Tamannaah's trek: 15 years and going strong

MUMBAI: Southern superstar Tamannaah made her debut exactly 15 years ago on this day, with the Hindi film "Chand Sa Roshan Chehra". The film tanked but the 15-year-old Tamannaah would go on to make her debut in the South Indian industry later the same year with the Telugu film "Sri". The audience loved the budding teenager's innocence and charm, and there has been no looking back since.

Over the last decade and half, she has scored several hits and memorable performances. However, her real real turning point had happened in 2007. With releases such as "Happy Days" in Telugu and ''Kallori'' in Tamil, Tamannaah managed to acquire a distinct vibe as a star and as an actress. Appearing as a college student in both films, she chose the route of being a performance-oriented stars who had no qualms donning a no make-up look. It was then that the audience realised the fresh-faced Tamannaah was here to stay and slay!

After her first few films, Tamannaah went on to star as the fun-yet-sensible female lead in films such as "Kick" and "Ayaan". With her spunk and striking smile, she made her mark by starring in films including "Kanden Kadhalai", "Paiyaa", "Thillalangadi", "Siruthai". Her popularity in Telugu and Tamil won her films opposite A-list stars such as Jr. NTR, Pawan Kalyan, Ram Charan, Prabhas, Ajith and Vijay.

Tamannaah did make an attempt to shift to Bollywood with films such as "Himmatwala" opposite Ajay Devgn and "Entertainment" opposite Akshay Kumar, but the Mumbai born actress of Sindhi-descent found more quality and content down South. The decision to work in South Indian films paved way for something more significant.

The biggest film in Tamannaah's career came through director SS Rajamouli, by way of the epic "Baahubali" franchise (2015 and 2017). A two-part series featured Tamannaah as Avanthika, a warrior princess who charmed everyone with her fierce moves. The film won her new fans all over India, and also a huge band of loyalists in faraway Japan. Last year, she went on to appear in another period drama, "Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy" opposite Chiranjeevi.

Tamannaah isn't just known for her vivacious energy. She is also popular for her killer dance moves. It is no wonder that she has appeared in special songs in blockbuster films such as "Alludu Seenu", "Speedunnodu", "Jaguar", "K.G.F" and "Sarileru Neekevvaru". Her dance moves have also led her to take part in the Magenta Riddim challenge, where she danced to DJ Snake's viral track.

A look at her career-graph tells you that she has worked with the biggest of stars and the best of directors. Fans and those in the film industry say that her knack to learn regional languages with ease, her willingness to work hard and shoot in a professional manner, make her one of South Indian cinema's most sought-after and richest actors. In a world where new faces are launched every Friday, it is quite an accomplishment to complete 15 years.

Tamannaah will soon be seen in the Hindi film "Bole Chudiyan" opposite Nawazuddin Siddiqui and the Telugu film "Seetimaarr" opposite Gopichand.