Not Rashmika or Triptii, Rukmini Vasanth is Now National Crush
With Kantara: Chapter 1 doing well even in Hindi-speaking regions and other states, Rukmini has become a social media favourite
By : BVS Prakash
Update: 2025-10-12 06:17 GMT
Kannada actress Rukmini Vasanth, who is also doing her Telugu film ‘Dragon’ with Jr NTR, is being hailed as the national crush by her fans on social media these days. “When actresses are admired across India, they often get tagged as the ‘national crush’.
With Kantara: Chapter 1 doing well even in Hindi-speaking regions and other states, Rukmini has become a social media favourite,” says director Hemant Madhukar, who believes that every few years, a new actress captures the nation’s attention.
“It all started with Rashmika Mandanna in 2020, who was officially called the ‘national crush’ by Google. Later, Triptii Dimri earned the same title after the blockbuster Animal. I hope more actresses join this elite bandwagon,” he adds.
These days, social media has become a massive platform where trends are created overnight. “Roughly two lakh people express their opinions daily, turning actors into stars and crowning them with titles like Kannada Crush or International Crush based on their recent work. Social media has replaced mainstream media, in giving such labels and adjectives. I’m happy that female leads are getting their due spotlight, even when paired with big stars — it shows their growing popularity,” Madhukar points out.
He believes this “naming game” is here to stay. “We’ll keep seeing such debates every few years as new fans discover another rising starlet and move on,” he observes.
There’s no doubt that social media is raising the bar for regional divas and catapulting them into national stardom. “Let them enjoy their careers with good roles and appreciation because, unfortunately, their journeys are often shorter compared to their male counterparts. Actresses who are both good-looking and talented are bound to make waves,” Madhukar adds.
On the flip side, social media’s darker side has driven a few actresses away from online platforms. Recently, negative comments and trolling have forced stars like Anushka Shetty and Aishwarya Lekshmi to take breaks from social media. “Some actresses find it hard to maintain an online persona, which can be draining. Sometimes, netizens get too personal — commenting on looks, roles, or outfits — which affects their individuality. Others, however, are learning to manage by focusing on the positive aspects and ignoring negativity.” Hemant Madhukar concludes by saying that Twitter has become far more toxic compared to other social media handles like Instagram or Facebook.