Indian actress Tamannaah Bhatia, who met fans at City Centre Deira during Diwali weekend, has a message for anyone who thinks they can tell her how to run her life: don't bother.
The actress, who began working at just 15, has spent years navigating the unpredictable world of Indian cinema. Now, as she expands her footprint beyond films and into fine jewellery, she's making it clear that the woman behind the glamorous image has always called her own shots.
"I was 15 when I started to work, and I decided to become an actor. I don't think anyone has been able to dictate what I did professionally or personally," Tamannaah told us.
"I feel like I've always been that person who's been, you know, the risk taker, the one who's done exactly what my heart called out for. So, yeah, nothing changes. Still, still the same thing."
It's a striking declaration from an actress who has worked across Hindi, Tamil and Telugu cinema and is now adding entrepreneur to her already crowded CV.
We caught up with Tamannaah at an event organised by Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE) as part of the city's Diwali celebrations.
The festival of lights may be behind us, but her visit offered a glimpse into the many worlds she now straddles: cinema, commerce and celebrity.
And while she has serious business ambitions, her relationship with Dubai remains wonderfully uncomplicated. She loves to shop, especially gold.
Dubai's gold rush has a Bollywood fan
Ask Tamannaah how she'd spend a leisurely afternoon in Dubai and she doesn't offer a carefully curated celebrity answer about wellness retreats or exclusive experiences.
"You would definitely find me shopping, guilty as charged," she said.
"But I also would love like a really beautiful meal and a nice sort of relaxing afternoon. That would be something I would totally be doing in Dubai."
And like countless Indian visitors who have made a beeline for Dubai's gold shops, Tamannaah too caved in.
"I remember buying this really pretty chain in Dubai, and definitely the gold here is beautiful looking. So yeah, this is something that often people want to buy from Dubai. So I've done that too."
The irony isn't lost on us. The actress who once bought gold in Dubai is now in the business of selling jewelry herself.
But her decision to launch Tamanna Fine Jewelry wasn't simply about capitalising on her fame.
She spotted a gap in the market and decided to do something about it.
"I think for me, whenever I wanted something elevated every day, it was really not something I found. I found very generic things. I never found something that was identifiable and had a design language, and I felt like I wanted something that had presence but also felt easy to wear."
"So that's exactly where I built Tamanna fine jewelry."
Essentially, she wanted jewellery that looked expensive and distinctive without needing a wedding, a film premiere or an extravagant occasion to justify wearing it.
Beyond the celebrity brand endorsement
Of course, there's a difference between wearing beautiful jewellery and knowing how to make or sell it.
And Tamannaah isn't pretending that being a famous actress automatically qualifies her as a jewellery expert.
The business has been a learning curve, particularly when it comes to understanding craftsmanship and the mechanics of running a company.
"I think for me the business aspect is what I've learned largely since I've come into it, and also just making the art of jewelry making."
She's equally candid about her limitations.
"I'm not a bench jeweler, so I don't exactly do the whole thing myself. But I think at some point I would love to get my hands like fully into it because I feel like it's important to see how things are actually made to understand why something happens and doesn't happen."
It's a refreshing admission in a celebrity economy where attaching a famous name to a product can sometimes pass for entrepreneurship.
Tamannaah, however, wants to understand what goes into creating the product, not merely posing with it.
"I'm actually learning processes very, very intimately, and that's really helping me understand why something is and why something is not."
Four films and a bigger business in 2027
If anyone imagined her business ambitions might mean slowing down on films, Tamannaah has other plans.
In fact, 2027 is shaping up to be particularly hectic.
"I have so much to carry forward, lots to do. I have three actually no four releases coming up next year, three Hindi film releases, one Tamil film release."
"My brand's growing bigger, we're expanding, so lots of new things, a lot of expansion, a lot of fun movies. So a lot to look forward to in 2027."
Four films, two languages and a growing jewellery business. Clearly, retirement isn't on the agenda.
But for all the talk of business expansion and professional success, Tamannaah insists that her most valuable asset cannot be measured in money.
It's the affection she receives from her audience.
"I definitely feel like the kind of constant love that I get from people. I think that's just I can't put a number to it."
"This connection that I have with my audience that means the most to me because it's not tangible and it's just not something that I could ever make sense out of because the love is just so much so I'm very thankful and grateful for it."
That connection was also at the heart of her Dubai appearance, which brought her face-to-face with fans during the city's Diwali festivities.
And despite the relentless pace of her professional life, her memories of the festival remain surprisingly simple.
No elaborate celebrity parties or extravagant jewellery required.
"You know, I love seeing rangoli, which is something that people do one day before Diwali, and so normally in Indian households, that's like a ritual that happens," she said.
"And yeah, that always makes me feel like home. Makes me feel like, you know, very, very, very Diwali."
For someone whose life is increasingly divided between film sets and business decisions, it's a reminder that not every celebration needs to be a grand production.
And perhaps that's Tamannaah's most interesting contradiction: an actress who loves Dubai's gold, wants to build a jewellery empire and refuses to let anyone dictate her choices, but still associates the festival of lights with something as simple as a rangoli outside an Indian home.
