But when the cameras rolled on Koffee With Karan Season 9, Rashmika Mandanna didn’t just chat about her honeymoon; she took a swing at the online haters who have been hunting her South‑Indian drawl for years. She said she never wanted to be boxed into a single industry or a single language.
Yet the criticism isn’t new. In films like Animal, Cocktail 2 and Chhava, her accent has been dissected, with some viewers accusing her of sounding out of place in Hindi soundtracks. She’s also faced backlash over her acting and language in other projects, but she’s always said she’ll keep moving forward.
And when she mentioned dubbing, her tone shifted. Rashmika told the hosts that she offers directors the option to bring in a different voice artist if they feel her accent would hurt a character. But none of her directors have taken that route—they all prefer her to dub herself.
So she added, dubbing in multiple languages is a badge of honour for her. "It’s a pride that I can speak, sing and act in the language of the film," she said, underscoring her desire to keep her accent intact while reaching millions.
Looking ahead, Rashmika is eyeing a Tamil thriller, a Bollywood romance and a Telugu action blockbuster, all while keeping her voice and accent in the mix. The actress is determined to let the audience decide, not the critics.