MUMBAI: Be it Vishal Bhardwaj, Sriram Raghavan or Neeraj Pandey, Tabu says filmmakers tend to approach her with out-of-the-box ideas, a pattern she finds difficult to decipher.

The actor, fresh from the success of heist comedy “Crew”, will next be seen in director Pandey’s musical romance drama “Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha”.

The film reunites her with frequent collaborator Ajay Devgn.

“It’s a pattern of filmmakers coming to me with absolutely out-of-the-box ideas, and by out-of-the-box, I don’t mean one kind of a film. If a filmmaker has made a gritty suspense film or an emotional drama with me, the next filmmaker comes with a comic caper. Or, somebody will come with a cop’s role, and then with (comedy) ‘De De Pyaar De’.”

“So, it’s a mix of so many things that I can’t explain why it happened but I’m sure there is some kind of trust factor that filmmakers feel that I can pull it off or that I’ll be good at it,” Tabu told PTI in an interview here.

The National Award winner said her approach to choosing projects is rooted in the equation she shares with directors Bhardwaj (“Maqbool”, “Haider”, “Khufiya”) or Raghavan, with whom she did “Andhadhun”.

She admits whenever Bhardwaj approaches her with a project, her response is instinctively affirmative.

“My approach is very characteristic to me; I can’t put it in a few words or dissect or explain it. There are many factors, like my body of work of the past so many years, there is a certain kind of equation that I’ve with directors like Vishal and Sriram,” she added.

“Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha” reunites Tabu with Devgn, her longtime industry friend and co-star of films such as “Vijaypath”, “Haqeeqat”, “Thakshak”, and “Drishyam” franchise.

The actor said her bond with Devgn is built on mutual respect.

“We have an unspoken understanding and appreciation for each other’s talent. I really value what he brings with him to a film. His understanding of cinema, of technique is just amazing and I really respect that,” she said.

“Both of us are very conscious about what we are doing and it has so happened that whatever has come to us, we’ve agreed and been on the same page. It’s been great to find one co-actor in your profession that has occupied that space and that whole phenomena gave you that platform to experience one person at different stages of your career,” she added.