The ongoing debate about the North-South divide in the Indian film industry has sparked a fresh round of discussions, with many industry insiders and actors sharing their thoughts on the perceived disparities between the Bollywood and South Indian film industries. Joining the conversation is actress Tamannaah Bhatia, who recently spoke about the need for unity and a pan-India cinema approach.
Tamannaah shares her views
During a session at Sahitya Aajtak 2024, Tamannaah emphasized the importance of dropping the North-South debate and focusing on creating a unified Indian film industry. “It’s high time we stop creating differences in our own industry. Both industries should get together and make an actual pan-India film. Playing against each other – this has been happening for a long time and it has only caused more havoc,” she said.
Tamannaah further added, “And the blame is always on actors that he/she has said something. But, the fact remains truly that we are at a beautiful phase where people are looking up to us even internationally. They want to see Indian films. We should rather be talking about how to position ourselves in an international space. The South and North barrier should be dropped. Movies are a collective art form. Every time you work on a film set, it is a new experience. There is no formula that suggests if something has worked in one industry, it will work in another industry. There is no right way to do it.”
More speak up
Avinash Tiwary, who was also part of the session, echoed Tamannaah’s sentiments, stating that it’s time to “drop the regional divide and stop terming it ‘Bollywood'”. He expressed his desire to see the day when the Indian film industry is referred to as a single entity, rather than being divided into South or Hindi films.
On the work front, Tamannaah Bhatia will be seen alongside Avinash Tiwary and Jimmy Shergill in the upcoming heist action-thriller, Sikandar Ka Muqaddar. Directed by Neeraj Pandey, the film also features Divya Dutta and Zoya Afroz in pivotal roles. The trailer, which was recently released, shows a 2008 diamond heist that revolves around three suspects – Kamini Singh played by Tamannaah, Sikandar Sharma portrayed by Avinash Tiwary, and Mangesh Desai essayed by Rajiv Mehta. Jimmy Shergill plays Investigating Officer Jaswinder Singh, who witnesses the blurring lines between guilt and innocence. Sikandar Ka Muqaddar is set to premiere on Netflix on November 29.
