Actor Tabu, who got rave reviews for her role in dramas such as Fitoor, Drishyam and Maqbool, says she next wants to do something a little tougher.
“I want to do the role of a warrior and I am sure I will look good in that role,” Tabu said.
She was speaking to a packed session at the seventh Mountain Echoes Literary Festival in Thimphu, Bhutan.
The three-day festival, which concluded on Sunday, saw the participation of more than 50 authors from India, Bhutan, Australia and Bangladesh, among other countries.
The National Film Award winner said she enjoyed her first trip to Bhutan, describing it as a land of spirituality and peace.
“I am living in complete happiness here and I haven’t walked so much in recent times. I am learning mandala painting here,” she said.
Speaking to media, the actor explained why she avoid social media.
“I don’t find a reason to be on Twitter or Facebook. This is my temperament and I can’t put myself out [there] 24/7. However, I am not judgmental about others being there,” the actress said.
Known for her versatile performances, Tabu also said that she hates being labelled.
“I never want to stick to one genre of movies and was open to do everything. [The] most stabilising part of my career is that I have done all genres. I hate classification,” said Tabu, who added that she identifies with her character in 2007 movie Cheeni Kum, opposite Amitabh Bachchan.
Talking about her noteworthy roles in Maqbool and Haider, directed by Vishal Bharadwaj, Tabu said that it was a life-changing experience for her.
“Vishal wrote the roles for me and I have a lot of faith in him. The conflict was playing the mother and I defeated the fear ultimately. Though the characters are dark, I tried to connect with their emotional quotient. Not all films and characters give you the chance to express the way you wanted,” she explained.
Tabu said her roles in films such as Maachis and Chandni Bar have made her think.
“When I did Maachis I was playing a young girl who takes to militancy. Until Chandni Bar, I had no idea of the underbelly of Mumbai. These characters made me think. I couldn’t read beyond a few pages of Chandni Bar. Every film has opened my mind,” she said.
Though she has portrayed many women-oriented roles, Tabu doesn’t want to be slotted as a feminist
“I don’t disown feminism but I don’t believe in such labels,” she said, adding that young Bollywood actresses are getting varied roles and better remuneration than before.
Contrary to her image of an actor of parallel cinema, Tabu said that she loves doing light-hearted movies.
“I want to do more roles like Biwi No 1 and Hera Pheri. Working in comedy movies is fun and you discover new ways to make things funny. I loved working with David Dhawan, Govinda, and Priyadarshan,” she said.