Rashmika Mandanna (; born 5 April 1996) is an Indian actress who primarily works in Telugu, Kannada and Hindi films. She is the recipient of four SIIMA Awards and a Filmfare Award South, and was featured by Forbes India in their 30 Under 30 list of 2024.Rashmika made her acting debut with the Kannada film Kirik Party (2016), and had her first Telugu film release in the romantic comedy Chalo (2018). A turning point in her career came with the romance Geetha Govindam (2018), which earned her the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress – South. She played the leading lady in the action comedies Devadas (2018) and Sarileru Neekevvaru (2020), and the romance Bheeshma (2020). Her first Tamil release came in the action drama film Sulthan (2021). She gained wider success for playing the leading lady in the action film Pushpa: The Rise (2022). Following a supporting role in the period drama Sita Ramam (2022), she expanded to Hindi cinema and had her highest-grossing release with the action thriller Animal (2023).

Early life and education

Rashmika Mandanna was born on 5 April 1996 into a Kodava family to Suman and Madan Mandanna in Virajpet, a town in Kodagu district of Karnataka and has a younger sister. Her father is the owner of a coffee estate and a function hall called Serenity in Virajpet, Karnataka whilst her mother is a housewife. Rashmika's family had struggled financially, having difficulties finding a home and being able to pay rent. She studied for a bachelor's degree in Psychology, Journalism and English Literature at the M. S. Ramaiah College of Arts, Science and Commerce in Bangalore. She studied for a bachelor's degree in Psychology, Journalism and English Literature at the M. S. Ramaiah College of Arts, Science and Commerce in Bangalore. Despite initial hesitation about Rashmika's pursuit of an acting career due to her unassertive personality, her parents eventually granted her permission to follow through with it.As a child, Rashmika attended Coorg Public School, a boarding school located in Gonikoppal, in which she excelled academically. However, during this time period, she expressed feeling "misunderstood" because of communication challenges, resulting in her "crying in [her] room for hours" and struggling to connect with peers. She credits her mother as the stabilising influence in her life, labelling her as her "biggest strength".

Early life

Rashmika Mandanna was born on 5 April 1996 into a Kodava Hindu family to Suman and Madan Mandanna in Virajpet, a town in Kodagu district of Karnataka and has a younger sister. Her father is the owner of a coffee estate and a function hall called Serenity in Virajpet, Karnataka whilst her mother is a housewife. Her family had struggled financially, having difficulties finding a home and being able to pay rent. As a child, Rashmika attended Coorg Public School, a boarding school located in Gonikoppal, in which she excelled academically. As a child, Rashmika attended Coorg Public School, a boarding school located in Gonikoppal, in which she excelled academically. However, during this time period, she expressed feeling "misunderstood" because of communication challenges, resulting in her "crying in [her] room for hours" and struggling to connect with peers. She credits her mother as the stabilising influence in her life, labelling her as her "biggest strength". She studied for a bachelor's degree in Psychology, Journalism and English Literature at the M. S. Ramaiah College of Arts, Science and Commerce in Bangalore. Despite initial hesitation about Rashmika's pursuit of an acting career due to her unassertive personality, her parents eventually granted her permission to follow through with it.

Early life, education and work

Rashmika Mandanna was born on 5 April 1996 into a Kodava family to Suman and Madan Mandanna in Virajpet, a town in Kodagu district of Karnataka and has a younger sister. Her father is the owner of a coffee estate and a function hall called Serenity in Virajpet, Karnataka whilst her mother is a housewife. Rashmika's family had struggled financially, having difficulties finding a home and being able to pay rent. Describing her childhood, Rashmika recalled: She studied for a bachelor's degree in Psychology, Journalism and English Literature at the M. S. Ramaiah College of Arts, Science and Commerce in Bangalore. Despite initial hesitation about Rashmika's pursuit of an acting career due to her unassertive personality, her parents eventually granted her permission to follow through with it.As a child, Rashmika attended Coorg Public School, a boarding school located in Gonikoppal, in which she excelled academically. However, during this time period, she expressed feeling "misunderstood" because of communication challenges, resulting in her "crying in [her] room for hours" and struggling to connect with peers. She credits her mother as the stabilising influence in her life, labelling her as her "biggest strength".In 2014, Rashmika was named The Clean & Clear Times Fresh Face of India. She, alongside another recipient, received the award from Akshay Kumar.

Career

In 2016, Rashmika made her acting debut in the Kannada romantic-comedy ''Kirik Party'' which went on to become one of the highest-grossing films of the year in Kannada. Sunayana Suresh of ''The Times of India'' praised her in the film stating, "Rashmika Mandanna as Saanvi is easily that pin-up girl in college and she breathes her path". She earned the SIMA Award for the Best Debut Actress. In 2017, she appeared in two commercially successful Kannada films, ''Anjani Putra'' and ''Chamak'', however, in the former ''The Indian Express''' Manoj Kumar R thought Rashmika to be reduced to "a hero's arm candy", while in the latter Suresh commended her as a "revelation". ''The Hindu''’s Stivathsan Nadadhur wrote that, "the makers try to slot Rashmika Mandanna into the lively-bubbly space of a female lead and she makes a confident Telugu debut". The film was a commercial success at the box office. Rashmika then played the title role of Geetha, a strong-willed and independent woman in the Venky Kudumula-directed Telugu romantic comedy ''Geetha Govindam'' opposite Vijay Deverakonda. Made on a shoestring budget, the film grossed over crore, her highest grosser to that point. Despite this, critics were generally ambivalent towards the film with ''Firstpost'''s Haricharan Pudipeddi stating, "another reason why the film works in spite of a very done-to-death plot is due to the refreshing on screen chemistry of Deverakonda and Rashmika, who make it an enjoyable watch". She earned the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress - South along with the Zee Cine Telugu Award for Favourite Actress. Rashmika's final release of 2018 was the Sriram Adittya directorial ''Devadas''. Although a commercial success, she was said to be "deprived of speaking lines," by Manoj Kumar R of ''The Indian Express.''In 2019, Rashmika returned to Kannada cinema with the commercially successful ''Yajamana'', opposite Darshan. Regardless of being awarded the SIIMA Award for Best Actress (Critics) – Telugu, the age gap between the two leads was criticised by Karthik Keramalu of ''Film Companion.'' Rashmika's second and ultimate film release of the year was the Telugu romantic action drama ''Dear Comrade,'' where she portrayed the role of a talented cricketer who, following sexist remarks and discrimination, loses her passion for the sport. In preparation for the role, she underwent five months of "rigorous physical training" to authentically capture the body language of a cricketer before filming commenced. The project marked her second with Devarkonda, however, they were not able to replicate the success of their previous film, ultimately failing at the box office thus marking Rashmika’s first commercial failure. Along with this, the movie caused controversy over a scene featuring a kiss between Devarkonda and Rashmika. She defended the scene in response to the public outcry stating, "The particular scene in the film demanded it and I should do justice to my role. No movie should be judged solely on the basis of a lip-lock scene. It should be seen as a whole".Rashmika began the new decade opposite Mahesh Babu in the Telugu film ''Sarileru Neekevvaru'', which went on to become one of the highest-grossing Telugu films. Despite its success at the box office, the film was panned by critics with Sangeetha Devi Dundoo of ''The Hindu'' noting, "this isn't a part by which Rashmika can be judged because all she gets to do is fawn over Mahesh". In the same year, she starred in the Telugu romantic-comedy ''Bheeshma'', opposite Nithiin. Despite receiving divergent reviews from critics, the film achieved considerable success at the box office. While ''Film Companion''’s Karthik Keramalu dismissed Rashmika as an "accessory", ''Firstpost''’s Hemanth Kumar thought that she "shined in her role".In 2021, her first release was in the Dhruva Sarja-starrer ''Pogaru''. Rashmika was criticised for taking on a role in a movie with "stereotypes that demean women" by Vivek M V of ''Deccan Herald''. In her second release of the year, she debuted in Tamil cinema opposite Karthi in the commercially successful ''Sulthan.'' Although credited as a lead, Pudipeddi of ''Hindustan Times'' thought that Rashmika had been "sidelined". Conversely, M Suganth of ''The Times of India'' had a different take, praising her on a "charming debut". Her final appearance of the year was in the critically and commercially successful ''Pushpa: The Rise'' starring Allu Arjun. Set against the backdrop of the smuggling syndicate of red sandalwood, the film marked a significant breakthrough in Rashmika's career as she gained national recognition for her role as Srivalli, a strong, independent woman who runs a dairy business and is fiercely loyal to Pushpa. ''Film Companion'''s Mukesh Manjunath found that she did her "best to imbue bubbliness and the innocence required in these testosterone-charged surroundings" but bemoaned that the brown-facing of her character was "unnecessary and ineffective". She then had a supporting role in the Dulquer Salmaan and Mrunal Thakur-led Telugu romantic-drama ''Sita Ramam''. The movie received critical acclaim and was a success at the box office. In his review for ''Hindustan Times,'' Pudipeddi appreciated Rashmika’s portrayal of "a character that goes through a transformation", adding that it is "well brought out by her performance". In her final release of the year, she appeared alongside Amitabh Bachchan and Neena Gupta as a grieving daughter struggling to cope with her mother's death in Vikas Bahl's comedy-drama ''Goodbye'', marking her debut into Hindi cinema. The film, however, was a box-office bomb. Even so, Devesh Sharma of ''Filmfare'' described Rashmika's scenes to have been "as natural as can be" adding that she managed to "leave an impact even in this non-glamorous debut". She earned the Zee Cine Award for Best Female Debut.2023 saw Rashmika in three action films, ''Varisu'', ''Mission Majnu'' and ''Animal''. In the formermost, she starred opposite Vijay but was described as merely "arm candy" by ''The Times of India''’s M Suganth. Regardless, the film went on to become one of the highest-grossing films of Tamil cinema. The Hindi spy-thriller ''Mission Majnu'' starred Rashmika as a visually-impaired woman opposite Sidharth Malhotra. In preparation for the role, she underwent special training to understand the body language and awareness of visually-impaired people. Even so, her character was negatively received and the film was panned by critics due to its unduly nationalistic views. In a scathing review for ''Film Companion'', Deepanjana Pal dismissed Rashmika's character as "unimportant". In the lattermost, the controversial Hindi action film opposite Ranbir Kapoor, Rashmika was seen as a dutiful housewife. In the lattermost, the controversial Hindi action film opposite Ranbir Kapoor, Rashmika was seen as a dutiful housewife. Acknowledging the film's misogynistic tone, Rahul Desai of ''Film Companion'' found Rashmika’s acting in a key confrontation scene with Kapoor's character to be "a race against time", adding that "the result isn’t pretty". However, according to ''IndieWire'''s Proma Khosla, Rashmika put forth a "commendable effort" but lamented the limited opportunities provided in the film for her to "showcase her talent". Despite polarising reviews from critics along with mixed reactions towards her character, ''Animal'' proved to be a major commercial success with a gross of over ₹9 billion (US$110 million), her highest to date. Following criticism regarding her character's perceived complicity in allowing misogyny, Rashmika defended her role stating Geetanjali was "the only force at home holding her family together", and described her as "pure, real, unfiltered, strong and raw". However, while also expressing personal reservations about some of her character's decisions, Rashmika understood the story was not hers and, rather, Geetanjali's and the love she has for her husband. Rashmika will next star in three Telugu films: she will reprise her role as Srivalli in the sequel ''Pushpa 2: The Rule'' Rashmika will next star in three Telugu films: she will reprise her role as Srivalli in the sequel ''Pushpa 2: The Rule'' and headline the female-led films, ''Rainbow'' and ''The Girlfriend''. She will also portray Yesubai Bhonsale, opposite Vicky Kaushal's Sambhaji, in the Hindi historical drama ''Chaava''.

Early work and breakthrough (2016–2020)

In 2016, Rashmika made her acting debut in the Kannada romantic-comedy ''Kirik Party'' which went on to become one of the highest-grossing films of the year in Kannada. Sunayana Suresh of ''The Times of India'' praised her in the film stating, "Rashmika Mandanna as Saanvi is easily that pin-up girl in college and she breathes her path". She earned the SIMA Award for the Best Debut Actress. In 2017, she appeared in two commercially successful Kannada films, ''Anjani Putra'' and ''Chamak'', however, in the former ''The Indian Express''' Manoj Kumar R thought Rashmika to be reduced to "a hero's arm candy", while in the latter Suresh commended her as a "revelation". ''The Hindu''’s Stivathsan Nadadhur wrote that, "the makers try to slot Rashmika Mandanna into the lively-bubbly space of a female lead and she makes a confident Telugu debut". The film was a commercial success at the box office. Rashmika then played the title role of Geetha, a strong-willed and independent woman in the Venky Kudumula-directed Telugu romantic comedy ''Geetha Govindam'' opposite Vijay Deverakonda. Made on a shoestring budget, the film grossed over crore, her highest grosser to that point. Despite this, critics were generally ambivalent towards the film with ''Firstpost'''s Haricharan Pudipeddi stating, "another reason why the film works in spite of a very done-to-death plot is due to the refreshing on screen chemistry of Deverakonda and Rashmika, who make it an enjoyable watch". She earned the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress - South along with the Zee Cine Telugu Award for Favourite Actress. Rashmika's final release of 2018 was the Sriram Adittya directorial ''Devadas''. Although a commercial success, she was said to be "deprived of speaking lines," by Manoj Kumar R of ''The Indian Express.''In 2019, Rashmika returned to Kannada cinema with the commercially successful ''Yajamana'', opposite Darshan. Regardless of being awarded the SIIMA Award for Best Actress (Critics) – Telugu, the age gap between the two leads was criticised by Karthik Keramalu of ''Film Companion.'' Rashmika's second and ultimate film release of the year was the Telugu romantic action drama ''Dear Comrade,'' where she portrayed the role of a talented cricketer who, following sexist remarks and discrimination, loses her passion for the sport. In preparation for the role, she underwent five months of "rigorous physical training" to authentically capture the body language of a cricketer before filming commenced. The project marked her second with Devarkonda, however, they were not able to replicate the success of their previous film, ultimately failing at the box office thus marking Rashmika’s first commercial failure. Along with this, the movie caused controversy over a scene featuring a kiss between Devarkonda and Rashmika. She defended the scene in response to the public outcry stating, "The particular scene in the film demanded it and I should do justice to my role. No movie should be judged solely on the basis of a lip-lock scene. It should be seen as a whole".Rashmika began the new decade opposite Mahesh Babu in the Telugu film ''Sarileru Neekevvaru'', which went on to become one of the highest-grossing Telugu films. Despite its success at the box office, the film was panned by critics with Sangeetha Devi Dundoo of ''The Hindu'' noting, "this isn't a part by which Rashmika can be judged because all she gets to do is fawn over Mahesh". In the same year, she starred in the Telugu romantic-comedy ''Bheeshma'', opposite Nithiin. Despite receiving divergent reviews from critics, the film achieved considerable success at the box office. While ''Film Companion''’s Karthik Keramalu dismissed Rashmika as an "accessory", ''Firstpost''’s Hemanth Kumar thought that she "shined in her role".

Debut and fame in Telugu cinema (2018)

She made her Telugu cinema debut opposite Naga Shaurya with the film titled Chalo, which ran for 100-days in some theatres, critics have been heaped praise on Mandanna for her performance. The Firstpost's Hemanth Kumar wrote that "Rashmika makes a terrific debut and she’s a joy to watch on screen". While writer of The Hindu's Srivathsan Nadadhur stated that she makes a "Confident debut".Her next film was Geetha Govindam opposite Vijay Deverakonda, which opened to positive reviews and went on to collect over ₹130 crore against production budget ₹5 crore and ran for 100-days in couple of theatres. and brought her much recognition, making her very popular in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, alongside she received immense critical appraisal from both critics and audience, Hindustan Times's Priyanka Sundar noted that "Rashmika have taken this solid plot a notch higher with their delightful performances. Rashmika especially will have you rooting for her throughout the film".Her next release was multi-starrer big budget film titled Devadas, she shared a space with Nagarjuna and Nani as one of the main lead in the film along Akanksha Singh. It marked her hat-trick hit film in her career in Telugu film industry according to few regional reliable sources.She had less screen space, though received critical appraisal for her performance. The Times of India's writer states that "Rashmika deserved better character arc, even though she plays a people of prominence."

Career expansion (2021–present)

In 2021, her first release was in the Dhruva Sarja-starrer ''Pogaru''. Rashmika was criticised for taking on a role in a movie with "stereotypes that demean women" by Vivek M V of ''Deccan Herald''. In her second release of the year, she debuted in Tamil cinema opposite Karthi in the commercially successful ''Sulthan.'' Although credited as a lead, Pudipeddi of ''Hindustan Times'' thought that Rashmika had been "sidelined". Conversely, M Suganth of ''The Times of India'' had a different take, praising her on a "charming debut". Her final appearance of the year was in the critically and commercially successful ''Pushpa: The Rise'' starring Allu Arjun. Set against the backdrop of the smuggling syndicate of red sandalwood, the film marked a significant breakthrough in Rashmika's career as she gained national recognition for her role as Srivalli, a strong, independent woman who runs a dairy business and is fiercely loyal to Pushpa. ''Film Companion'''s Mukesh Manjunath found that she did her "best to imbue bubbliness and the innocence required in these testosterone-charged surroundings" but bemoaned that the brown-facing of her character was "unnecessary and ineffective". She then had a supporting role in the Dulquer Salmaan and Mrunal Thakur-led Telugu romantic-drama ''Sita Ramam''. The movie received critical acclaim and was a success at the box office. In his review for ''Hindustan Times,'' Pudipeddi appreciated Rashmika’s portrayal of "a character that goes through a transformation", adding that it is "well brought out by her performance". In her final release of the year, she appeared alongside Amitabh Bachchan and Neena Gupta as a grieving daughter struggling to cope with her mother's death in Vikas Bahl's comedy-drama ''Goodbye'', marking her debut into Hindi cinema. The film, however, was a box-office bomb. Even so, Devesh Sharma of ''Filmfare'' described Rashmika's scenes to have been "as natural as can be" adding that she managed to "leave an impact even in this non-glamorous debut". She earned the Zee Cine Award for Best Female Debut.2023 saw Rashmika in three action films, ''Varisu'', ''Mission Majnu'' and ''Animal''. In the formermost, she starred opposite Vijay but was described as merely "arm candy" by ''The Times of India''’s M Suganth. Regardless, the film went on to become one of the highest-grossing films of Tamil cinema. The Hindi spy-thriller ''Mission Majnu'' starred Rashmika as a visually-impaired woman opposite Sidharth Malhotra. In preparation for the role, she underwent special training to understand the body language and awareness of visually-impaired people. Even so, her character was negatively received and the film was panned by critics due to its unduly nationalistic views. In a scathing review for ''Film Companion'', Deepanjana Pal dismissed Rashmika's character as "unimportant". In the lattermost, the controversial Hindi action film opposite Ranbir Kapoor, Rashmika was seen as a dutiful housewife. In the lattermost, the controversial Hindi action film opposite Ranbir Kapoor, Rashmika was seen as a dutiful housewife. Acknowledging the film's misogynistic tone, Rahul Desai of ''Film Companion'' found Rashmika’s acting in a key confrontation scene with Kapoor's character to be "a race against time", adding that "the result isn’t pretty". However, according to ''IndieWire'''s Proma Khosla, Rashmika put forth a "commendable effort" but lamented the limited opportunities provided in the film for her to "showcase her talent". Despite polarising reviews from critics along with mixed reactions towards her character, ''Animal'' proved to be a major commercial success with a gross of over ₹9 billion (US$110 million), her highest to date. Following criticism regarding her character's perceived complicity in allowing misogyny, Rashmika defended her role stating Geetanjali was "the only force at home holding her family together", and described her as "pure, real, unfiltered, strong and raw". However, while also expressing personal reservations about some of her character's decisions, Rashmika understood the story was not hers and, rather, Geetanjali's and the love she has for her husband. Rashmika will next star in three Telugu films: she will reprise her role as Srivalli in the sequel ''Pushpa 2: The Rule'' Rashmika will next star in three Telugu films: she will reprise her role as Srivalli in the sequel ''Pushpa 2: The Rule'' and headline the female-led films, ''Rainbow'' and ''The Girlfriend''. She will also portray Yesubai Bhonsale, opposite Vicky Kaushal's Sambhaji, in the Hindi historical drama ''Chaava''.

Continued success and accolades (2019–20)

Rashmika started 2019 acting in Yajamana, Kannada language film opposite Darshan, which received decent reviews from both the audience and critics upon release. And began earning a profit within five-days of its release. Later it collected over ₹50 crore against production budget ₹18 crore and ran for over 100-days in some theatres in Karnataka.She has been received critical acclaim for her performance as Kaveri, The Times of India's editor claimed that "Rashmika is cute and her pairing with Darshan works well". In 2019, her next film was Dear Comrade opposite Vijay Deverakonda, which opened to mixed reviews from both critics and audience. It went on to become a financial failure and touted as first flop at box office in Rashmika's film career. Even though she received critical acclaim for her performance in the film as 'Lilly'.In 2020, Rashmika starred opposite Mahesh Babu in Telugu film Sarileru Neekevvaru, which opened to decent reviews from audience and critics upon the release and went on to become one of the highest-grossing Telugu films, and emerged as Rashmika's career highest profit earner to date by collecting ₹2 billion in just 10-days.[excessive citations] It went on to collect over ₹2.6 billion in 50-days theatrical run at worldwide box office.[excessive citations] Her next Telugu film in 2020 was Bheeshma opposite Nithiin, which opened to positive response from both the critics and the audience. The film went on to become a financial hit at worldwide box office by collecting over ₹40 crore in just a week of its release.She received praise for her performance as Chaitra. The Firstpost's editor Hemanth Kumar praised her chemistry with Nithiin.

Personal life

Rashmika began dating her co-star Rakshit Shetty during the making of ''Kirik Party,'' with the couple getting engaged on 3 July 2017 in a private party at her hometown of Virajpet. However, they mutually ended their engagement in September 2018, citing compatibility issues.

Debut in other cinemas (2021–present)

In 2021, Rashmika starred in the Kannada language film Pogaru opposite Dhruva Sarja, which went to become a hit at box office by collecting over ₹50 crore. Rashmika also made her Tamil debut with Sulthan opposite Karthi, which was directed by Bakkiyaraj Kannan, the film opened to decent reviews and performed fairly well at the box office. Her upcoming filmography includes two Telugu films: Sukumar’s Pushpa opposite Allu Arjun and Kishore Tirumala’s Aadavaallu Meeku Johaarlu alongside Sharwanand. The same year, Rashmika also began shooting for her upcoming Hindi films. Starting with her debut, titled Mission Majnu, directed by Shantanu Bagchi and starring opposite Sidharth Malhotra. She will also be seen in Goodbye, directed by Vikas Bahl, co-starring Amitabh Bachchan.