her voice gradually, both as a person and as an artist.

A Quiet Childhood in Hyderabad

In an old interview on Rendezvous with Simi Garewal, Tabu reflected on her upbringing in Hyderabad, where she lived with her maternal grandparents after her parents’ divorce. “I had a great childhood, we lived in Hyderabad all our lives. I lived with my grandparents after my parents divorced.

My mum was a teacher and I spent more time with her mother,” she said.

She added that her grandmother’s influence shaped her deeply. “My grandmother would pray and read books, and I grew up with that. I was very timid, I did not have a voice. In fact, even after becoming a heroine, an actor, I did not have a voice.”

Tabu comes from a family with a strong artistic lineage. Her elder sister Farah appeared in films in the 1980s, and she is also related to Shabana Azmi. Yet, by her own admission, Tabu was far removed from the spotlight in her early years.

Why Tabu Never Used Her Father’s Surname

In the same conversation, Tabu explained why she never felt the need to use her father’s surname, Hashmi. “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.”

Speaking candidly about her emotional distance, she added, “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.”

Tabu’s father remarried after the divorce and has two daughters from his second marriage.

On Being Single and Unbothered by Labels

Tabu has also consistently spoken about her decision to remain unmarried, refusing to let societal expectations define her. In a 2017 interview with Hindustan Times, she addressed the topic with characteristic clarity. “Honestly, it’s not that it has stopped bothering me; the fact remains that I’ve never been perturbed at all,” she said.

She continued, “I don’t see what the big deal is, being single or being not single. For me, it’s not a yardstick for assessing somebody. I don’t assess someone according to their marital status or whether they have children or not. And if people do it for me, I don’t know about it and don’t want to go there.”

What’s Next for Tabu

On the professional front, Tabu has a packed slate ahead. She will be seen in Puri Jagannadh’s upcoming pan-India project alongside Vijay Sethupathi, and in Priyadarshan’s horror-comedy Bhooth Bangla opposite Akshay Kumar, both slated for release this year.