Tamannaah Bhatia

Tamanna Bhatia ( born 21 December 1989), credited as Tamannaah Bhatia, is an Indian actress who primarily works in Telugu, Tamil and Hindi cinema. She has appeared in over 80 films. She has won two Santosham Film Awards, a SIIMA Award, and has received the Kalaimamani Award.

Bhatia began her acting career with the Hindi film Chand Sa Roshan Chehra (2005). She then debuted in Telugu cinema with Sree (2005) and Tamil cinema with Kedi (2006). Her Telugu films include Happy Days (2007), Konchem Ishtam Konchem Kashtam (2009), 100% Love (2011), Oosaravelli (2011), Racha (2012), Tadakha (2013), Aagadu (2014), Baahubali: The Beginning (2015), Bengal Tiger (2015), Oopiri (2016), Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017), F2: Fun and Frustration (2019), Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy (2019) and F3: Fun and Frustration (2022). Her Tamil films include Kalloori (2007), Ayan (2009), Kanden Kadhalai (2009), Paiyaa (2010), Sura (2010), Siruthai (2011), Veeram (2014), Dharma Durai (2016), Devi (2016), Sketch (2018), Kanne Kalaimaane (2019), Jailer (2023) and Aranmanai 4 (2024).

Bhatia has also starred in several streaming projects, including 11th Hour (2021), November Story (2021), Jee Karda (2023) and Aakhri Sach (2023).

Early life
Tamanna Bhatia was born on 21 December 1989 in Bombay, Maharashtra. Her parents are Santosh and Rajni Bhatia. She has an elder brother named Anand Bhatia. She is of Sindhi Hindu origin and attended Maneckji Cooper Education Trust School in Mumbai. At the age of 13, she began learning acting and joined Prithvi Theatre for a year, where she participated in stage performances. After gaining initial experience in the film industry, she changed her screen name to "Tamannaah" for numerological reasons.

2005–2015: Early work and success


In 2005, Bhatia started her career in the entertainment industry by starring in the music video "Lafzo Mein" from Abhijeet Sawant's album. She then made her acting debut as the female lead in the Hindi film Chand Sa Roshan Chehra, which underperformed at the box office. That same year, she entered Telugu cinema with Sree and Tamil cinema with Kedi in 2006. Her first release in 2007 was Viyabari; despite the film's struggles at the box office, her performances garnered critical acclaim. She achieved a career breakthrough with her subsequent films Happy Days and Kalloori. Her role as a college student in both films was well-received, and both films achieved financial success. This success established her as a leading actress in both Telugu and Tamil cinema.

In 2008, she made a significant impact in Telugu cinema with Kalidasu and had cameo appearance in Ready and Netru Indru Naalai. In 2009 she starred in the Tamil film Padikkadavan, earning praise despite mixed reviews. She also starred in Konchem Ishtam Konchem Kashtam, a film that received critical acclaim but achieved only moderate box office success. Ayan was a box office success, while Ananda Thandavam underperformed despite her acclaimed performance. Kanden Kadhalai earned her praise and a South Scope award.

In 2010, she starred in the Tamil road movie Paiyaa, receiving positive reviews and commercial success. However, Sura and Thillalangadi underperformed at the box office. In 2011 she starred in the Tamil film Siruthai, and while her role faced criticism, the film was a commercial success. She made a cameo appearance in Ko and her Telugu film 100% Love was also a commercial success, earning her accolades and awards. Badrinath received mixed reviews but achieved commercial success. Venghai showcased her in a role with mixed critical reception, while Oosaravelli was a box office success, and her performance garnered critical acclaim.

In 2012, her first release was the Telugu film Racha, which emerged as commercial success, with her performance receiving praise. Although, Endukante Premanta and Rebel underperformed at the box office, her acting was lauded. Cameraman Gangatho Rambabu saw her in a tomboyish role, and the film was a box office success. In 2013, she starred in the Hindi Himmatwala, which underperformed at the box office, but she found success with the Telugu film Tadakha. In 2014 her Tamil film Veeram was a commercial success. However, her comedy film Humshakals underperformed. She also showcased her dancing skills in the special song "Labbar Bomma" in Alludu Seenu. Entertainment struggled to break even, while Aagadu underperformed at the box office.

In 2015, she made a cameo appearance as herself in Nannbenda and provided her own voice for the character. She starred in Baahubali: The Beginning, where her portrayal of Avanthika garnered widespread acclaim. The film's box office success made it one of the highest grossing Telugu films, marking a pivotal moment in her career by reshaping her image and opening doors to a broader range of roles. However, Vasuvum Saravananum Onna Padichavanga received negative reviews. She made another cameo appearance in Size Zero and starred in Bengal Tiger.

2016–2020 : Telugu and Tamil films
In 2016, Bhatia performed the special song "Bachelor Babu" in the Telugu film Speedunnodu. Her subsequent releases, Oopiri and Dharma Durai, garnered positive reviews, with critics praising her acting. The latter was a box office success, earning her an award. She then ventured into a short film titled Ranveer Ching Returns, which received positive feedback. She also performed the special song "Sampige / Mandara Thailam" in the Telugu-Kannada bilingual film Jaguar. Her trilingual horror film Devi received positive reviews, and her double role in the film was praised, contributing to its box office success. However, her next release, Kaththi Sandai, received mixed reviews.

In 2017, Bhatia reprised her role as Avanthika in Baahubali 2: The Conclusion. The film garnered positive reviews and became a box office success, eventually becoming the highest-grossing Indian film of the year. On the other hand, Anbanavan Asaradhavan Adangadhavan received mixed reviews and underperformed at the box office. She also performed in the special song "Swing Zara" in Jai Lava Kusa. In 2018, her action thriller film Sketch received mixed critical responses, but her role was noted positively. Following this, she appeared in the Marathi film Aa Bb Kk, which garnered positive reviews. Her subsequent releases, the Telugu films Naa Nuvve and Next Enti?, both received mixed reviews from critics and underperformed at the box office. Additionally, she performed at the IPL 2018 opening ceremony and appeared in the Kannada film KGF: Chapter 1, performing in the special song "Jokae".

In 2019, Bhatia's comedy film F2: Fun and Frustration became a box office success and one of the highest grossing Telugu films of the year. Her Tamil drama film Kanne Kalaimaane received mixed reviews, but her performance was recognized and later earned her the Best Actress award at the Indo-French International Film Festival in 2023. Her horror comedy film Devi 2 had a lukewarm reception, but her acting was noted. Khamoshi received poor reviews, though her performance was mentioned positively. Her epic historical action film Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy was well-received, with her portrayal contributing to the film. Her performance in the Tamil comedy horror Petromax was noted, although she faced criticism for her choice of script. Her Tamil film Action received a mixed response and underperformed at the box office. In 2020, her sole on-screen appearance was in the special song "Daang Daang" in the Telugu film Sarileru Neekevvaru.

2021–present : Streaming projects
In April 2021, Bhatia starred in the streaming series 11th Hour receiving mixed reviews. The show centers on Aratrika Reddy, portrayed by Bhatia, a successful businesswoman racing against time to save her company. While praised for her intense performance, some critics felt the storyline didn't match her talent. The next month, she starred in November Story. Her performance was appreciated, but critics noted excessive dialogue and a lack of impactful action sequences. In August, Bhatia hosted MasterChef India – Telugu on Gemini TV. September saw the release of Seetimaarr, a Telugu sports masala film written and directed by Sampath Nandi, co-starring Gopichand, where her portrayal as a strong-willed coach received audience acclaim. The film was a commercial success. The subsequent release, Maestro, a Telugu black comedy thriller on Disney+ Hotstar directed by Merlapaka Gandhi, earned positive reviews for its storyline and performances, including Bhatia's portrayal of a pivotal character.

In 2022, Bhatia made her first appearance in "Kodthe", a special song in the Telugu film Ghani alongside Varun Tej. In May, her performance in the Telugu comedy F3: Fun and Frustration, co-starring Venkatesh, Varun Tej and Mehreen Pirzada, resonated well with audiences, proving to be a commercial success. In September, Bhatia portrayed a lady bouncer in the Disney+ Hotstar release Babli Bouncer, directed by Madhur Bhandarkar, although it received a mixed response. In the romantic comedy Plan A Plan B, alongside Riteish Deshmukh, released on Netflix, Bhatia's charisma shone despite some finding the plot predictable. She also starred in the romantic drama Gurthunda Seethakalam, opposite Satyadev, receiving mixed reviews for the overall execution of the film.

In 2023, she began the year with a performance at the IPL 2023 opening ceremony. Her first release was Jee Karda, a romantic drama series on Amazon Prime Video directed by Arunima Sharma, receiving audience acclaim. In the series, Bhatia portrayed Lavanya, a young woman on a journey of self-discovery, grappling with the concept of marriage. Subsequently, she starred in the Netflix anthology Lust Stories 2, in the segment titled "Sex with Ex", playing Shanti, a woman who had mysteriously disappeared a decade earlier. Her performance alongside Vijay Varma garnered appreciation. In her next release, she took on a supporting role in the film Jailer, portraying an actress alongside Rajinikanth. The film received positive reviews and became one of the highest grossing Tamil films. Following that, she starred alongside Chiranjeevi in the Telugu action film Bhola Shankar, which received negative reviews and underperformed at the box office. Her subsequent release was the crime investigative thriller series Aakhri Sach, aired on Disney+ Hotstar. The series, fictionally based on the Burari deaths, featured Bhatia as the lead investigative officer, Anya, and received a positive response from the audience. Closing the year, Bhatia made her Malayalam cinema debut in the film Bandra, alongside Dileep and Dino Morea. The film opened to a mixed reception and underperformed at the box office.

Bhatia's first release of 2024 was the Tamil comedy horror film Aranmanai 4, in which she starred alongside Sundar C and Raashii Khanna. In the film, she portrays Selvi, a character that combines the roles of a protective mother and a fearsome spirit. Her performance earned praise, highlighting her as a standout character in the franchise, and the film became one of the highest grossing Tamil films of 2024. She has several upcoming projects. In the Hindi action-drama Vedaa, she plays a key role alongside John Abraham. Additionally, she makes a cameo appearance in the upcoming hindi comedy horror film Stree 2. Furthermore, she stars alongside Diana Penty in the Amazon Prime series Daring Partners. Also, she stars in the upcoming Telugu supernatural thriller film Odela 2, directed by Ashok Teja.

Awards
In 2010, Bhatia received the Kalaimamani from the Government of Tamil Nadu for her achievements in the fields of art and literature. She won the Santosham Best Actress Award for her performance in 100% Love and the SIIMA Best Actress (Critics) Telugu Award for her performance in Tadakha. In 2017, Bhatia was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Confederation of International Accreditation Commission for her contributions to Indian cinema. Her role in F2: Fun and Frustration earned her the Santosham Best Actress Award for the second time, and she also received several nominations at the Filmfare Awards South.

Other works
Apart from her acting career, Bhatia has pursued various other endeavours. She has worked as a model, appearing in television commercials for brands like Fanta and Chandrika Ayurvedic soap. In March 2015, she took on the role of brand ambassador for Zee Telugu and introduced her jewellery brand, "Wite & Gold", in the same month. In January 2016, she became associated with the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign. She authored her first book, Back To The Roots, which was published by Penguin Random House India in August 2021. Bhatia became an equity partner in Sugar Cosmetics in September 2022. She took on the role of brand ambassador for IIFL Finance in January and VLCC in July 2023. In October 2023, Bhatia became the inaugural Indian ambassador for Shiseido, the Japanese beauty and cosmetics brand. In January 2024, she assumed the role of brand ambassador for Cellecor Gadgets Limited, endorsing its new line of earbuds and smartwatches. Then, in March 2024, she took on the role of brand ambassador for Rasna, the soft drink concentrate.