Tamannaah Bhatia’s journey from a fresh-faced newcomer in the South Indian film industry to a household name has been nothing short of remarkable. When she debuted in the Telugu film Sree (2005) and the Tamil film Kedi (2006) as a teenager, she was stepping into unfamiliar territory—both in terms of language and culture. Nearly two decades and over 80 films later, Tamannaah has become one of the most recognized stars in South Indian cinema.

Ahead of her upcoming release, Sikandar Ka Muqaddar, Tamannaah joined her co-stars Avinash Tiwary and Jimmy Shergill for the second edition of SCREEN LIVE, an event marking the relaunch of SCREEN, a leading platform for entertainment journalism. During the conversation, the actress shared insights into her career, her growth as an actor, and how her early challenges shaped her success.

Reflecting on her initial struggles, Tamannaah said that her biggest lesson came from working in a completely new environment. “Working with people much older than me, and in a place where I didn’t know the language, was one of my biggest learnings,” she recalled. “I understood a completely different culture, and now I can speak both Tamil and Telugu.”

Her journey took a significant turn when she achieved massive commercial success in Tamil and Telugu cinema. Despite this, Tamannaah remained hungry for more. “I had commercial success, but I was still hungry as an actor,” she explained. “The real challenge came when I wanted to experiment with different roles. There was this notion that once you’re successful commercially, there’s no need to try anything new. But I wanted to do something different.”

The turning point in her career came with Baahubali, the epic film that not only revolutionized Indian cinema but also helped define the concept of pan-Indian films. Tamannaah credited the film with broadening her perspective. “Baahubali was a game-changer for everyone. It made me think, ‘How do I top this?’ The success raised the question—do I go bigger, or do I reinvent myself?”

This quest for reinvention has driven Tamannaah to take on diverse roles in films like Thozha, Dharma Durai, F2, and Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy, among others. These projects allowed her to explore a variety of characters, balancing her star power with opportunities to showcase her acting versatility.

Now, with Sikandar Ka Muqaddar, Tamannaah is embarking on another exciting chapter of her career. “In this film, I’m playing a role that audiences haven’t seen me play before,” she teased, expressing hope that her fans will enjoy the new phase of her cinematic journey.