Once struggling to pay rent, Rashmika Mandanna now demands ₹4 crore per film, but the road to success wasn’t easy.
Before she was the “National Crush,” Rashmika Mandanna was just another face in the crowd, bright-eyed, soft-spoken, and far from the million-dollar stardom she commands today. Few knew she once lived hand-to-mouth while chasing her acting dreams. Born in Virajpet, Karnataka, Rashmika studied psychology, journalism, and English literature before entering the modeling world.
She shot to fame after winning the Clean & Clear Times Fresh Face title in 2014, but acting wasn’t always on the cards. Her debut came with the Kannada hit Kirik Party in 2016, a film that catapulted her into regional fame, but financial stability didn’t come immediately. In candid interviews, she revealed moments where paying rent and managing day-to-day expenses were a real challenge.
Her breakthrough into Telugu cinema with Geetha Govindam in 2018, opposite Vijay Deverakonda, cemented her pan-India appeal. From then on, there was no looking back. With blockbuster after blockbuster, Rashmika moved from being an industry newcomer to a headlining A-lister. She entered Bollywood with Goodbye in 2022 and Animal in 2023, proving she’s more than just a regional star.
Now, industry insiders confirm she charges around ₹4 crore per film, a figure that makes her one of the most bankable names in Indian cinema today.