Mission Majnu was a gift that I didn’t want to say no to: Rashmika Mandanna

21/04/2021

Rashmika Mandanna, who rose to fame with her debut film, Kirik Party, has swiftly made her space in Hindi cinema, too.
After wrapping up Mission Majnu with Sidharth Malhotra, the actress is now working on Vikas Bahl’s Good Bye with Amitabh Bachchan and Neena Gupta. In a recent conversation with the actress, we spoke to her about having a strong body of work down South and if that escalates the pressure on her while she makes her strides in Bollywood.
Rashmika says, “No, I don’t feel the pressure. As a lot of people know, I have been in three industries before coming to Hindi films. I have my Tamil debut lined up followed by my debut in Hindi films.
For me, a project matters more than the industry which it came from. Yes, whenever I start something in a new industry, I do feel a little nervous because you don’t know and can’t be sure how people will react to you and if they would accept me as an actor there. I keep my focus on the story and the film at hand, not so much on the industry.
The script and the people I am working with matter a lot to me. Working in Hindi films is a whole new thing for me. Today, I know people from the South industries and they know me, too. I connected with them.
And when I went over to Lucknow to shoot with Sidharth for Mission Majnu, I felt the same connection with the people. The way they were cheering for us made me so happy. I felt welcomed into this new space.”
Mission Majnu was not the first film that was offered to Rashmika. When asked what made her give a nod to this film, she says, “Honestly, it’s the timing. Hindi films had been coming to me.
Before the lockdown, I was in some sort of a hustle. I would always land up with date issues. Sometimes, I really wished a month had 60 days in which I could pack everything that I liked. So, with Hindi films in the past, it was the dates that never worked out. During the lockdown last year, I had more scripts on the table but there was something intriguing about Mission Majnu that got me going.
In the first narration itself, I wanted to be a part of it. I was literally engaged with the writers on the world of the characters and what happens to them and why. The film caught hold of my emotions. It’s just something I didn’t want to let go of. It’s a story set in the 1970s and it's a hardcore drama.
It’s not just romance. I am a sucker for romantic comedies but I just wanted to do this film. The film, the story, and the passion that the writers had - it all came together so well. Sidharth as a co-star is wonderful. This was a gift that came my way and I didn’t want to say no to it.”
Talking about her prep for the role, Rashmika says, “Mainly, I had to pick the dialect. The character works well when you live it, get involved completely with their emotions and their world. More than the research, I dwell on the character and its mind. I see myself involved with it. I like it when people start calling me by the name of the character.
At the back of the mind, I know I have to stop being this character at some point, and get into something different when this wraps up, but I choose to live the character while it lasts.”

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