Rashmika Mandanna recalled her first day on the sets of Allu Arjun starrer Pushpa at a recent event.
Rashmika Mandanna won hearts with her portrayal of Srivalli, Pushpa Raj aka Allu Arjun’s lady love in Sukumar’s 2021 Telugu blockbuster Pushpa- The Rise. Now, the actress will be seen reprising her role in the much anticipated Pushpa 2-The Rule.
While fans cannot get enough of Srivalli-Pushpa Raj’s chemistry, Rashmika Mandanna, at the recent press meet for the film in Mumbai, recalled how she was ‘nervous’ on her first day on the sets of Pushpa.
The ‘Animal’ actress shared, “I remember my first shot was that portion in Srivalli song where my character shakes the newspaper and uses it to cover the milk can. That was my first day and I was so nervous meeting Allu Arjun. I was like, ‘Aiyyo, how do I react to Sir. He has been a superstar for such a long time. I was clueless about how to react and behave. That was my first interaction. But today, standing here in front of Sir, he is family, he is home. So, the five-year journey has been so different with a lot of emotional ride. He is always going to be super special.”
Further, Rashmika was also all praise for the film’s director Sukumar and said, “No matter how many words, it’s all too short for him. In a simple one liner, I would like to say, “He is a genius’.” She further joked, “I feel like he isn’t from earth. He is from somewhere else, but born as a human being with some other soul.”
On being asked to reveal that one thing about her five-year ‘Pushpa’ journey that will always stay with her, the actress answered, “You cannot describe the five-year journey in one word, phrase or sentence. From my seven years as an actor, five years have been with Pushpa. Pushpa is home, and now when we are done with the film, I actually don’t know how to react to it because I am very sad that it has ended. I am also very excited that it is finally coming out. I am a little overwhelmed with a lot of emotions. But, I hope that I get to work with this team a lot many more times.”
Touted as one of the biggest pan-India releases of the year, Pushpa 2- The Rule to open in 12,500 screens worldwide in six languages. Besides Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna, the film also features Fahadh Faasil in a key role.