Rashmika Mandanna Birthday Special: 5 Must-Watch Films Of The OG National Crush

Debuting in 2016 with 'Kirik Party', Rashmika Mandanna got her first big break with 'Geetha Govindam' in 2018. Since then the actress has explored various languages like Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Hindi and delved into a range of characters.

With her charming on-screen presence and natural acting, Rashmika has won the hearts of millions and established herself as a leading actress in the south industry. Forbes India included Rashmika in their 30 under 30 list of 2024. Celebrating her 28th birthday today, let us see 5 of her best films till date:

A classic love story with ups-and-downs, 'Geetha Govindam' marked a turning point in Rashmika's career. It came as her first prominent movie since her debut and helped her make her own space in the industry. It is a love story tangled in misunderstandings which eventually has a happy ending. But what grabbed the audiences attention were the performances, fresh on-screen presence and the songs like 'Inkem Inkem'. Rashmika's portion in the song where she mimics Vijay's actions made everyone go 'awe' instantly.

Cast: Rashmika Mandanna, Vijay Deverakonda, Subbaraju, Vennela Kishore, Anu Emmanuel

Available On: Disney+Hotstar, Zee5

Based on sandalwood smuggling, 'Pushpa: The Rise' made ripples at the box office post-pandemic. Rashmika plays the role of Allu Arjun's love interest, Srivalli. She was praised for her realistic portrayal and natural acting in the film. She nailed the role of a village girl going hand-in-hand with Allu Arjun's strong character. She further engulfs the audiences with stellar performance in 'Saami Saami' and 'Srivalli' songs. The film helped her get much-needed critical acclamation and landed her some big film offers.

Cast: Rashmika Mandanna, Allu Arjun, Fahadh Faasil

Available On: Prime Video

Playing a role of a Pakistani girl with the task of finding Sita Mahalakshmi (Mrunal Thakur) to deliver a letter so she could inherit her grandfathers estate, Rashmika Mandanna brings to a life an intriguing character. 'Sita Ramam' is set against the backdrop of two timelines, present and past, which collate the relationship of Lieutenant Ram and Sita via Afreen (Rashmika Mandanna) in the present. Rashmika's two years of hardwork paid off on-screen and gave her a confidence to take up unseen characters.

The overall screenplay, story, performances and visuals were all widely appreciated by the audiences and the industry. The movie added another hit and critically acclaimed performance to Rashmika's kitty.

Cast: Rashmika Mandanna, Dulquer Salmaan, Mrunal Thakur, Rukmini Vijayakumar, Bhumika Chawla

Available On: Prime Video, Disney+Hotstar

A family drama exploring the dynamics of a household, power of acceptance and forgiveness and healing 'Goodbye' marked Rashmika's Hindi debut. Playing the role of a lawyer in a dysfunctional family at par about the mother's funeral, Rashmika gels in perfectly with the character. Embracing the language barrier with open-arms, Rashmika delivers her 100% in the film and brings in a perfect rapport with Amitabh Bachchan. The exchanges between their characters, the arguments and the synergy of actors with their characters bring in an emotional depth to the narrative and make it worth watching once.

Cast: Rashmika Mandanna, Amitabh Bachchan, Neena Gupta, Sunil Grover, Pavail Gulati

Available On: Netflix

A story of a son's steadfast love for his father, for which he can give his life or take others life, 'Animal', was a commercial success at the box office. The movie explores the violent love of a son towards his father which leads to gang wars and further disrupts the relationships. Rashmika Mandanna plays Gitanjali, the girlfriend turned wife of Ranbir Kapoor's character. She was criticised for her certain dialogues but overall she manages to pull of the character effectively and adds the much needed contrast to Ranbir's character.

Cast: Rashmika Mandanna, Ranbir Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Triptii Dimri

Available On: Netflix

Wishing the gorgeous Rashmika Mandanna a very happy birthday!