Tamannaah Bhatia opens up on North vs South debate: ‘High time we stop creating differences’

Tamannaah Bhatia has weighed in on the ongoing debate about the North-South divide in the Indian film industry. According to the actor, the constant discussion on the topic has only led to more chaos and division. Also read: Tamannaah Bhatia says South films are more ‘rooted’ than Bollywood: ‘They are not trying to service different people’

The actor spoke about the debate when joined for a session at Sahitya Aajtak 2024. She was joined by Sikandar Ka Muqaddar co-stars Avinash Tiwary and Jimmy Shergill, according to India Today.

Tamannaah on North-South debate

During the discussion, Tamannaah stressed on the need for unity for a pan-India cinema approach. She shared that it was time the debate should be dropped.

Talking about the North-South debate, Tamannaah said, “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. And the blame is always on actors that he/she has said something.”

She added, “But, the fact remains truly that we are at a beautiful phase where people are looking upto 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”.

Adding to it, Avinash Tiwary shared that it is time to “drop the regional divide and stop terming it ‘Bollywood’”. He shared that he is waiting for the day when it’s called an Indian film industry, and not South or Hindi films, adding that cultural influence needs to be discussed.

On the work front

Tamannaah Bhatia will be seen with Avinash Tiwary and Jimmy Shergill in Sikandar Ka Muqaddar. The upcoming heist action-thriller is by Neeraj Pandey. The film also features Divya Dutta and Zoya Afroz in pivotal roles.

The trailer shows a 2008 diamond heist which revolves around three suspects – Kamini Singh played by Tamannaah, Sikandar Sharma portrayed by Avinash Tiwary and Mangesh Desai essayed by Rajiv Mehta. Jimmy plays Investigating Officer Jaswinder Singh who witnesses the blurring lines between guilt and innocence. Sikander Ka Muqaddar premieres on November 29, on Netflix.