Entertainment Desk:

Actor Rashmika Mandanna was recently in London for the ‘We The Women’ festival, curated by Barkha Dutt, where she opened up about her career, choices, and the challenges women face in the film industry. Speaking as a guest, the actor touched upon everything – from her controversial role in ‘Animal’ to her personal boundaries as an artiste.

The ‘Pushpa’ actor spoke about her personal red lines. She revealed she wouldn’t accept a role that required her to smoke on-screen, adding, “I personally would never smoke on-screen, or in real life either, since I do not like the concept of smoking. That is my personal opinion and I like to keep it to myself. If somebody comes and asks me that I will have to do this, I might have to let the film go.”

When asked about the polarising reactions to her Bollywood film ‘Animal’, Rashmika said, “I saw the film as a film. For example, when a hero is smoking in a film and people also smoke every day, if you say the hero is influencing them, when a hero doesn’t smoke on-screen, it is not necessary that people also don’t smoke. I watch a film as it is, and I don’t watch it to get influenced in any way.” The film, which starred Ranbir Kapoor in the lead, sparked conversations around its depiction of gender roles and violence.

She also reflected on her journey in the film industry so far, particularly the challenges of sustaining success. “I feel like maintaining success has been the toughest. For men, I feel like it is about getting to success and, for women, I believe we get to it but maintaining that success is the real battle,” she said.

Rashmika unveiled the first-look poster of her new film, ‘Mysaa’. Directed by Rawindra Pulle and produced by Unformulla Films, the film marks a sharp departure from her previous roles. Calling it a world she had “never stepped into” and a version of herself she “hadn’t met until now,” the actor hinted at a bold reinvention.

Up ahead, Rashmika has a packed line-up with ‘Thama’ alongside Ayushmann Khurrana, and ‘The Girlfriend’, ‘Rainbow’ and ‘Pushpa 3’ in the works. She was recently seen in Dhanush’s ‘Kuberaa’, which is still running in cinemas. Her last Hindi release, ‘Sikandar’, however, failed to make a mark at the box office.