Rashmika Mandanna Faces Backlash For Claiming She’s First Actor From Coorg: 'Before Her Many....'
Rashmika Mandanna faced online criticism for claiming she was the "first" from Coorg in the film industry.
Rashmika Mandanna has found herself at the center of an online controversy after a recent interview where she claimed to be “probably the first” person from Coorg to enter the film industry. Her statement didn’t sit well with members of the Kodava community and fans, many of whom quickly pointed out that several actors from Coorg had made significant contributions to Indian cinema long before her rise to fame.
Among those responding was veteran actress Neravanda Prema, who reminded audiences of the trailblazers who came before Rashmika.
What Did Rashmika Mandanna Say?
In a conversation with Barkha Dutt on Mojo Story last week, Rashmika spoke about the resistance she faced from her family when she decided to become an actor. She said:
“Conversations back home when I got my first paycheck weren’t easy. Because, you know, in the Coorg community, nobody has ever entered the film industry. I think I am the first one in our whole community to have entered the industry. People were extremely judgy.”
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Veteran Actor Prema Responds
In response to Rashmika’s statement, popular 90s Kannada actor Neravanda Prema weighed in during a conversation cited by Koduga Express.
She said: “What is there for me to say? The Kodava community knows the truth. You should ask her (Rashmika) about her version of the statement. What can I say about it?”
Prema further emphasised that several actors had represented the Kodava community long before Rashmika’s entry: “Before me, there was an actor, Shashikala from Coorg, who played supporting roles. Then I entered the film industry, and later many Kodavas have done well.”
Prema herself boasts an illustrious career in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam cinema and is a recipient of the Karnataka State Film Award and Filmfare Best Actress awards.
Netizens Slam Rashmika for Ignorance
The comment quickly sparked backlash online, with many social media users criticizing Rashmika’s ignorance. On YouTube and other platforms, people began listing prominent names from Coorg who had already been part of the film industry.
One user wrote: “She is not the first frm kodava community ...before that many artist have acted like prema, nidhi subbaih, harishika poonacha, tanisha kuppanda.”
Another user added: “She is only the actress who tell lie in front of media and people … Statement ‘she is the first actress who came from Coorg city…’ 100% false statement…Thr was more then 5 to 6 actress who came from coorg …. Even she not born when ‘Prema madam’ act in OM Kannada movie who from Coorg.”
A disappointed fan commented: “Rashmika maybe you are the only one who thinks u made it big. Yes definitely but u have also forgotten Gulshan Devaiah too has made it big.”
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