Tamannaah Calls Out South Cinemas Patriarchal Vibe

The actress, who has worked extensively in Telugu, Tamil and Hindi films, said that a certain gaze in South cinema carries a “patriarchal vibe” and is not very “complimenting.”

Speaking to Forbes India, Tamannaah said, “It’s a very specific gaze. It’s a patriarchal sort of vibe or it’s a gaze that’s not very complimenting.”

She added that she had understood the musical and commercial demands of South cinema, where star quality is often needed to pull off grand song-and-dance numbers.

However, she also felt that commercial cinema can be restrictive, and sometimes even more restrictive, when looked at from that angle.

Tamannaah said that Bollywood offers actors a slightly different space.

According to her, the Hindi film industry has room for both kinds of performers — those who take up more artistic roles and those who are comfortable doing glamorous commercial songs.

She explained that some actors may not necessarily fit into a glamorous song-and-dance setup, while others are able to do both. Those who manage to balance both sides often go on to become superstars, she said.

The actress was careful to clarify that her views come from her own personal experience in the industry.

She also pointed out that actresses who have enjoyed long careers are usually those who have managed to balance performance-oriented roles with glamour.

Tamannaah has acted in Telugu, Tamil and Hindi cinema and has appeared in nearly 90 films. She is known for films like Baahubali, Oopiri and Aranmanai 4.

She has also made her mark on OTT with shows such as Jee Karda, Do You Wanna Partner and Aakhiri Sach.

The actress will next be seen in Vvan – Force of the Forest, alongside Sidharth Malhotra.