7 movies from Tamannaah's filmography every fan needs to watch

Tamannaah Bhatia’s acting career, so far, has been a classic case of how unpredictable an actor’s job is in the film industry. The actor started at the age of 15 while she was still in school with Chaand Sa Roshan Chehra in 2005, and soon after that, she bagged films in Telugu and Tamil cinema. “I was still writing my board exams when I got a call to audition for a Telugu film, Sri, with Manchu Manoj in the lead role. Back then, I didn’t even know how big Telugu and Tamil film industries were, but once I began working, I wanted to make a sincere effort to learn both the languages. That helped me a lot in the long run,” Tamannaah once said, talking about her foray in South Indian cinema.

Her first breakthrough film in Telugu, Happy Days (2007), directed by Sekhar Kammula, was a huge hit, and the same year, she earned rave reviews for her performance as a college student in an acclaimed Tamil film Kalloori. But things took a different turn when she began to appear in commercial films in Telugu and Tamil, and with the box-office success of films like Ayan, Kanden Kadhalai, Paiyya, Siruthai, 100% Love, and Badrinath, she became one of the most sought after actors in the two film industries.

Between 2010 and 2015, Tamannaah appeared in several commercially successful films; however, on numerous occasions, doubts were raised about the longevity of her career. And it was largely because the roles she was offered often focused on her glamorous persona, a stereotype that took years to break. But the song-and-dance routine in commercial films also turned into a blessing in disguise for Tamannaah, who went on to establish herself as one of the best dancers in showbiz.

Reflecting on her career, in an interview, Tamannaah once said that she had made peace with the ups and downs in her career and that she is hopeful about finding scripts that will change people’s perception about her. “I’ve found it very challenging to break the mould because most of the scripts we get are male-centric. Even though I’ve been part of films which have had a lot more strong female characters, the scripts still tend to be male driven. I’m happy that I’ve been able to build a space for myself within this framework. I’m a team player and I’m not greedy at all when it comes to my own role. I want to be part of films which do well and if I can make a difference, then that’s great. Every time people write me off, I’m thrilled because it pushes me to work harder,” Tamannaah stated.

2015 was a defining year in her career when she appeared as a warrior in SS Rajamouli’s Baahubali : The Beginning. For the first time in her career, Tamannaah had taken up an action-packed role and her makeover for the character worked in her favour. And over the years, films like AL Vijay’s Devi, Seenuramasamy’s Dharmadurai, and even Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy have turned the spotlight on her acting chops rather than her look on-screen, and her dedication and professionalism haven't gone unnoticed. In fact, her Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy co-star, megastar Chiranjeevi was so impressed with her that he went on record stating that young actors should look up to her as a role-model. Despite spending half of her life as an actor, it still feels like Tamannaah's best is yet to come and that’s a good thing considering how she has delivered beyond expectations every time she has been challenged.

Here are seven movies from Tamannaah’s career that show her evolution as an actor:  

1. Kalloori (2007)

A major breakthrough for Tamannaah in Tamil cinema, Balaji Shaktivel’s critically acclaimed film Kalloori had the actor playing a college student, Shobana, in a small town in Tamil Nadu. Soon, she becomes part of another group of friends, who come from different socio-economic and cultural backgrounds, and Shobana’s newfound friendship with them helps her move on from a recent tragedy in her life. However, things take a dramatic turn when a bus, in which Shobana and her friends are travelling, is torched during a protest. In hindsight, Shobana’s character arc is quite similar to that of Tamannaah’s acting career, who was a newbie from Mumbai trying to find her place in Tamil cinema. The actor impressed the audience and critics alike with her performance, and she went on to become a major star in subsequent years; however, very few films in her career have tapped into her vulnerable side the way Kalloori did.

Streaming on Hotstar

2. Paiyaa (2010)

Paiyaa, Tamannaah’s first collaboration with Karthi, turned out to be a huge success in both Tamil and Telugu, and it quickly catapulted the actor’s fame to greater heights. Directed by Lingusamy, Paiyaa (dubbed in Telugu as Aawara) is a road film which traverses the life of two strangers—Shiva and Charulatha—who end up going on a trip to Mumbai under unusual circumstances. While Shiva tries to look for a job, he accidentally meets Charulatha (Tamannaah), who mistakes him to be a cab driver, and pleads him to help her escape from a bunch of gangsters. The film’s music album, scored by Yuvanshankar Raja, was a roaring success, and the dazzling chemistry between Tamannaah and Karthi was another highlight in the film.

Streaming on Zee5

3. Oosaravelli (2011)

In Surender Reddy’s Oosaravelli, Tamannaah played Niharika, an amnesia patient, who hires an assassin, Tony (Jr NTR) to avenge the death of her family members in the hands of a mafia don. Although the film failed to click at the box-office, Tamannaah was impressive in the film and surprised many with her range. For the first time in her Telugu cinema career, she proved that she was more than just a glamorous actor; however, the film itself didn’t quite resonate with the audience.

Streaming on Amazon Prime

4. Baahubali : The Beginning (2015)

SS Rajamouli’s Baahubali: The Beginning turned Tamannaah into a warrior, Avantika, who vows to rescue Devasena from the clutches of Mahishmathi’s tyrant king, Bhallaladeva. However, her life takes a dramatic turn when she meets Shivudu (Prabhas). When Avantika gets injured during her journey towards Mahishmathi, Shivudu promises to continue her mission. The transformation that the actor went through to play the role and the intensity that she brought to the character received wide acclaim, although there was also a fair share of criticism about how Shivudu reminds her that she’s a normal girl, which makes her fall in love with him. The film, however, was a major turning point in Tamannaah’s career and it paved way for other filmmakers to offer many more serious roles to the actor.

Streaming on Hotstar

5. Dharma Durai (2016)

Tamannaah teamed up with Vijay Sethupathi in Seenu Ramasamy’s acclaimed village drama, Dharma Durai, which follows the titular character’s uneasy relationship journey with his own family and how his life breaks apart in the process. The duo’s heartwarming relationship was a revelation in the story.

Streaming on Hotstar

6. Oopiri (2016)

Vamshi Paidipally’s Oopiri, which also released in Tamil as Thozha, brought back Tamannaah and Karthi together after a long time, and their onscreen chemistry was a delight to watch. A remake of French comedy-drama, The Intouchables (2011), Oopiri focused on an unusual friendship between a quadriplegic but wealthy businessman Vikramaditya (Nagarjuna) and a small-time thief Seenu (Karthi). Tamannaah played the role of Vikramaditya’s secretary, Keerthi, who detests Seenu’s uncouth ways; however, she slowly falls in love with him when she sees how happy Vikramaditya is in Seenu’s presence. The film beautifully unfolds the love-hate relationship between Karthi and Tamannaah. 

Streaming on SunNXT (Thozha)

7. Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy (2019)

Tamannaah played one of her most dramatic roles in Surender Reddy’s Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy, which had the likes of Chiranjeevi, Nayanthara, Amitabh Bachchan, Sudeep, and Jagapathi Babu playing key characters. Set in the 1850s, the film narrates the story of Narasimha Reddy, a rich polygar in the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh, who unites others to fight against the British East India Company. In the film, Tamannaah plays a dancer, Lakshmi, who falls in love with Narasimha Reddy (Chiranjeevi); however, she realises that he’s already married to Siddhamma (Nayanthara) at a young age. At Narasimha Reddy’s behest, she uses her art as a method to inspire several villagers to join the independence movement, and even sacrifices her own life in the process. Although she had a limited screen time, Tamannaah's performance was lauded by viewers.

Streaming on Amazon Prime

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