‘There’s Enough Room Under The Sun For All Of Us To Shine’

For Rashmika Mandanna, Cocktail 2 is very special—it’s a marked shift from the roles she has done hitherto.

“This is definitely the most urban role I’ve played, and it feels so incredibly refreshing,” she says. “I’ve been fortunate to play characters that are deeply rooted, rustic, or intensely emotional in my recent films. But as an actor, the last thing I want is to get too comfortable or boxed into a specific image. When this project came my way, the vibe, the styling, the slick body language…everything was a complete 180 degrees from what people are used to seeing me do. It felt like the perfect opportunity to stretch my wings and try a totally different flavour.”

Rashmika and her co-star Kriti Sanon have disproved the myth that two female actors can’t get along.

“It’s high time we threw this myth out the window! Working with Kritzu has been absolutely special, and this film has given me a friend more than anything else. We were constantly cheering each other on, sharing food, and laughing between shots,” she shares. “I truly believe there is enough room under the sun for all of us to shine.

When women support women, the energy on set becomes magical.”

She describes her experience working on the film as “an absolute blast!”

Rashmika and Vijay Deverakonda will be seen together for the first time since their recent marriage in the upcoming Ranabaali. “Stepping into characters like Ranabaali and Jayamma required us to completely shed our past on-screen personas. It’s a space neither of us has explored to this scale before!”

The actor likes to keep her personal and professional lives separate, but she reveals how her world has changed after her wedding. “I’m married to my best friend and having that solid anchor is empowering, knowing that no matter how exhausting a day on set is, I will be going home to a space of absolute peace!”

As a working woman and wife, is it tough for her to fuse the two roles fluently?

“Honestly, I think every working woman out there is a magician in her own right, because we all find our own unique ways to balance the things we love!” she replies, adding, “rather than looking at it as two separate ‘roles’ that I have to fuse together, I just see them as two beautiful parts of who I am.”

Talking of the point of view that marriage is an obsolete institution, Rashmika says, “For a very long time, society defined marriage as part of a checklist.” But, “marriage doesn’t have to be what society wrote, it can be exactly what you and your partner want it to be.”