Karnataka has voted and here’s the winner of the Bangalore Times 30 Most Desirable women. The results of the poll on our website, along with our internal jury, gave us a new person on the throne — actress Rashmika Mandanna. She practically ruled the year, with Kirik Party being the most talked about film in the first half, while the second half had her in two big-ticket releases — Anjaniputhraa and #Chamak. From being the Times Fresh Face National Winner in 2014 to the Most Desirable Woman in 2017, Rashmika finds this surreal.
Excerpts from a chat…
Most Desirable Woman — happy?
Last year, when I made it to the top 25, it felt good. But this time, I was pleasantly surprised that I made it to the top. When you make it to the top, it means that you’ve the support of the entire state. It is very nice and sweet, but it is also very unexpected for me. For me, desirability is having so much support from the people who we work for. As artistes, we want to keep the audience happy and I think this is one of the ways they say we have kept them happy. I’m not big enough to say what desirability is, but I am happy that people think of me as desirable.
The Belageddu song from Kirik Party had you dubbed as the ‘Karnataka Crush’. Your reaction to that?
I need to ask people why, because I don’t know what it is in me that people like so much. Even if I wasn’t in the industry and was doing something else, I’d be the same girl. I don’t know what it is, there are times when it doesn’t feel real and I wonder if it is all a dream and I must wake up sometime. I had the same feeling when I was crowned the Fresh Face. Till date, I can’t call myself the Fresh Face of India. And now, I can’t even believe I’m the most desirable woman.
As for Kirik Party, it is something that I hadn’t seen coming. When you’re destined to be somewhere, you will reach there, no matter what. I met some of the most amazing human beings while shooting for the film. To me, Kirik Party means everything, because it is the reason I am what I am today.
Three big releases and another biggie lined up next — does the Next Big Thing tag given to you feel overwhelming?
Honestly, right now everything scares me. But I don’t really see myself as the Next Big Thing. I just think of myself as someone who does good work. I’ve not let myself to think that I am the next star. If someone sees the real me running across the streets barefoot, they would definitely be in disbelief. I’m still that little girl inside.
What do you find desirable in a man?
If a man cares about the people around him, he is truly desirable. This caring quality is important in a man for anything, be it for work or keeping his family happy — this is the most desirable quality for me. Apart from this, respecting people and remaining down to earth is equally important. And I find my man, Rakshit Shetty, the most desirable.
In the film industry, traditionally, the ‘taken’ tag equals women being written off. Here you are, with this title! A sign of changing times?
I do think that times have changed, most definitely. Though, I’d like to also point out, even now when I talk to some of my friends, they are still scared to reveal their relationship status. It is almost like people are scared to live with the truth. This is totally unnecessary. Now that I’m engaged, two years from now I’d be married. If not the film industry, I’ve many things to go back home to and it isn’t the end of the world. But I’m still taking my chances. Times have changed, but there are people who still ask me — ‘why did you get engaged when you had such a good future ahead’. It is almost as if a heroine has to remain single forever or get married late; this doesn’t make sense one bit.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> News> Entertainment> Kannada> Movies> News / by Sunayana Suresh / TNN / March 03rd, 2018
