Happy Birthday: A look at one of Bollywood's most versatile actress - Tabu's journey as she turns 38.

The blossom: Tabu, or Tabassum Hashmi, doesn't look it, and certainly doesn't flaunt it, but she's from a film background like a lot of Bollywood today. One of Bollywood's most respected actresses, Shabana Azmi is her aunt. It seems Azmi didn't really introduce her into the film world, because in the early part of her career Tabu did the most un-Shabana films one can imagine - her Bollywood debut was Hum Naujawan where an ageing Dev Anand was the hero

Popularity beckons: Ten years after Hum Naujawan, Tabu got the Filmfare Best Debut Award in 1994 for her role in Vijaypath. The following years saw box-office hits like Saajan Chale Sasuraal opposite Govinda. Till today, Tabu has a soft corner for Chi Chi, as she calls him, and wouldn't mind doing another film with him.

Spark of success: The first signs of a great actress were seen in Tabu with the film Maachis (1996). Tabu's portrayal of Veeran who is forced into a life of terror got her the National Award for Best Actress.

The legacy: In 1997 came Virasat opposite Anil Kapoor. The film was extremely well received and got Tabu yet another Best Actress Award from Filmfare. In the same year she also acted in Border and Iruvar, which was Aishwarya Rai's debut film.

The mask: While Tabu had been established as a talented actress, she never let go of popular films completely, especially if it gave her the chance to work with a legend like Kamal Haasan. Chachi 420 was Haasan's film, but Tabu marked a great performance in this remake of Mrs. Doubtfire.

All for a challenge: Gradually Tabu was established as a leading lady with substance, yet she maintained that she liked to have fun. She once said, 'I love dancing. There is no effort while I am dancing, it comes very naturally to me. I have not learnt dancing as such, but I love it anyway.'

Enter trouble: While there was some success with her next mainstream flick Hum Saath Saath Hain, there was also trouble as she was indicted for shooting a buckbeak along with co-star Salman Khan. Tabu was later acquitted because she was merely accompanying the star and had played no active part in the shooting.

Playing politics: In 1999, Tabu acted in Gulzar's directorial venture Hu Tu Tu. She went on to win another Filmfare Best Actress Award for her performance in this film. So close did she become to the Gulzars that she took on enmity with Anupam Kher by abandoning his project to be a part of Meghna Gulzar's film Filhaal.

Reality check: One of Tabu's best known films is Astitva, where she played the dominated wife Aditi to Sachin Khedekar's Srikant Pandit role. She went on to win a Critics Award at the Filmfare ceremony for this role.

Decisive: In one of the few films that discussed infidelity without judgement and even endorsed divorce without labelling the woman a failure, Astitva was a milestone in Indian cinema.

Bond with Bhandarkar: Further strengthening her repertoire was her role as a dance bar girl with Chandni Bar.

League of her own: Tabu won the maximum number of awards for Chandni Bar; she got the National Award, the IIFA award and the Zee Cine Award for Best Actress. This put her in the league of a few select actresses who have got more than one National Award.

Awesome adaption: Vishal Bhardwaj's first attempt at adapting Shakespeare to an Indian context was Maqbool and it was a staggering success. Tabu played Nimmi, or Lady Macbeth in a role that was great but overshadowed by Pankaj Kapoor's performance.

Giving a name: Tabu's other memorable role was in the cinematic version of Jhumpa Lahiri's The Namesake. She was paired opposite Irrfan once again (after Maqbool where he played the title role) as a Bengali woman Ashima in USA.

New bond: The Namesake ushered in not just international success - as Tabu was appreciated and applauded in more than one international festival - but also a friendship with one of the most formidabble presences in cinema - Mira Nair, who was the director of the film.

Fatal attraction: In 2007, Tabu acted in Cheeni Kum, opposite Amitabh Bachchan. This was one of the first films that celebrated the love of a young woman with a much older man and even discussed pre-marital sex. Tabu admitted that she was attracted to older men since the film!

Bollywood's pride: Whether it is a popular film, or parallel cinema, Tabu always brings in a special element, giving herself completely to each role, and that is why Bollywood treasures this actress even at 38.