Tamannaah Bhatia on South Cinema's Patriarchy

Actress Tamannaah Bhatia has recently discussed the distinct demands placed on women in the South Indian film industry compared to Bollywood. With two decades in the industry, she observes that South cinema often necessitates female actors to balance both star quality and performance-oriented roles for sustained careers, a more restrictive approach from a commercial standpoint.

Bhatia described the South industry's perspective as a specific, sometimes patriarchal gaze that is not always complimentary towards women. In contrast, she feels the Hindi film industry provides more flexibility, allowing actors to choose between commercial appeal and artistic endeavors.

Defending the inclusion of dance sequences, Bhatia prefers to call them 'party songs' rather than 'item songs.' She highlighted that popular songs can transcend their films and become cultural phenomena, citing examples like 'Chammak Challo' and 'Sheila Ki Jawani.'

Looking ahead, Bhatia is slated to appear in the 2026 film Vvan opposite Sidharth Malhotra. She is also set to star in Ragini 3, produced by Balaji Motion Pictures.