Tamannaah Bhatia On Dance Number Criticism: 'You Have to Be the Hero of Your Own Story'

 

Tamannaah Bhatia is apparently not bothered by the noise around the projection of leading ladies in dance numbers. Recently, controversy around Janhvi Kapoor’s portrayal in Peddi forced makers to tender an apology. Earlier, Rashmika Mandanna’s dance moves in the Pushpa 2 song Peelings were also called out. Even Tamannaah herself faced scrutiny for songs like Aaj Ki Raat, Ghafoor, and Kaavaalaa. However, the actress seems unfazed by the criticism these songs usually get.

 

Glamorous dance numbers have always been part of Indian cinema. Stars like Zeenat Aman in Qurbani and Madhuri Dixit with Ek Do Teen made them iconic. But periodically, the intent of such songs is what keeps the debate alive around dance numbers in mainstream cinema.

 

Tamannaah has become one of the most in-demand names for these special songs in both South and Hindi cinema. She reportedly commands a huge fee for the songs, which she refers to as just "party numbers."

"I didn’t consciously intend this to be a commercial model, but if it becomes one, I don’t mind," she said in a recent interview with a webloid. “You have to be the hero of your own story and support yourself,” the Baahubali star said.

Earlier, talking about the influence of dance numbers, Tamannaah said, "A special song is not just about dance, it carries emotion too. Creating a lasting impact in just a few minutes on screen is an art. Films may fade from memory, but songs often stay forever."

 

In 2025, videos of toddlers dancing to Aaj Ki Raat from Stree 2 went viral and triggered online discussion. During an interview Tamannaah was asked about how she looks at the impact these songs have on kids. To which she responded, "I can't tell you the number of mothers that have called me up and said, 'My child will eat food only if he hears Aaj Ki Raat'. Because bacche apne diaper mein aise aise hil rahe hote hai (moves side to side)."

 

When the host said that, this raised concern about the mothers, Tamannaah added, "Mummyo ka concern hai ki bacche khana kha rahe hai ya nahi? Priorities hote hai. Ek aadh saal mein unko kaunse lyrics samajh mein aayenge (Mothers' concerns are whether their kids are eating properly or not. There are priorities. What lyrics will they understand at the age of one)? There is music. We forget films, we remember the songs. It's the fact."

On the film front, Tamannaah has a slew of projects lined up for 2026 and 2027. She has Ragini 3, Maria IPS, Purushan, Vvan, V Shantaram biopic and a yet-to-be-named movie featuring Ajay Devgn at various levels of production.