Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Actor Tamannaah Bhatia recently opened up about the differences between the Hindi and South Indian film industries, saying that female actors in the South often face more rigid expectations when it comes to balancing glamour and performance. Reflecting on her two-decade-long career, Bhatia said she understood why some people describe the South industry’s gaze as “patriarchal” and not always complimentary towards women.
advertisement
In an interview with Forbes India, the 36-year-old actor discussed the difference between the Hindi industry and South cinema. She explained that while the Hindi filmindustry allows actors to choose between commercial and performance-driven roles, the South industry often demands that female stars excel at both to sustain a long career.
“In the Hindi film industry, there are two kinds of actors. Those who have a little more artistic take on things, are better off playing certain kinds of characters. They might not certainly doa glamorous song and dance. The Hindi film industry actually gives you the opportunity to do either/or, and the ones who do both inevitably become superstars,” she said.
On the other hand, for the South cinema, the Baahubali actor wrote how she found the gaze problematic.
“When I entered the South industry, I understood why people might call it many names. Like it’s a very specific gaze. It’s a patriarchal sort of vibe or it’s a gaze that’s not very complimentary,” she added.
Bhatia added that commercial South cinema places significant emphasis on an actor’s ability to command both performance-oriented roles and glamorous song-and-dance numbers. According to her, female actors who have enjoyed longevity in the industry are often those who have successfully balanced both aspects of stardom.
“The south needed to have that star quality to be able to pull that off, so I personally feel like that cinema is as or more restrictive in that sense. I am talking about when you sort of want to make it from a commercial standpoint,” she said.
Tamannaah also defended dance numbers, saying she prefers to view them as”party songs” rather than “item songs.” Citing examples such as Kareena Kapoor and Katrina Kaif, she said that songs often outlive the films they feature in and can become cultural phenomena in their own right.
She said how songs like Chammak Challo and Shiela Ki Jawani have done well despite the film not performing well.
On the work front, Bhatia was last seen in Odela 2, the sequel to Odela Railway Station. She is set to appear next in Vvan, in which she stars opposite Sidharth Malhotra. The film is scheduled for release in 2026.
She is also set to headline Ragini 3, produced by Balaji Motion Pictures.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
