Tamannaah Bhatia, a leading actress in both Bollywood and South Indian cinema, has gained invaluable insights into the workings of both industries over the years. In a recent interview with Raj Shamani on his podcast, she shared her observations on the differences between the two industries, especially why South Indian cinema has become increasingly popular, both nationally and globally.
According to Tamannaah, one of the main reasons for this success is that South Indian filmmakers prioritize "rooted" stories that focus on basic human emotions, making their content universally relatable despite being geographically and culturally specific.
Tamannaah began her journey in the film industry with Hindi movies, but it was her roles in Tamil and Telugu films that truly brought her fame. Reflecting on her career in South Indian cinema, she noted that these films, unlike Bollywood, are not designed for mass consumption. Instead, they are made with a deep connection to their cultural and geographical context. As Tamannaah pointed out, "South films talk more in terms of their geographical locations."
She further explained, "I think their content is translating globally primarily because they are trying to tell rooted stories." This connection to the land and its people, Tamannaah believes, is a key factor in why South Indian cinema has been able to cross regional boundaries and appeal to a much broader audience. While these films are deeply rooted in their regional traditions, they speak to universal themes like love, family, revenge, and sacrifice, which resonate with viewers worldwide.
Tamannaah emphasized that South Indian filmmakers are not interested in tailoring their content to cater to multiple audience segments. "They are not trying to service different kinds of people. They are trying to only tell what they know fully. That has really worked, I think, for the South," she explained.
According to Tamannaah, another distinguishing factor is that South Indian films don’t operate from a standpoint of choosing specific segments of people to cater to. Instead, they focus on basic human emotions and storytelling formats that are compelling and emotionally rich. She elaborated, "South films don't work from the standpoint of choosing segments in people. They rather than focus on basic human emotions such as 'related to mother, father... revenge on brother, sister... stories that tend to tell many more stories about basic human emotions through different storytelling formats.'"
South Indian filmmakers’ focus on emotional storytelling also contributes to the increasing global appeal of their films. Tamannaah mentioned that South Indian filmmakers are "very much concerned about putting their perspective the way it is." She pointed out that these filmmakers are not focused on catering to different kinds of people or trying to present a story in a way that pleases a broad spectrum of viewers. Instead, they remain true to their vision, telling the story as authentically as possible.
Tamannaah also noted that Bollywood, on the other hand, has often struggled to maintain this balance. While Bollywood continues to be the face of Indian cinema internationally, the industry has been criticized for catering too much to the tastes of a global or pan-Indian audience, which can sometimes dilute the storytelling. "In Bollywood," she observed, "many times the films are made for the sake of 'everybody's consumption.'"
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