After the super success of Geetha Govindam, Rashmika Mandanna has become one of the most sought-after actresses in South. She eagerly awaits her upcoming film Dear Comrade, which will release this Friday. The actress, who’s been busy promoting the film, is visibly exhausted, but she seems to be clearly enjoying it all too.
Rashmika plays a state cricketer in the film, trying for a place in the national team. Since she has no clue about cricket, in real life, she had to train hard for nearly five months to learn the basics of cricket and the required body language. “Today, I can protect my wicket. I know defence, front foot, back foot drive, on drive, off drive and fielding,” says Rashmika, adding that after this film, her respect for cricketers has only increased. Incidentally the ICC World Cup 2019 was the first time she ever watched a cricket world cup event.
Tackling tricky terrains
Dear Comrade is the second time Rashmika is paired with Vijay Deverakonda, but she immediately quashes rumours that she signed this film because of the actor. “I always believe in the script and I sign films only based on that. Director Bharath Kamma sent me the script and though I don’t enjoy reading, I remember reading the whole thing in two hours. That alone might indicate how good the script is,” says she.
As for Vijay’s earlier film Arjun Reddy, she says she saw it but is non-committal about responding to the controversy around Sandeep Vanga’s interviews justifying his hero slapping his girl as an indication of true love. “I am nobody to comment on that because that is not my film. No matter what or how the director expresses what he wants to, the audience will only accept what it wants to,” says Rashmika.
The road ahead
Rashmika is busy with more movies on her plate. She has signed a film opposite Mahesh Babu and a Tamil film opposite Karthi. She is also shooting for the Telugu film Bheeshma where she is playing opposite Nithiin.
So is she reducing her work in Kannada films, we wonder. “If I like the script, I’ll do a Gujarati film too,” she says. But what about all the intrigue behind the lip-lock scene in the Dear Comrade’s trailers? “If people can talk only about the kiss and not the entire trailer, then it just shows what people think. Actors like us merely portray fictional characters; how people take them is up to them,” she says.
So then the two aren’t a couple?
“I am single,” says Rashmika, signing off.
