What 'mould' did Rashmika Mandanna refused to follow for Bollywood career

Rashmika Mandanna didn't take the usual route to becoming one of Indian cinema's most bankable stars. She started out in Kannada-language films, breaking through with 2016's Kirik Party, before expanding into Telugu and Tamil cinema and eventually crossing into Bollywood, a path that, unlike many actors who stick to one industry, required her to essentially rebuild her audience each time she moved into a new language market.

Her Bollywood debut came with the 2022 comedy-drama Goodbye, alongside Amitabh Bachchan, followed by Mission Majnu. But it was 2021's Telugu blockbuster Pushpa: The Rise" that offered a real breakthrough in her career, turning her into a household name almost overnight. She went on to reprise that role in the 2024 sequel, Pushpa 2: The Rule, while also starring opposite Ranbir Kapoor in Animal a film that became a massive commercial hit but also drew criticism over its violence and how it portrayed its female characters. Mandanna has said she took the role because she wanted audiences to see a different side of her work.

She now has a packed slate ahead, including "Sikandar" opposite Salman Khan, the horror-comedy Thama, Kubera with Dhanush and Nagarjuna, and a third Pushpa installment, a lineup that reflects how central she's become to Bollywood's biggest productions, not just South Indian cinema.

It's against that backdrop that Mandanna recently shot for footwear campaign, built around the idea of being "wonderfully ordinary." Asked to reflect on her own career through that lens, she pointed to the risk she took leaving South cinema behind. "I think moving to a completely new industry, without really fitting into any mould, was my wonderfully unordinary moment. At the time, it felt a little intimidating because everyone around me seemed to have a plan, and I was just following my instincts. But looking back, that's what made the journey special. I've realised that the things that make you different are usually your biggest strengths."

She says that instinct-driven approach is why the campaign felt personal rather than just another endorsement. "That's why I connect with the campaign so much. You don't have to fit in to belong, you can simply be yourself."

Mandanna also pointed to the atmosphere on set as one of her favorite parts of the shoot. "What I really enjoyed about the shoot was the energy on set. My team and everyone involved came together with so much enthusiasm, and there was this shared excitement about bringing the idea to life. When you have people who genuinely enjoy the process, it reflects in the final output."

It's a fitting message for an actress whose career has largely been defined by moving between industries most performers stay in for life, and coming out on top in each one.