Actress Rashmika Mandanna, one of the most sought-after stars in both South Indian cinema and Bollywood, has finally addressed long-standing rumours that she was “banned” from the Kannada film industry following her breakup with actor Rakshit Shetty.
In an interview with Good News Kannada, Rashmika clarified that she was never banned and revealed that she recently watched Rishab Shetty’s “Kantara: Chapter 1” and personally congratulated the team.
“I didn’t see the film in the first two or three days after its release, but I recently watched it and even texted the team. They replied with a ‘thank you’ message,” she said.
Addressing social media speculation, Rashmika added, “The world doesn’t know what happens on the inside. We can’t put a camera on our personal lives. We’re not the kind of people who share our private messages online. What people say about our personal life doesn’t matter — only feedback about our professional life does.”
When asked point-blank whether Kannada producers had banned her, Rashmika smiled and responded,
“So far, I have not been banned. So, yeah…”
Emphasising that artists shouldn’t live by public perception, she said, “One cannot live according to others’ opinions.”
Rashmika is currently at the peak of her career, with multiple high-profile projects lined up. She will next be seen in Aditya Sarpotdar’s “Thamma”, releasing this Diwali, alongside Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Paresh Rawal, Sathyaraj, and Faisal Malik.
She also stars in the romantic drama “The Girlfriend”, hitting theatres on November 7, and is shooting for “Cocktail 2” with Shahid Kapoor and Kriti Sanon in Italy.
On the personal front, Rashmika recently got engaged to Vijay Deverakonda in a private ceremony. Sources suggest the couple will tie the knot in February 2026, although neither has officially confirmed the wedding date.