Rashmika Mandanna on Dear Comrade, Geetha Govindam: Working with contemporaries allows you to be expressive

It took actress Rashmika Mandanna just a year to set foot into Tollywood after she impressed audiences with her blockbuster Kannada debut with Kirik Party. While the film catapulted her to fame, she duly capitalised on it and is currently part of a number of Telugu and Kannada films with A-list actors. [caption id=“attachment_4794401” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Rashmika Mandanna. Image via Twitter/@flixpack[/caption] “They say everything in our life happens for a reason and I just think of this as a good reason,” Rashmika told Firstpost in an exclusive chat when asked about how Kirik Party changed her life. “Choosing a script is personally hard for me because no one will do a film which is not good enough. I indulge in roles which I want to see myself as. The role should make me feel good and happy about doing it,” said Mandanna about settling on scripts. Her debut Telugu film Chalo, where she co-starred with Naga Shaurya, was a super hit at the box office and Mandanna went on a signing spree thereon. While she is awaiting the release of young sensation Vijay Deverakonda’s Geetha Govindam, she is also part of Nani-Nagarjuna’s Devadas and Dear Comrade, which marks her second consecutive collaboration with Deverakonda. “Sharing the screen with my contemporaries allows me to express myself. Even if I want to go for a retake, I can without any qualms. But I certainly have to give it a second thought if I’m acting with a superstar. I have to be concerned about whether they will be okay with this. Also with a new-gen actor, I can rehearse, run the lines with and discuss for improvisations before we actually shoot the scene,” said Mandanna about working with the younger crop of actors. In an industry where even established actresses don’t bother to dub their lines, Rashmika makes it a point to dub her lines on her own. “Yes, I’m dubbing on my own for Geetha Govindam. Be it any language, I always want to dub my own lines. When I dubbed for Chalo, I picked up the language. So after that, I am pretty persistent to dub on my own. When I perform a particular scene, only I can know every breath I take. So if a dubbing artist comes into picture, then it is going to be little off,” she explained. Directed by Parasuram, Geetha Govindam is slated to hit screens for the Independence Day weekend. “It is a family entertainer, and my character is an office-going girl who completely shuns the hero every time he shows up before her. She detests the very sight of him. Vijay Deverakonda and I have been shooting for quite some time, and our chemistry on-screen is good. People who watched us perform on sets appreciated our ability to pull off the scenes very well together. When Vijay or I tweet about the film, it’s not about driving people to the theatres, but an effort to make the people realise the connection between the Geetha & Govind on-screen with the real-life versions of them,” she said. Talking about her role in Dear Comrade, helmed by Bharat Kamma, Mandanna said, “I play a cricketer in the film. I have been watching the interviews of women cricketers in our Indian team and following the way they play. I am taking my classes in an academy whenever I have time. I’m a sportsperson but a rookie cricketer. I picked up very fast, but the hectic schedule makes it challenging to train every day. We are going on floors on 25 July.” In less than a year, Rashmika has quickly climbed up the ladder of stardom by bagging Nani and Nagarjuna’s multi-starrer Devadas, which is being directed by Sriram Aditya. “Yes, we have shot some sequences for Devadas with Nani; I play his love interest in the film. I have met Nagarjuna sir once in the shooting spot. It was quite a different feel to meet the person whom you have watched and admired on-screen all the time.” She further added: “It’s just a year in Tollywood, and I have been getting great scripts already. All I focus on is delivering a worthy performance and proving myself. I feel these projects happen to me because the directors or producers see some potential in me.” Mandanna said she wouldn’t accept any role just because the makers offer a hefty paycheck. “I always think my character should mean something to the film. I can’t do a role for just the sake of salary. I need a chance to perform. If I have to just dance for a song, there are many women way better than me; they can do more justice to such roles. It doesn’t mean the film should revolve around my character,” she said. Mandanna is yet to foray into Tamil cinema, where Kirik Party was received positively by audiences. “I would love to get into Kollywood because I used to watch a lot of Tamil films. Vijay, Suriya, and Ajith are my favorites. I have got a few scripts already but to make my debut, I need a strong role. A movie people would want to watch, and I am waiting for such a character to make my debut in Tamil,” she said on a concluding note.