Entertainment Desk:

Congress MLA Ravi Ganiga from Mandya, Karnataka, criticised actor Rashmika Mandanna for allegedly refusing to attend the Bengaluru International Film Festival. He accused her of disregarding the Kannada film industry where she began her career.

Congress MLA Ravi Ganiga slammed actor Rashmika Mandanna over her alleged refusal to attend the Bengaluru International Film Festival. The MLA from Karnataka’s Mandya constituency asked if she shouldn’t be taught a lesson for disregarding the industry where she started her career.

Rashmika made her cinema debut with the 2016 Kannada film, Kirik Party, opposite Rakshit Shetty.

“Rashmika Mandanna, who started her career with the Kannada movie Kirik Party in Karnataka, refused to attend the (Bengaluru) International Film Festival last year when we invited her,” Ganiga told mediapersons at Vidhana Soudha on Monday.

According to Ganiga, the actor allegedly ignored and disrespected Karnataka and the Kannada language, despite her beginnings in the Kannada film industry. According to him, Rashmika Mandanna was invited multiple times to the event, but she refused, saying didn’t have time to visit Karnataka.

“She said, ‘I have my house in Hyderabad, I don’t know where Karnataka is, and I don’t have time. I can’t come.’ One of our legislator friends visited her house 10–12 times to invite her, but she refused and even disregarded Kannada, despite growing up in the industry here. Shouldn’t we teach them a lesson?” Ganiga said.

Ganiga believed that there should be consequences for Rashmika’s behaviour.

The BJP did not take kindly to Ganiga’s stance. Condemning his remark, former Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar lambasted Ganiga, calling him “pompous overblown Karnataka MLA”, and said every citizen, including actresses, have rights.

On Saturday, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar lambasted Kannada film actors for being absent from the inauguration of the 16th edition of Bengaluru International Film Festival.

“If actors, producers, and directors don’t share this sentiment, what’s the point of an international film festival? Consider this a warning or request to the Film Chamber and Academy. Cinema isn’t just for a few—government support is crucial,” the Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister had said, adding he knew how and when to tighten the screws.