Rashmika Mandanna

Rashmika Mandanna, born 5 April 1996, is an Indian actress who works primarily in Telugu and Hindi cinema. Recognized as one of India's highest-paid actresses, she has been awarded four SIIMA Awards and a Filmfare Award South. In addition, she was featured in Forbes India's "30 Under 30" list in 2024.

Mandanna was born into a Kodava Hindu family in Virajpet, Karnataka, to Suman and Madan Mandanna. Her father manages a coffee estate and a function hall, while her mother is a homemaker. Raised alongside her younger sister, Shiman, her family experienced financial hardships during her childhood. She attended Coorg Public School before earning a bachelor's degree in psychology, journalism, and English literature from M. S. Ramaiah College of Arts, Science and Commerce in Bengaluru. After winning The Times of India's Clean & Clear Fresh Face in 2014 and La Mode Bangalore's Top Model Hunt in 2015, she undertook a brief modeling career before being persuaded by a college professor to pursue acting.

She made her feature film debut in the 2016 Kannada romantic comedy Kirik Party, which became the highest-grossing Kannada film of the year and earned her the SIIMA Award for Best Debut Actress. She achieved further commercial success in Kannada cinema with the 2017 releases Anjani Putra and Chamak, receiving her first Best Actress nominations at the Filmfare Awards South and SIIMA for Chamak. In 2019, she starred in the successful Kannada action film Yajamana, winning the SIIMA Best Actress (Critics) award.

Mandanna expanded into Telugu cinema with the 2018 comedy drama Chalo, followed by a major breakthrough starring opposite Vijay Deverakonda in the romantic comedy Geetha Govindam. The film grossed over ₹1 billion and earned her the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress – Telugu. After featuring in Devadas, she reunited with Deverakonda in the 2019 romantic drama Dear Comrade, winning another SIIMA Critics Award. She began the next decade with leading roles in the commercially successful Telugu action comedies Sarileru Neekevvaru and Bheeshma in 2020.

Her profile expanded nationwide following the success of the 2021 Telugu action film Pushpa: The Rise. That same year, she made her Tamil cinema debut in Sulthan and starred in Pogaru. In 2022, she appeared in Aadavallu Meeku Johaarlu, received critical praise for a supporting role in Sita Ramam, and made her Hindi film debut in Goodbye, for which she won the Zee Cine Award for Best Female Debut.

In 2023, Mandanna starred in the Tamil film Varisu, the Hindi spy drama Mission Majnu, and the action drama Animal, which grossed over ₹9.1 billion worldwide. She reprised her role in the 2024 sequel Pushpa 2: The Rule, which earned over ₹18 billion to become her highest-grossing release and won her another SIIMA Best Actress award. Her 2025 projects include the Hindi films Chhaava and Sikandar, as well as The Girlfriend. Beyond acting, Mandanna works as a brand endorser and is married to her co-star Vijay Deverakonda.