Shashi Tharoor Shares Who His Favourite Actress Is, But He Has Never Met Her

Ideas Of India 2025: Indian politician and Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor recently spoke to ABP Live on the sidelines of ABP Network's Ideas of India Summit 2025.

Shashi Tharoor spoke about the actresses he admired over the years, mentioning Zeenat Aman from the older generation and Madhuri Dixit as his favourite from his own time.

Source : PTI, Instagram/@madhuridixitnene

Ideas Of India 2025: Indian politician and Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor recently spoke to ABP Live on the sidelines of ABP Network's Ideas of India Summit 2025. During the conversation, he was asked about his favourite actress, to which he offered an insightful response. 

Shashi Tharoor's favourite actress

Tharoor spoke about the actresses he admired over the years, mentioning Zeenat Aman from the older generation and Madhuri Dixit as his favourite from his own time. While he had the opportunity to meet Zeenat Aman once, he shared that he never met Madhuri Dixit. 

“There have been many heroines. In my childhood, there was Zeenat Aman and Mumtaz. Later, there was Madhuri Dixit. I never met her; I am talking about admiration from a distance. But I did meet Zeenat Aman once. A friend from my college union had organized the premiere of ‘Roti, Kapda Aur Makaan,’ and she had come for that. That’s when I met her. As for the rest, it's just admiration from afar, like with Madhuri Dixit,” he shared. 

Meeting actresses in person

He went on to elaborate on how his perception of actresses evolved after meeting them in person, saying that he appreciates them beyond their on-screen personas. 

“After returning to India, I met many actresses, and after that, the appreciation obviously becomes different. When you meet them, see them in person, you realize they are lovely, intelligent, and you get to know them as human beings. I would say that what I see on screen, I appreciate as acting talent. But when you meet someone, you appreciate their personality.” 

Admiration for Vidya Balan and Nandita Das

Speaking about his admiration for different actresses, Tharoor highlighted the versatility of performers like Vidya Balan and Nandita Das, praising their ability to take on demanding roles. 

“As for acting talent, I don’t get much time to watch films, but I admire different kinds of actresses. I think Vidya Balan was very impressive in highly demanding roles, and Nandita Das as well. I have met both, and I liked them as individuals. Watching them on screen is different—they are performing, bringing their art and skill to life. But in the end, what truly matters is a person’s humanity and character, which is far more important.” 

Limited Time for OTT but love for cricket

When asked if he gets the time to watch OTT shows and movies, the parliamentarian admitted that despite subscribing to multiple streaming platforms, he rarely finds the time to indulge in them. 

"I have subscribed to all OTT platforms, but I don’t get the time to watch them. Whenever I get some free time, I prefer watching cricket. Even watching just the highlights makes me happy. I have asked my staff to download some Malayalam films on my iPad, but I never get the chance to watch them."