Rashmika Mandanna facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rashmika Mandanna
Mandanna promoting Chhaava in 2025
Born	(1996-04-05) 5 April 1996 (age 29) Virajpet, Karnataka, India
Alma mater	Ramaiah Institute of Technology
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2016–present

Rashmika Mandanna (/rəʃmɪkɑː mənðənɑː/; born 5 April 1996) is an Indian actress. She acts in Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, and Tamil films. She has won several awards, including four SIIMA Awards and a Filmfare Award South.

Rashmika started her career with modeling. She then made her acting debut in the Kannada romantic comedy Kirik Party (2016). She gained more success in films like Anjani Putra and Chamak (both 2017). In Telugu cinema, she became well-known with the romantic comedy Geetha Govindam (2018). This film earned her a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress – Telugu.

She continued to star in popular Telugu films like Devadas (2018), Sarileru Neekevvaru (2020), and Bheeshma (2020). She also appeared in Tamil action films Sulthan (2021) and Varisu (2023). Rashmika became widely recognized across India with the hit action film Pushpa: The Rise (2021). After a supporting role in Sita Ramam (2022), she also started acting in Hindi films. Her biggest hits include the action dramas Animal (2023) and Pushpa 2: The Rule (2024). Besides acting, Rashmika is also a brand ambassador for many products.

Early Life and Family

Rashmika Mandanna was born on 5 April 1996. Her parents are Suman and Madan Mandanna. She grew up in a Kodava Hindu family in Virajpet, Karnataka. Her father owns a coffee farm and a hall for events. Her mother is a homemaker who takes care of the home.

Rashmika has a younger sister named Shiman. Rashmika helped raise her sister and felt like a mother figure to her. When she was a child, her family faced money problems. They found it hard to find a home and pay rent. Rashmika shared that her parents could not buy her toys back then.

School and College

Rashmika went to Coorg Public School, a boarding school in Gonikoppal. During her school days, she sometimes found it hard to talk to others. This made it difficult for her to connect with her friends. Rashmika says her mother was a strong and steady influence in her life. She calls her mother "my biggest strength."

She later studied for a bachelor's degree in psychology, journalism, and English literature. She attended M. S. Ramaiah College of Arts, Science and Commerce in Bangalore.

In 2014, Rashmika won The Times of India's Clean & Clear Fresh Face award. This award recognizes young people with great potential. The famous actor Akshay Kumar presented her with the award. After winning, she became a brand ambassador for Clean & Clear. This led to a short career in modeling. She believed modeling would help her move into acting. Her parents were first unsure about her acting career. This was because she was not very assertive. But they eventually agreed.

Acting Career

First Films and Big Success (2016–2020)

In 2016, Rashmika started her acting journey in Kirik Party. This film became one of the biggest hits in Kannada cinema that year. Critics praised her acting in the movie. She won a SIIMA Award for Best Debut Actress for her role. In 2017, she acted in two more Kannada films, Anjani Putra and Chamak. Both of these films were successful.

Rashmika in 2019

In 2018, Rashmika started working in Telugu cinema. Her first Telugu film was the comedy-drama Chalo, alongside Naga Shourya. Critics noted her confident debut in Telugu films. This movie was also a success. Rashmika's second Telugu film in 2018 was Geetha Govindam, with Vijay Deverakonda. This film became her highest-earning movie at that time. It was very popular with audiences. She won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress - South for her role. Her last film of 2018 was Devadas, which was also a success.

In 2019, Rashmika returned to Kannada films with Yajamana. This film was successful. Her next film was the Telugu movie Dear Comrade, again with Vijay Deverakonda. However, this film did not do well at the box office.

In 2020, Rashmika starred with Mahesh Babu in the Telugu film Sarileru Neekevvaru. This movie became one of the highest-grossing Telugu films. Later that year, she acted in the Telugu film Bheeshma with Nithiin. This film was praised by critics and was also a commercial success.

Growing Fame and Success (2021–Present)

In 2021, Rashmika appeared in the Kannada action drama Pogaru. She then made her debut in Tamil cinema with the action drama Sulthan, starring Karthi. She shared that she likes working in different languages. She sees it as a chance to grow as an actress. Her last film of 2021 was the Telugu action film Pushpa: The Rise, with Allu Arjun. For her role, she learned the Chittoor dialect of Telugu. This film was a huge success and made her famous across India. She also received nominations for Best Actress for her performance. Rashmika believes the success of Pushpa: The Rise helped her get many different roles.

Mandanna at an event promoting Pushpa: The Rise in 2022

In 2022, Rashmika acted in several films. She appeared in the Telugu film Aadavallu Meeku Johaarlu. She then took on a supporting role in the romantic drama Sita Ramam, starring Dulquer Salmaan and Mrunal Thakur. This film became a surprise hit. Rashmika earned her first nomination for Best Supporting Actress (Telugu) for this role. She also made her Hindi cinema debut with Goodbye, alongside Amitabh Bachchan. In this film, she played a career-focused woman dealing with the loss of her mother. Her performance was well-received by critics. She won the Zee Cine Award for Best Female Debut for this role.

In 2023, Rashmika starred in three action films: Varisu, Mission Majnu, and Animal. In Varisu, she played the love interest of Vijay. She said she chose this film for the recognition she would get from Vijay's fame. Her Hindi spy thriller Mission Majnu was released on Netflix. In this film, she played a visually-impaired woman. She prepared for the role by attending workshops to understand how visually-impaired people behave.

Her film Animal, starring Ranbir Kapoor, was a big hit. Rashmika played a devoted housewife in the movie. Varisu and Animal were among the highest-grossing Indian films of 2023.

In 2024, Rashmika returned as Srivalli in the Telugu action sequel Pushpa 2: The Rule. Critics praised her chemistry with Allu Arjun. Pushpa 2: The Rule broke several box-office records. It became Indian cinema's second biggest-grosser and Rashmika's highest-grossing film.

Upcoming Films

Rashmika has several exciting projects coming up. She will star in two Telugu films and three Hindi films. She will appear with Dhanush in Kubera, a Tamil-Telugu bilingual film. She will also lead the female-focused film The Girlfriend. In Hindi cinema, she will play Yesubai Bhonsale in the historical drama Chhaava, opposite Vicky Kaushal. She will also star with Salman Khan in the action film Sikandar. Additionally, she will join the Maddock Supernatural Universe in the romantic horror film Thama with Ayushmann Khurrana. Some of her upcoming films have been delayed because Rashmika sustained a leg injury.

Filmography

Key

Denotes films that have not yet been released

Year	Title	Role(s)	Language(s)	Notes	Ref.
2016	Kirik Party	Saanvi Joseph	Kannada
2017	Anjani Putra	Geetha
	Chamak	Kushi
2018	Chalo	L. Karthika	Telugu
	Geetha Govindam	Geetha
	Devadas	Pooja
2019	Yajamana	Kaveri	Kannada
	Dear Comrade	Aparna "Lilly" Devi	Telugu
2020	Sarileru Neekevvaru	Samskruthi
	Bheeshma	Chaithra
2021	Pogaru	Geetha	Kannada
	Sulthan	Rukmani	Tamil
	Pushpa: The Rise	Srivalli	Telugu
2022	Aadavallu Meeku Johaarlu	Aadhya
	Sita Ramam	Afreen/Waheeda
	Goodbye	Tara Bhalla	Hindi
2023	Varisu	Divya	Tamil
	Mission Majnu	Nasreen Hussain	Hindi
	Animal	Geetanjali Singh
2024	Pushpa 2: The Rule	Srivalli	Telugu
2025	Chhaava	Maharani Yesubai	Hindi	Completed
	Sikandar	TBA		Filming
	The Girlfriend	TBA	Telugu	Completed
	Kubera	TBA	Tamil Telugu
	Thama	TBA	Hindi	Filming

Music Videos

Awards and Nominations