Rashmika Mandanna

Winning The Times of India's Clean & Clear Fresh Face title in 2014 led Rashmika Mandanna to a short modelling stint, and then to her acting debut in the Kannada romantic comedy Kirik Party (2016). She was born on 5 April 1996 in Virajpet, Kodagu district, Karnataka, and studied psychology, journalism and English literature at M. S. Ramaiah College in Bengaluru. Anjani Putra and Chamak (both 2017) came after Kirik Party. Her work today is mostly in Telugu and Hindi, with Kannada and Tamil films as well. Chalo (2018) was her first Telugu film, and Geetha Govindam the same year was the breakthrough, winning her the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress – Telugu. After Sarileru Neekevvaru and Bheeshma (both 2020), Pushpa: The Rise (2021) reached audiences across India. Sita Ramam (2022) and the Tamil film Varisu (2023) were next. Her biggest box-office results have been Animal (2023), Pushpa 2: The Rule (2024) and Chhaava (2025). Pushpa 2 won her the SIIMA Award for Best Actress, and The Girlfriend (2025) won it for her again; she has five SIIMA Awards in all, plus a Filmfare Award South. Her latest, Ranabaali, released worldwide on 16 October 2026. In Rahul Sankrityan's Telugu historical action drama, set during a Madras famine, she plays Jayamma opposite Vijay Deverakonda.