Rashmika Mandanna is an Indian actress who works predominantly in Telugu, Kannada and Hindi cinema. She emerged as one of the most popular actresses in South Indian films in the late 2010s and transitioned to Hindi films in the early 2020s. Known for her work in commercially successful pan-Indian films, she has been described in popular media as the "National Crush of India".
| Full name | Rashmika Mandanna |
|---|---|
| Born | 5 April 1996 |
| Birthplace | Virajpet, Kodagu district, Karnataka, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Community | Kodava |
| Education | Coorg Public School; Mysore (pre-university); M. S. Ramaiah College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Bengaluru |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2016–present |
| Debut (Kannada) | Kirik Party (2016) |
| Debut (Telugu) | Chalo (2018) |
| Debut (Hindi) | Goodbye (2022) |
| Languages of work | Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi |
Rashmika Mandanna was born on 5 April 1996 in Virajpet, a town in the Kodagu (Coorg) district of Karnataka, into a Kodava family. Her father, Madan Mandanna, works in private business, while her mother is Suman Mandanna. She has a younger sister.
She received her schooling at Coorg Public School in Virajpet and pursued pre-university education in Mysore. She later moved to Bengaluru, where she enrolled at M. S. Ramaiah College of Arts, Science and Commerce, graduating with a degree in psychology, journalism and English literature. During her college years, she took up modelling and won the Clean & Clear Fresh Face contest in 2014, which led to assignments in print and ramp work before her entry into films.
Mandanna made her acting debut in 2016 with Rishab Shetty's coming-of-age film Kirik Party, opposite Rakshit Shetty. The film became a major commercial success in Kannada cinema and established her as a leading newcomer. She followed this with Anjani Putra (2017) and Chamak (2017).
She made her Telugu debut in 2018 with Chalo opposite Naga Shaurya. The same year, her performance in Geetha Govindam, alongside Vijay Deverakonda and directed by Parasuram, brought her widespread popularity across South India. Devadas (2018), with Nagarjuna and Nani, further consolidated her standing.
Subsequent Telugu films included Dear Comrade (2019) with Vijay Deverakonda, Sarileru Neekevvaru (2020) opposite Mahesh Babu, and Bheeshma (2020) with Nithiin. In 2021, she returned to Kannada cinema in Pogaru, and appeared opposite Allu Arjun in Pushpa: The Rise, directed by Sukumar, which became one of the highest-grossing Indian films of the year and gave her a pan-Indian profile.
Mandanna made her Hindi film debut in 2022 with Vikas Bahl's family drama Goodbye, co-starring Amitabh Bachchan and Neena Gupta. In 2023, she appeared in the action film Mission Majnu opposite Sidharth Malhotra, and as the female lead in Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Animal, alongside Ranbir Kapoor, which was a major commercial success.
In Tamil cinema, she made her debut with Sulthan (2021) opposite Karthi, and later appeared in Varisu (2023) opposite Vijay. She reprised her role in Pushpa 2: The Rule (2024), the sequel to Pushpa: The Rise, which set new box-office records for Indian cinema.
Mandanna has endorsed a wide range of consumer brands across categories such as personal care, fashion, food and beverages, and consumer electronics, making her one of the most sought-after celebrity endorsers in India. She has been featured in Forbes India's lists of prominent celebrities and was named "Crush of India" by various media outlets, a tag that has remained associated with her public persona.
In 2023, an artificially generated deepfake video featuring her face circulated on social media, prompting widespread public debate in India on the regulation of synthetic media. The incident drew responses from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and contributed to subsequent advisories on deepfake content.
She has received the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Kannada for Kirik Party (2016) and Chamak (2017), along with multiple SIIMA awards across Kannada and Telugu categories. She has also received Zee Cine Awards Telugu and Filmfare Awards South nominations for several of her Telugu performances.
Rashmika Mandanna is regarded as among the most prominent actresses to have transitioned successfully from Kannada cinema to Telugu, Tamil and Hindi cinema during the rise of pan-Indian filmmaking in the late 2010s and early 2020s. Her career trajectory is often cited as illustrative of the increasing cross-linguistic mobility of Indian film stars in the post-Baahubali era.