Rashmika Mandanna joins Thama as Bollywood vies for Maddock Madness: A look at how she cracked the code for pan-India success

Rashmika Mandanna has joined Ayushmann Khurrana for Maddock Films' upcoming venture Thama. Fresh off the success of Animal, Rashmika's addition to Maddock Madness comes at a time when every Bollywood A-lister is vying to work with Dinesh Vijan following the blockbuster box office reception to Shraddha Kapoor-Rajkummar Rao's film Stree 2.

Interestingly, Thama is not the only big project Rashmika has under her belt; she's slated to return for Pushpa 2: The Rule and has also been roped in as the leading lady for Salman Khan's Sikander and Vicky Kaushal starrer Chhava.

In her just two-year-long stint in Bollywood, Rashmika has shattered regional boundaries and captivated audiences across India, cracking the code for pan-India success, something that the likes of Nayanthara, Deepika Padukone, and Alia Bhatt have struggled with. From Kannada cinema to Pan-India fame, Rashmika's journey is nothing short of remarkable. But what's the reason for her unstoppable success? Let's dive in.

Rashmika Mandanna's meteoric rise to pan-India fame!

Believe it or not, Rashmika never dreamed of becoming an actress. Yet, today she's a household name. She made her debut with the Kannada-language film Kirik Party (2016) and became a South sensation in no time. Her impressive performance earned her recognition and paved the way for her transition to Telugu cinema.

Her debut Telugu film Chalo (2018) marked the beginning of her successful stint in Tollywood. With films like Geetha Govindam (2018), Dear Comrade (2019), and Bheeshma (2020), she quickly became the girl next door, striking a chord with the young audience. However, nothing propelled her to pan-India fame quite like Pushpa: The Rise (2021), the first film to end the box office drought post-pandemic with an incredible run in the theatres.

How did Rashmika crack the pan-India code?

In a short amount of time, Rashmika became producers' favourite muse, bagging many Bollywood projects such as Goodbye (2022) and Mission Majnu (2022); however, she did not leave her Tollywood fans in the lurch and continued to work Down South, delivering memorable roles in Sita Ramam (2022) and Varisu (2023), blending her fandom across industries to emerge as the true blue pan-India star.

Her stardom further catapulted following the success of Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Animal (2023). Despite the film's highly-polarising reviews from critics, Rashmika's performance as Geetanjali earned resounding acclaim. She is also expected to return for the film's sequel, Animal Park.

Today, Rashmika is one of the most sought-after actresses in Indian cinema, with a slew of exciting projects in her kitty. As she makes waves across the country, fans can't wait for her next move, knowing that she'll continue to continue to soar new heights.