7 years of Rashmika Mandanna: Revisiting actor's breakthrough films
Rashmika Mandanna debuted in showbiz with the Kannada film Kirik Party (released on December 30, 2016)—directed by Rishab Shetty—and earned the tag of "National Crush" in 2020. In her seven-year-long career, Mandanna has appeared in 19 films so far across Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, and Tamil languages. On her seventh work anniversary, we revisit the films that catapulted her to nationwide fame and success.
'Kirik Party' (2016)
Kirik Party was a blockbuster and is counted among the highest-grossing Kannada films of all time! The movie starred her ex-fiance Rakshit Shetty, Samyuktha Hegde, Achyuth Kumar, and Aravinnd Iyer, and featured Mandanna as Saanvi Joseph, a college student. It holds an impressive 8.3/10 on IMDb and a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. Haven't watched it yet? Stream it on JioCinema.
'Geetha Govindam' (2018)
The Telugu rom-com Geetha Govindam paired Mandanna alongside her now-alleged boyfriend Vijay Deverakonda. A Parasuram directorial, it became a commercial success despite mixed reviews—a testimony to Deverakonda-Mandanna's acting prowess and the engaging storyline. IMDb describes it as follows, "An innocent young lecturer is misunderstood as a pervert and despised by a woman who co-incidentally turns out to be the younger sister of his brother-in-law."
'Pushpa: The Rise' (2021)
While Mandanna became a household name in South India with Geetha Govindam, Dear Comrade, Kirik Party, and Sulthan, it was Sukumar's Pushpa: The Rise that made her a recognizable name across the country. Her character Srivalli's importance to the Telugu action drama and the songs Srivalli and Saami Saami became humungous contributors to her success. She will reprise her part in Pushpa 2.
'Animal' (2023)
Though Mandanna stepped into Hindi cinema with Goodbye and Mission Majnu, it was Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Animal (December 2023) that earned her fame like never before. As Ranvijay's (Ranbir Kapoor) wife, Geetanjali, Mandanna held her own in this star-studded gangster drama. Interstingly, Parineeti Chopra was first chosen, but Vanga later changed his mind and cast Mandanna instead. It's a life-changing role for her.
