Tamannaah Bhatia had maintained a strict no-kissing policy for much of her career. The actress stayed away from lip-locks and intimate scenes for years before breaking that rule with “Lust Stories 2” in 2023.
Since then, Tamannaah has mostly been seen in Bollywood through special appearances and item songs, while her presence in Telugu cinema has considerably reduced, with fewer acting offers coming her way. Her recent appearance was in Sampth Nandi’s Odela 2, which tanked at the box office.
In a recent interaction, the actress opened up about her changing approach to on-screen intimacy, her career and the kind of roles she wants to take up going forward.
Tamannaah said she does not want fear or hesitation to come in the way of her growth as an actor. She believes intimate scenes, including kissing, should not be judged in isolation when they are relevant to the story.
According to the actress, cinema is evolving with time, and actors too need to approach such scenes with greater maturity when the narrative demands them.
At the same time, Tamannaah expressed her frustration over being approached mainly for item songs rather than challenging acting roles. She wants filmmakers to look beyond her image and offer her characters that give her an opportunity to explore herself as an actor.
For Tamannaah, the focus now appears to be on making more meaningful career choices and taking up roles that offer something beyond glamour and special appearances.