From Sandalwood or Tollywood? Rashmika in the eye of a storm
Rashmika Mandanna caught in a political and cultural storm as Karnataka leaders call out Sandalwood stars for skipping BIFF, questioning loyalty to their roots
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has sparked a major controversy with his sharp criticism of Sandalwood stars for their low attendance at the 16th Bengaluru International Film Festival.
Shivakumar expressed his frustration, accusing the Kannada film industry of neglecting the event. He even suggested that he knew where to “tighten the nuts and bolts” to ensure better cooperation from the industry in the future.
The situation took a turn for the worse when Karnataka Congress MLA Ravi Kumar Gowda Ganiga, known better as Ravi Ganiga, added fuel to the fire. He highlighted the fact that popular actress Rashmika Mandanna hails from Kodagu, Karnataka, and expressed disappointment over her alleged self-identification as a Hyderabadi. Ganiga criticized Mandanna for her alleged refusal to attend the Bengaluru Film Festival, reportedly due to time constraints.
In his public statement, Ganiga questioned Mandanna’s loyalty to her roots, stating, "Should she be taught a lesson for this perceived slight?" This drew significant attention and intensified discussions around the responsibilities of public figures in honouring their regional identities.
Mandanna denies allegations
Rashmika Mandanna's team has been quick to rubbish the claims, labelling them as false and baseless. It has asserted that Mandanna never made any derogatory statements about Karnataka or the film festival, and clarified that she had no knowledge about the claims of her declining the festival invitation. The actress’s camp has expressed surprise at the allegations, further fuelling media frenzy.
Cultural representation debate
The controversy brings to light the sensitive issue of cultural representation in the film industry. While the Kannada film industry has seen global recognition in recent years, expectations of artists to remain loyal to their regional roots continue to spark debate, raising bigger questions about cultural pride, regional identity, the responsibilities of public figures, and how they navigate such expectations, especially when they reach national or international prominence.
As the story continues to unfold, the Kannada film industry faces questions regarding its relationship with stars like Rashmika Mandanna. Will the industry find a way to reconcile with these tensions?
The content above has been generated using a fine-tuned AI model. To ensure accuracy, quality, and editorial integrity, we employ a Human-In-The-Loop (HITL) process. While AI assists in creating the initial draft, our experienced editorial team carefully reviews, edits, and refines the content before publication. At The Federal, we combine the efficiency of AI with the expertise of human editors to deliver reliable and insightful journalism.
