Tamannaah Bhatia, who has been a prominent face in Telugu, Tamil, and Hindi cinema for over 15 years, has opened up about the uncomfortable reality for women in the South film industry, including the persistent “sexualization” and the assumptions that come with doing item songs.
In a candid conversation with actor Rasha Thadani for Galatta India, the 36-year-old actor spoke about the gendered nature of the industry, revealing that while the South film industry is known for being “professional,” it also has a “very uncomfortable side” for women.
‘Uncomfortable realities’
Tamannaah said, “The industry is very professional, but it’s also very patriarchal. It has a certain side that is very uncomfortable for women, where people do tend to look at you differently.”
She further elaborated on the double standards and ingrained biases, noting that even her success and ability to speak multiple South Indian languages fluently were often viewed with suspicion.
“I knew Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi. But when I went to sign a film, they’d ask, ‘Oh, you speak Tamil? How long will it take you to learn?’ That was the assumption. They didn’t believe I could know the language,” she said .
The item song stigma
A significant part of the conversation centered around the stigma attached to item songs. While mainstream cinema often celebrates these numbers as crowd-pleasers, Tamannaah pointed out that the reality for a woman doing such a song is entirely different.
“Whenever a woman does an item song, people assume she is doing it for a ‘price.’ But when a man does an energetic, mass-appeal number, it’s seen as a ‘commercial’ choice. There is an unconscious bias that creeps in,” she said.
She added that the “sexualization is so much more” for women, reflecting the deep-rooted patriarchal mindset that continues to define how women are viewed, both on and off screen.
The pressure of perfection
Tamannaah also touched upon the immense pressure women in the industry face to maintain a certain physical appearance. “You can’t put on weight one year because the audience will feel you have left yourself,” she observed, highlighting the unrealistic standards that persist.
A call for change
Despite the challenges, Tamannaah’s career has been one of the most enduring in the industry. She has appeared in over 50 films across languages and remains one of the most sought-after actors. Her candid remarks have sparked a conversation about the need for a more equitable and respectful working environment, even in the most professional of film industries. As she put it, “You are not supposed to be uncomfortable because that would make you seem like you are making a fuss.” It is a reality that, she suggests, needs to be seen and addressed.
