Tamannah Bhatia says South cinema has a 'patriarchal vibe' compared to Bollywood: ‘A gaze that’s not very complimenting’

Tamannaah Bhatia reflected on nearly two decades in film across Bollywood and South cinema, discussing the challenging perceptions of female actors.

Having spent nearly two decades working across multiple film industries, Tamannaah Bhatia has seen the best and worst of both Bollywood and South cinema. In a recent interview with Forbes India, the actor spoke candidly about her experience in South cinema, admitting that there is a gaze towards women that is "not very complimentary". She also explained why female actors who manage to combine performance-oriented roles with glamour often go on to enjoy the longest and most successful careers.

Tamannaah Bhatia shares difference in South and Bollywood

Actor Tamannaah Bhatia on the success of female actors in Bollywood and South.

Sharing her observations on how female actors are perceived in commercial cinema across Bollywood and the South film industries, Tamannaah explained that music has always been a major part of Indian cinema and that she understood its importance early in her career.

She said, "In the Hindi film industry, there are two kinds of actors. Those who have a more artistic take on things are better suited to playing certain kinds of characters. They might not necessarily do a glamorous song-and-dance number. The Hindi film industry actually gives you the opportunity to do either/or, and the ones who do both inevitably become superstars."

She recalled that when she entered South cinema, she began to understand why people often described it in certain ways.

Tamannaah clarified that her observations were based solely on her personal experience and acknowledged that others in the industry may have had different experiences. She noted that female actors who have enjoyed careers spanning 10 to 15 years have often been those who successfully balanced performance-oriented roles with commercial entertainers, including song-and-dance numbers.

About Tamannaah Bhatia's upcoming film

Tamannaah is currently awaiting the release of her upcoming film, Vvan: Force of the Forest. Directed by Deepak Mishra, the film is produced by Shobha Kapoor, Ektaa R Kapoor, Arunabh Kumar and Niraj Kothari under the banner of Balaji Telefilms Ltd in association with TVF Motion Pictures and 11:11 Productions.

The film stars Sidharth Malhotra and Tamannaah Bhatia in the lead roles, alongside Maniesh Paul, Sunil Grover, Shweta Tiwari and Anup Soni in key roles. The film is scheduled to release in theatres on 26 August 2026 and will clash with Shraddha Kapoor's Eetha and Yash's Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown-Ups.