Actor Rashmika Mandanna recently attended the ‘We The Women’ festival in London, an event curated by Barkha Dutt. During her appearance, she spoke candidly about her career journey, the decisions she’s made, and the struggles women encounter in the film industry. As a guest at the festival, she addressed a range of topics—from her debated role in Animal to the personal limits she maintains as an artiste.
Rashmika Mandanna on rejecting smoking scenes; says, “I do not like the concept of smoking”
The Pushpa actor discussed the personal boundaries she maintains in her professional life. She shared that she would turn down any role that required her to smoke on-screen, stating, “I personally would never smoke on-screen, or in real life either, since I do not like the concept of smoking. That is my personal opinion and I like to keep it to myself. If somebody comes and asks me that I will have to do this, I might have to let the film go.”
When questioned about the mixed reactions to her Bollywood film Animal, Rashmika responded, “I saw the film as a film. For example, when a hero is smoking in a film and people also smoke every day, if you say the hero is influencing them, when a hero doesn’t smoke on-screen, it is not necessary that people also don’t smoke. I watch a film as it is, and I don’t watch it to get influenced in any way.” The film, featuring Ranbir Kapoor in the lead role, stirred debate over its portrayal of gender dynamics and violence.
Rashmika also looked back on her journey in the film industry, highlighting the difficulties of holding on to success. “I feel like maintaining success has been the toughest. For men, I feel like it is about getting to success and, for women, I believe we get to it but maintaining that success is the real battle,” she said.
On Friday, Rashmika revealed the first-look poster of her upcoming film Mysaa. Directed by Rawindra Pulle and backed by Unformulla Films, the project represents a significant shift from the kinds of roles she’s played before. Describing it as a world she had “never stepped into” and a version of herself she “hadn’t met until now,” the actor suggested a striking transformation in her on-screen persona.
Looking ahead, Rashmika has a busy slate with projects like Thama opposite Ayushmann Khurrana, as well as The Girlfriend, Rainbow, and Pushpa 3 in development. She was recently seen in Dhanush’s Kuberaa, which is still playing in theatres. However, her most recent Hindi release, Sikandar, did not perform well at the box office.
Also Read : Rashmika Mandanna opens up about her parents’ initial hesitation over her acting career: “In South Indian families, entering the film industry was considered wrong.”
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