Congress MLA Criticizes Rashmika Mandanna Over Alleged Film Festival Snub; Source Dismisses Claims

Actor Rashmika Mandanna has found herself at the center of controversy after Congress MLA Ravikumar Gowda Ganiga accused her of neglecting the Kannada language and declining an invitation to the Bengaluru International Film Festival. However, a source close to the actor has stepped forward to refute these allegations, asserting that they are entirely baseless.
The controversy began when the MLA expressed his discontent over Mandanna’s alleged disregard for Kannada cinema and culture. He claimed that despite beginning her career in the Kannada film industry, the actor refused to attend the festival.
"Rashmika Mandanna, who started her career with the Kannada movie Kirik Party in Karnataka, refused to attend the International Film Festival last year when we invited her. She said, 'I have my house in Hyderabad, I don’t know where Karnataka is, and I don’t have time. I can't come,'" Ganiga told media persons at Vidhana Soudha.
He further alleged that repeated invitations were extended to Mandanna but were turned down. "One of our legislator friends visited her house 10–12 times to invite her, but she refused and even disregarded Kannada, despite growing up in the industry here. Shouldn’t we teach them a lesson?" he stated.
However, a source close to the actor has dismissed these claims, calling them completely false. "This bears reference to certain news reports alleging that Rashmika refused to attend the Bengaluru film festival and made derogatory statements about it and the state. The said news reports are completely false and do not have any element of truth," the source clarified.
They further added, "The statements attributed to Rashmika Mandanna and the entire story about someone approaching Rashmika Mandanna and she refusing to attend the Bengaluru film festival are incorrect. This statement is being issued for placing the correct facts on record and for quelling any false narratives."
Previously, the actor had faced criticism from Kannada audiences for an alleged statement at an event for Chhaava, which some interpreted as her distancing herself from her Kannada roots. Born in Coorg, Karnataka, Mandanna made her acting debut in the Kannada film Kirik Party, which was a major success.
Upcoming Projects
On the professional front, Rashmika Mandanna is currently enjoying the success of her latest film, Chhaava, where she stars alongside Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, and Vineet Singh. She will next be seen in Sikandar, an action drama directed by AR Murugadoss, in which she shares the screen with Salman Khan.
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