Mrunal’s ‘High Benchmark’ Claim Sparks Debate

Actress Mrunal Thakur, who won hearts in Telugu cinema with her performances in Sita Ramam and Hi Nanna, is once again in the spotlight — this time for her comments on maintaining a “high benchmark” while choosing roles.

After a brief gap, she is set to return with Dacoit, co-starring Adivi Sesh. Speaking at an event related to Dacoit, Mrunal revealed that she had turned down several big-budget films despite their strong packaging. She admitted it wasn’t easy, saying she rejected them “with a big and heavy heart.” According to her, the benchmark set by her characters Sita Mahalakshmi and Yashna made her more mindful about the roles she signs going forward.

However, her statement has triggered debate on social media. Some users pointed out that a few of her recent Bollywood projects, including Son of Sardaar 2 and Do Deewane Shaher Mein, did not necessarily align with the high standards she spoke about. This has led to criticism that her choices appear inconsistent. Weighing in on the discussion, director Hemanth Madhukar defended the actress, saying actors like Rashmika Mandanna, Sreeleela and Keerthy Suresh constantly balance content-driven films with glam-centric roles across languages. He added that factors like expanding market reach, collaborations and career momentum often shape choices, and not every decision can be purely role-driven. “Being a multilingual actress has its own set of challenges.”