[Exclusive] Being calm in the face of chaos, actor Tamannaah Bhatia finds solace in meditation

“I am a work in progress,” says actress Tamannaah Bhatia. 

Having joined the film industry at the age of 13, the actor has appeared in over 68 films so far. Recently, during a candid interaction with YS Life, on the sidelines of the launch of Shiseido’s new Vital Perfection skincare range, Bhatia said, the product tagline—‘Potential has no age’—is the mantra of her life. 

“It was applicable to me when I started working…I never thought that being too young was a problem. And now when I am (in my) 30(s), I don’t feel that time is running out and I cannot do a few things, or certain kinds of roles…,” she says.

Last year, Shiseido announced Bhatia as its Maiden Indian Brand Ambassador. 

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The actor, almost in a zen mode, seemed to be fully present in the moment—without paying much attention to the chaos around her. As we sat down on couches facing each other, multiple cameras fluttered their shutters on Bhatia’s face, and fans queued, in an attempt to get a glimpse of their favourite actor. But she remained unbothered and composed.

How? YS Life asks. 

“I am spiritual…Two years ago meditation became a very important part of my life and that’s when I found my guru, Sadhguru ji. Meditation got me closer to practising yoga...to know myself better and deal with the stresses of my everyday life in a much more organised fashion.”

Having said so, “I would be lying if I said that I didn’t care about what people thought…As an actor, I care about my audiences and about what I am putting out there. I care about what they feel when they see my work and the impact it has on them.”

Debuting in 2005 with Chand Sa Roshan Chehra (in Hindi) and Sree (in Telugu), Bhatia is predominantly remembered for her roles in Baahubali: The Beginning (2015), and more recently for Lust Stories 2 (2023). 

What has changed in the last two decades? We ask. 

“I value and honour the artist in myself more. I don’t want to be boxed in and being told what I can, and what I cannot do.”

Over the years, Bhatia has become more experimental with her roles and scripts. Happy Days (2007), a coming-of-age Telugu musical, is considered a breakthrough role for the actor. 100% Love (2011), a Telugu romantic comedy starring Bhatia in a lead role opposite Naga Chaitanya, won two Nandi Awards (awards recognising excellence in the Telugu film industry). More recently, in Babli Bouncer (2022), Bhatia received praise from critics for her performance as a woman bouncer at a nightclub. 

“As an artist, I have the power to explore different facets. I keep trying to do something that I haven’t done before and put newer versions of myself out there.”

But most importantly, Bhatia adds: “I am trying to upgrade the perception of myself—of who I am, and of my life. As an actor, I can only make choices of how I interpret a character. But that choice comes from perception. If my perception is authentic, then I will be able to present those characters with better choices and better performances. The quest is to work on my perception.” 

Being in the limelight—especially from such a young age—comes with its own set of challenges, often in the form of misconceptions and trolls. But Bhatia believes that putting her most genuine version out has helped her face some of these challenges. 

“Misconceptions ceased to exist the moment I put myself out there…I truly believe everyone perceives you the way they are, but the camera is one medium that sees you for who you are,” she adds.

But that doesn’t mean the actor doesn’t have bad days. “I have learnt to celebrate my good days and enjoy my successes. But I don’t get bogged down by the bad days…I dwell upon those as well, absorb the fact that I don’t feel good and then move on.” 

Bhatia is currently working on multiple projects across the Hindi and Telugu film industries. Her next releases Stree 2, Vedaa and Odela 2 are all scheduled for this year. 

Having tried multiple roles and genres across film industries, Bhatia now wishes to tell stories herself—”Five to 10 years ago the idea of a director scared me, but I feel direction or production will feel like a natural progression now…I don’t have an answer as to when but I know that I will wake up one morning and want to tell stories,” she concludes, with conviction.