Tabu: Working in new normal is strange as there is no presence of the virus in our stories

Actor Tabu, who has been part of the movie industry for over three decades, finds the current disconnect between the reel and real world, amid the ongoing pandemic, quite odd.

“In the new normal, there is a sense (of something strange). The regular Covid testing, and protocols have become like some extra things to keep in mind every time we step onto a step. But the fun, as well as the strange thing, is that there is no presence (mention) of the virus in the storyline of the films that we do,” observes Tabu.

The 50-year-year-old who has wrapped up Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and is currently shooting Khufiya in the Capital, continues, “The characters, at least of the projects that I am doing, don’t have anything to do with the pandemic, or what has happened (in the world) after the virus crisis. For instance, in the case of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, we first started shooting for the film before the pandemic, and the story is also set in the pre-pandemic era.”

The Andhadhun (2018) actor adds that when you are on a film, it’s very easy to forget about the outside world.

“It becomes very dichotomous. But (on the same hand) when we are in that world on a film set, it is very easy to forget. So, in the beginning, it was a little strange and laborious to keep thinking about that. Now, we are all used to working like that,” she explains.

The National Film Award-winnign actor, who marked her digital presence last year with Mira Nair’s A Suitable Boy is now working on her next web project Khufiya, which reunites her with Maqbool (2004) filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj.

Talking about the OTT boom, the actor, whose real name is Tabassum Fatima Hashmi, shares, “A lot has changed when it comes to the language of entertainment, or the way we consume material. It has gone through a big change in India, in the past one year, especially during the pandemic.It has suddenly become bigger, not just in terms of the business, but for actors as well as the number of technicians that are being engaged. It is a very good thing.”