In a candid conversation, Tamannaah Bhatia opened up about an evolution she’s witnessing in Bollywood: women in their 30s no longer being relegated to decorative roles, but being offered “juicy parts” with depth and agency. The actress—whose pan-Indian career spans Tamil, Telugu and Hindi cinema—spoke to the Hindustan Times about how the industry’s mindset is shifting, and how she found herself thriving just as she expected to.
Reflecting on her own trajectory, Tamannaah recalled that when she entered the film world she had a “ten-year plan” in mind. She had imagined working through her 20s, then marrying and settling down by her 30s. “But the good part was that while I was working and in my late 20s, the industry began writing those juicy parts,” she said. “We used to not really show many women post that age. I don’t know what this fear of age is, though. Ageing is so awesome.”
It is a remarkable observation coming from an actress who is now 35 and operating in an entertainment landscape far different to the one she stepped into. For years, the predominant narrative relegated actresses once they passed their mid-20s to niche roles or fading visibility. Tamannaah believes that is changing—slowly but surely. She noted increased offers for characters that allow women to exist beyond love interests, beyond motherhood arcs, and into spaces of central importance.
She pointed to the fact that audiences—and platforms—are now more willing to celebrate complexity: “There are more parts being written for the kind of project that this age group of women can carry.” Her pride in this shift comes through clearly. “While others might still fear ageing, I feel this is when real craft kicks in.”
With that backdrop, Tamannaah also opened up about how her own career pivoted. Coming from a regionally dominant background, she ventured into Hindi films and OTT with deliberate strategy. She has recently signed onto films like the Vishal Bhardwaj–directed action thriller O’ Romeo (with Shahid Kapoor) and the mythological-folk drama Vann – Force of the Forest opposite Sidharth Malhotra, slated for release in 2026.
These upcoming projects suggest that she’s aligning with stories large in scale and ambition—but anchored in characters with maturity and gravitas. It’s a marked contrast to early career roles which often emphasised youthful glamour and dancing numbers over character depth.
“I don’t know why people talk about ageing like it’s some disease,” she said. This pronouncement reflects a broader cultural moment within Indian entertainment—where “ageing” need not be a demotion, but an activation. Her career-arc serves almost as a template for women who are now asking for more: more story, more weight, more presence.
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Industry insiders echo aspects of her observation. With the rise of streaming platforms, regional cinema breakthroughs and female-led narratives, the demand for women past a certain “age shelf-life” has lessened. Married women, women with children, women in their 30s are increasingly heading film and series projects. Tamannaah is quick to credit this shift to changing economics and audience sophistication. “When content matters more than star-power, you get these parts,” she noted.
For her part, Tamannaah sees her future in large-scale, character-driven films. She describes a phase where reputation, craft, and varied mediums matter more than youthful idealism. “It’s not about starting early and fading early. It’s about growing into your strength,” she said.
At a time when Bollywood is grappling with representation questions—age, gender, region—Tamannaah’s words carry weight. She’s not preaching; she’s simply observant. She’s registering what’s changed while staying ambitious about what comes next. For women in their 30s in Hindi cinema, that is no small thing.