Newly married stars Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna stepped out for their first joint charity event since their wedding, handing out scholarships to 180 government school students in Telangana’s Nagarkurnool district on Sunday, June 14.
The event was held in Thummanpet village in Achampet Mandal — the birthplace of Vijay’s father, television director Govardhan Rao — and run through The Deverakonda Foundation. The couple had planned it back in February, soon after their wedding, choosing to launch their charitable work on Vijay’s ancestral soil.
From co-stars to a married couple
The two had been together for the better part of eight years, after first pairing on screen in Geetha Govindam (2018) and Dear Comrade (2019), though they kept the relationship private through years of speculation. They married on February 26, 2026, at a destination wedding in Udaipur, with a Telugu ceremony in the morning for Vijay’s heritage and a Kodava ceremony in the evening for Rashmika’s. Fans nicknamed it the “VIROSH” wedding — and just days later, the couple set up the Virosh Scholarship Scheme.
What the scholarship covers
Working with local block officers, the foundation reviewed the records of ninth and tenth graders across 44 government schools in the Achampet area before selecting 180 students who had done well despite difficult circumstances. For these children, the trust will cover school fees along with textbooks, geometry sets, uniforms and study materials for the coming year.
Speaking to the gathered villagers and parents, Vijay struck a humble note. The financial help might look small, he said, but the discipline these students had shown was anything but — adding that neither he nor Rashmika had been top rankers at school, and that success comes from focus and consistency rather than early marks.
Rashmika’s first public appearance as ‘Deverakonda’
Rashmika drew a loud cheer when she introduced herself in public for the first time as Rashmika Mandanna Deverakonda. She said she was proud to launch the couple’s charitable work in her father-in-law’s home village, and that they wanted to be hands-on in the children’s progress rather than distant donors. A brief clip of her wiping sweat from Vijay’s face in the Telangana heat spread quickly online during the visit.
The couple also said they plan to expand the scholarship across Telangana over the next few years.
Up next: ‘Ranabaali’
On the work front, the two are finishing post-production on Ranabaali, a historical drama due in theatres on September 11, 2026. It’s their third film together and their first since marrying, with Vijay playing a 19th-century rebel and Rashmika his wife, Jayamma.
Leave a Reply