RANKED: 5 Best Performances of Tabu's Career

We all know that Bollywood is an innately flawed place where most of the times the attention and the praise is given to the wrong things. Be it essential cinema or important actors, the industry most of the times remains just that--an industry. The result is that not enough value is placed -- and hence given -- to the better things or people but ones that are more marketable.

Tabu is a by-product of that mechanism. An actor so brilliant yet often almost an after thought of sorts. We guess she might have been more popular and more in the limelight if she had made certain choices but she chose not to. And the result of that is a career that is thoroughly impressive but that isn't as widely known as it should be.

Here are 5 best performances from her impressive career:

#5 HAIDER

In this memorable adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet, Tabu reminded everybody what a treasure she is. Her heartbreaking portrayal of a woman caught in the most astonishing complexities of life is worth watching.

#4 CHANDNI BAR

Her National Award winning performance of a small town girl who comes to Mumbai and gets embroiled in all kinds of misfortune is one her best till date. The character transformation of her character Mumtaz is one of the best parts of this Madhur Bhandarkar film. 

#3 CHEENI KUM

This highly under-rated R. Balki film has one truly spectacular performance--and it's not Amitabh Bachchan's but Tabu's. The wonderful representation of her character, a confident and strong-headed character of a 30 year old interested in an older guy, is something Bollywood has tried and failed at plenty of times.  

(Read more: RANKED: The 8 Best Performances of Amitabh Bachchan)

#2 ASTITVA

In one of the most audacious Bollywood films of all time, Tabu's character tried to break down many barriers and succeeded. The chilling final scene of the movie is capable of convincing the audiences of what a talent she is.

#1 MAQBOOL

In this Vishal Bhardwaj gem, Tabu manages to stand-out despite being surrounded by actors who gave perhaps the performance of their career.  That fact alone is worth something.

What do you think?

See: Tabu's Ethereal Photoshoot For Filmfare!