- An old audio clip of Rashmika Mandanna's mother discussing Rashmika's past engagement is circulating online
- The clip is from an eight-year-old interview with Suman Mandanna on a Kannada news channel
- Suman alleged tensions and control issues between Rashmika and Rakshit's families during their engagement
An alleged audio clip of Rashmika Mandanna's mother, Suman Mandanna, has been circulating widely on social media, prompting a response from the actress.
The clip is said to feature Suman speaking about events surrounding Rashmika's past engagement to actor Rakshit Shetty.
The audio surfaced weeks after Rashmika's wedding to Vijay Deverakonda on February 26 this year. While the clip has been widely shared online in recent days, it is reportedly from an old interview Suman Mandanna gave to a Kannada news channel eight years ago.
Reacting to the circulation of the audio, Rashmika issued a statement criticising the sharing of what she described as an old private conversation and warned of possible legal action if the content is not removed.
What The Resurfaced Audio Clip Is About
Rashmika and Rakshit Shetty first met while working on the 2016 Kannada film Kirik Party. The two later got engaged in 2017. However, their engagement ended in 2018, with both actors announcing that they had mutually decided to part ways.
The resurfaced clip is said to come from an interview Suman Mandanna gave on senior film journalist Mahesh Devishetty, per OneIndia. In the audio clip, she spoke about disagreements that allegedly took place between the two families during that period.
According to Suman, the family had agreed to the relationship even though Rashmika was young at the time. She also alleged that tensions grew during the engagement and that arguments occurred between the families.
In the interview, she claimed that Rakshit would sometimes create scenes over small issues and allegedly tried to control Rashmika's professional decisions. She also alleged that when Rashmika received an offer for the film Geetha Govindam, there was pressure on her to post a message on social media stating that she would quit acting.
Suman Mandanna also recalled an incident she described as particularly distressing. According to her account, the night before Geetha Govindam released, Rakshit and his manager allegedly called late at night and asked Rashmika to travel from Hyderabad to Bengaluru immediately to meet him.
In the interview clip, Suman Mandanna speaks about tensions that allegedly arose between the two families during that period. According to her, disagreements escalated into arguments. She claims that during one such moment, Rakshit did not support her and instead argued with her.
She also alleges that one of the final demands made to Rashmika was to publicly announce on social media that she would quit acting after marriage.
Part of the interview includes Suman Mandanna speaking emotionally in Kannada.
As per OneIndia, she said, "They said this girl is not thinking properly. Even after knowing the situation, you still sent her there. Then they came and created a scene with me. At that time, instead of saying 'Aunty, don't worry, I am with you,' he argued with me. His final condition was that Rashmika should tweet saying she would leave acting after marriage."
She further added, "What mistake did my young daughter make? The elders started calling. His mother said my daughter's mother must come and apologise. Why should I apologise without any reason? I have helped many people in my life...good that they broke up."
What Did Rashmika Mandanna Say?
Following the circulation of the clip, Rashmika issued a detailed statement on X (formerly Twitter) addressing the issue and urging people to stop sharing the audio.
The statement read, "To my dearest people who have been with me through this incredible journey so far. And to others concerned with this matter - It has been 8 years since a sustained campaign of misinformation, harassment, and targeted attacks from a section of the media and individuals online had started against me. I have watched as my words have been taken out of context, as words I never uttered were spun into false narratives, and hate has been amplified for the sake of views, reach, and engagement."
She added, "All this while, while it pained me and hurt me, I chose patience and silence. I accepted that being in the public eye sometimes comes with unfair criticism, but as long as I remain true to myself and happy, spreading joy around me, things will fall into place. However, what has happened in the last 24 hours crosses a line that can't be ignored."
The actor also stated that the audio was being circulated deliberately to create controversy.
"An old private conversation, believed to be from nearly eight years ago, appears to have been recorded and circulated without the knowledge or consent of those involved. A small portion of that conversation has now been deliberately taken out of context and circulated widely to create yet another discomforting controversy- strategically coinciding with recent developments in my personal life," she mentioned.
Rashmika further stated, "How far can people go? In doing so, they have dragged my family along with people I share cordial relationships with, who have absolutely nothing to do with this matter, into discomfort. This constitutes a serious invasion of privacy and the circulation of misleading and defamatory material."
She added, "While we move forward in life, grow, create meaningful work, and spread positivity, it is unfortunate that a few continue to manufacture hate and controversy at the cost of another person's dignity and peace. For eight years, while the attacks were restricted to me I chose silence. Today, while others are being drawn into this, I cannot stay silent any longer. I choose to draw a boundary."
— Rashmika Mandanna (@iamRashmika) March 12, 2026
Threatening legal action against those continuing to circulate the clip, Rashmika wrote, "I request all media platforms, influencers and individuals who are circulating this content or related narratives to remove them immediately. You have 24 hours from the time of this statement to do so. Failing this, starting tomorrow, appropriate legal action will be initiated - including the issuance of legal notices to individuals, influencers, digital platforms, or media organisations involved in the continued circulation of defamatory or privacy-violating content, in accordance with applicable law. This step is not taken lightly, but it has become necessary."
The actor urged people and media platforms to respect privacy and refrain from sharing the clip further.
