Rashmika Mandanna

Rashmika Mandanna ( /ɾɐɕmɪkɑ mɐn̪d̪ɑn̪ːɑ/ born 5 April 1996) is an Indian actress who primarily works in Telugu and Hindi films. Her accolades include four SIIMA Awards and a Filmfare Award South. One of South India's highest-paid actresses, she was featured in Forbes India's 2024 list of "30 Under 30".

Rashmika Mandanna
Mandanna at a Press Meet for Dear Comrade in 2019
Born	(1996-04-05) 5 April 1996 (age 29)[1] Virajpet, Karnataka, India
Occupations	Actor model
Years active	2016–present

Career

After a brief modelling career, Mandanna made her acting debut with the Kannada romantic comedy Kirik Party (2016) and gained further commercial success with the action film Anjani Putra and the romantic drama Chamak (both 2017). She debuted in Telugu cinema with the comedy drama Chalo (2018) and had her breakthrough with the romantic comedy Geetha Govindam (2018), which earned her the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress – Telugu. She went on to star as the leading lady in the action comedies Sarileru Neekevvaru (2020) and Bheeshma(2020).

Mandanna earned wider recognition with the pan-India success of the Telugu action film Pushpa: The Rise(2021). She played a supporting role in the period drama Sita Ramam(2022) and the female lead in the Tamil film Varisu (2023) before venturing into Hindi cinema with two unremarkable releases. She had her highest-grossing releases with the action dramas Animal (2023) and Pushpa 2: The Rule (2024), as well as the historical action film Chhaava(2025). Even so, her inclination towards androcentric films drew criticism for providing limited scope to showcase her acting abilities. In addition to acting, Mandanna serves as the ambassador of several brands and products

Early life

Rashmika Mandanna was born on April 5, 1996, in Virajpet, a small town in Kodagu district, Karnataka, India. She comes from a middle-class Kodava family. Her parents are Suman Mandanna and Madan Mandanna. She studied at Coorg Public School in Kodagu and later moved to Mysore for her pre-university education. Rashmika then joined M.S. Ramaiah College in Bengaluru, where she studied Psychology, Journalism and English Literature. During her college days, she also worked as a model and appeared in advertisements. She became popular after winning the Clean & Clear Fresh Face contest in 2014, which helped her start a career in acting.