Rashmika Mandanna Is Not Playing It Safe Anymore

Rashmika Mandanna in her fierce Mysaa avatar

Rashmika Mandanna is slowly moving away from the kind of roles that made her a commercial favourite. Mysaa is probably the clearest sign of that change.

Her early Telugu films largely presented her as the charming, romantic heroine. Geetha Govindam and Dear Comrade established her, while Pushpa took her popularity to a much bigger level.

But her choices have become less predictable since then. Animal and Chhaava put her in very different worlds, while The Girlfriend gave her a film where the story was much more closely tied to her character.

Now comes Mysaa.

Rashmika is playing a fierce, action-oriented character in the film, a noticeable departure from the image that first made her popular. The first look has already drawn attention, with Vijay Deverakonda and director Hanu Raghavapudi praising her new avatar.

The bigger point is not whether Mysaa becomes a hit. It is what Rashmika is choosing to do next.

She is still part of big commercial films, but she is no longer depending only on the familiar heroine template. More challenging characters are finding their way into her lineup.

Mysaa could be an important test of how far that change can take her.