Rashmika Mandanna opened up about online trolling because of her South Indian accent and the importance of setting boundaries on film sets, while husband Vijay Deverakonda reflected on how love changed his outlook on life in the latest episode of Koffee With Karan Season 9.
Marking their first joint appearance on a chat show as a married couple, the episode also saw Rashmika make her Koffee debut. Vijay, who had previously appeared on the show with Ananya Panday, joined his wife for a conversation with host Karan Johar that moved between their relationship, career choices and the challenges of working in the film industry.
‘I wanted to work in them all’: Rashmika on trolling and her career choices
Rashmika has frequently faced online criticism over her southern accent in Hindi films. However, the actress said she never wanted such comments to dictate her career choices or limit the industries she worked in.
“Ever since I started working in the film industry, you know, I’ve been criticised or trolled for one thing or the other, like either my performance, or the language, or the acting, or just the accent, or anything,” she said.
“So for me, I never wanted to sort of put a barrier for myself. I didn't want to just work in one industry. I wanted to work in them all. I didn't want to speak just one language. I wanted to speak all languages,” she added.
Rashmika added that she gives directors the option of choosing another dubbing artist if they feel it would better suit a character. However, her filmmakers have so far preferred her to dub for herself.
Responding to criticism of her South Indian accent, Rashmika said she saw no reason to be defensive about her roots. “I am from the South of India. So I am going to have an accent. It's unreasonable to think otherwise,” she said.
She also spoke about the satisfaction of playing contrasting characters in Animal and The Girlfriend, saying she had deliberately sought out diverse roles to challenge herself as a performer.
“So today, when you say, okay, there’s a Girlfriend and there’s an Animal, like it's so different, but you're a part of both of them. I'm like, I wanted it that way,” she said.
‘I need her around me’: Vijay on how Rashmika changed his outlook on love
Vijay, meanwhile, spoke about how his relationship with Rashmika changed his perspective on love.
“If you look back at my interviews, there I talk about love very almost with a sense of disrespect and disbelief, like 'I don't believe in this concept', which was immature of me because I've been blessed with so much beautiful love,” he said.
“For many years, for me, if anything was not serving the purpose of career and money and growth, felt like you're distracting me from my purpose. I need to cut it off,” he added.
But as their relationship deepened, Vijay said he began to recognise how much Rashmika's presence mattered to him.
“At some point, by then I was very fond of her. Fondness turned into a sort of dependency. I was like, I need her. I need her around me because my day needs better, my meals feel better when we are sharing them. I sleep incredibly well when she's with me. So I was like, I just need you. And then I realized that I want to be married to this woman,” he said.
The actor explained that deciding to marry Rashmika was not simply about being in love. “I think marriage is a really important decision. I know that I put the relationship through every obstacle there is to see it survive. I'm that kind of guy. I was testing myself. I was testing the relationship,” he said.
Vijay added that he did not want to make an emotional decision based on a temporary surge of affection. Instead, he wanted to know whether they would continue to value marriage through the less happy phases of their lives.
Rashmika and Vijay on the importance of saying no to a director
The couple also discussed the pressure actors face when they are asked to wear revealing costumes or perform scenes that make them uncomfortable. Rashmika said she understands that commercial cinema sometimes demands certain looks, but that does not mean actors should have to compromise on their personal boundaries.
“There are some things which I am not okay with. I know some characters need some things like a bikini or like that. But, even in that, I will say I am not comfortable with that exposing and skinshow. I am not that kind of a person,” she said.
She added that while she recognises the demands of commercial films, there are limits she prefers not to cross. She also acknowledged that speaking up is not always easy, even with experience in the industry.
“You have to make it easier for actors to come and ask these questions. Even I find it hard. Sometimes I want to say 'I don't want to do it'. But it takes a lot of conversations with Vijay like 'I really want to say this and he is like you can. Of course you should',” she said.
Vijay pointed out that actors can feel obliged to go along with uncomfortable demands because they have already signed a film. The fear of being labelled unprofessional, he said, can make it harder for them to refuse.
“They all need support system to say that it is okay to put your foot down,” he said, explaining how actors may begin to question whether refusing a scene amounts to failing to do their job.
“When they start making you feel unprofessional, they you think ‘Let’s not make a big deal out of it. And hope it will be okay’. You unwillingly are okay with it and then when things come out…,” he said.
Rashmika completed his thought, pointing to the regret actors can feel when they do not speak up in the moment: “I should have said something that time.”