Rashmika Mandanna, born on April 5, 1996, is an Indian actress primarily active in Telugu and Hindi films. She began her career in modeling before making her acting debut in the Kannada romantic comedy Kirik Party (2016) and the romantic drama Chamak (2017). Mandanna entered Telugu cinema with the comedy-drama Chalo (2018) and achieved significant success with the romantic comedy Geetha Govindam (2018), which earned her the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress – Telugu. She subsequently starred as the lead in the action comedies Sarileru Neekevvaru (2020) and Bheeshma (2020).
Her prominence grew further with the pan-Indian hit of the Telugu action film Pushpa: The Rise (2021). Mandanna also appeared in a supporting role in the period drama Sita Ramam (2022) and took on the female lead in the Tamil film Varisu (2023) before making her foray into Hindi cinema with two less notable releases.
Initially slated to make her debut in Hindi cinema with Mission Majnu, production delays led Mandanna to her first appearance alongside Amitabh Bachchan in Vikas Bahl’s family drama Goodbye, where she portrayed a career-oriented woman grappling with the loss of her mother, played by Neena Gupta.
Her last film of 2021 was the critically acclaimed and commercially successful Telugu action movie Pushpa: The Rise, featuring Allu Arjun. This film, which ranks among the highest-grossing Telugu films ever, represented a pivotal moment in Mandanna’s career, as she gained nationwide recognition, particularly for the popular song “Saami Saami.”
In Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s controversial film Animal, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Mandanna took on the role of Geetanjali, a devoted housewife who discovers her husband’s (Kapoor) immoral behavior. She stepped in for Parineeti Chopra during production, as Vanga believed she was a better fit for the character. Animal has emerged as the third highest-grossing Indian film of 2023.
In 2024, Mandanna returned to her role as Srivalli in the Telugu action sequel Pushpa 2: The Rule. Her on-screen chemistry with Allu Arjun contributed to her having “several strong sequences to justify her presence” within a predominantly male narrative.
Pushpa 2: The Rule achieved multiple box-office milestones for Indian cinema, becoming the third highest-grossing Indian film globally and marking Mandanna’s most financially successful project to date.
In Laxman Utekar’s historical action film Chhaava (2025), Mandanna took on the role of Maharani Yesubai Bhonsale, starring alongside Vicky Kaushal, who portrayed Maratha Chhatrapati Sambhaji. To prepare for their performances, both actors dedicated four weeks to learning Marathi. Chhaava went on to become the highest-grossing Hindi film of 2025. Following this, she appeared in AR Murugadoss’ action film Sikandar, sharing the screen with Salman Khan, who is 31 years her senior.
Mandanna’s most successful releases include the action dramas Animal (2023) and Pushpa 2: The Rule (2024), as well as the historical action film Chhaava (2025).
Looking ahead, she is set to star in two Telugu films and one Hindi film: she will appear alongside Dhanush in Sekhar Kammula’s Telugu-Tamil-Hindi trilingual film Kuberaa and lead the female-centric project The Girlfriend. Additionally, she will join the Maddock Horror Comedy Universe in the romantic horror film Thama, alongside Ayushmann Khurrana.
Rashmika Mandanna’s rise in the film industry has been meteoric, and she is widely regarded as one of the most talented and marketable stars in Indian cinema today. With her captivating screen presence, acting skills, and growing versatility, she has established herself as a leading actress and is poised to achieve even greater success in the years to come.
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