Rashmika Mandanna has finally reacted to Aishwarya Rajesh's comment over the role of Srivalli in Pushpa: The Rise. It was portrayed by Rashmika in the 2022 hit film but became a centre of discussion after Aishwarya Rajesh said in a recent interview that she “would suit the character better.” Aishwarya Rajesh was promoting her movie Farhana when she expressed her preference for “good Telugu films." A few days later, the actress clarified her statement, saying that she “admires” Rashmika Mandanna's work in the film and she never meant she would have played Srivalli better than Rashmika, as presented by media reports. A day after Aishwarya issued the clarification, the Mission Majnu actress reacted to it and tweeted that she “only has love and respect for” Aishwarya.
“Hi love… just came across this…the thing is - I perfectly understood what you meant and I wish there were no reasons for us to explain ourselves and as you know I only and only have love and respect for you… and once again, all the best for your film Farhana love,” wrote Rashmika Mandanna early Friday morning.
In her statement, Aishwarya Rajesh also wrote about the confusion that ensued due to media reports and requested “those peddling rumours to stop speculating and attributing malicious motives” to her simple comment.
An excerpt from her statement read: “Talking about work, I was asked in a recent interview about the kind of roles I want to do in Telugu cinema. I replied that I like the Telugu film industry a lot and that I would certainly do Telugu films if I got roles that were to my liking. To cite an example, I said I liked the character of Srivalli in Pushpa a lot as I felt such characters would suit me. However, unfortunately, my statement seems to have been misconstrued and is being reported in such a fashion so as to give the impression that I was disparaging the fantastic work of actress Rashmika Mandanna in the film. I wish to clear the confusion that seems to have ensued and clarify very clearly that I have nothing but profound admiration for Rashmika's work in the film.”
Take a look:
Reacting to Rashmika Mandanna's tweet, Aishwarya Rajesh dropped red heart icons in the comments section.
Aishwarya Rajesh, who is enjoying the success of her film Farhana, expressed her liking for Telugu projects while promoting the film. During an interview, she talked about seizing the chance if she was ever offered the female lead role in Allu Arjun's Pushpa. “In case I were given the opportunity, I would have jumped at it. Rashmika played Srivalli well but I feel and believe I would suit the character better," the actress was quoted as saying by Pinkvilla.
Aishwarya Rajesh is known for her performances in films like The Great Indian Kitchen, Vada Chennai and Kaaka Muttai. Rashmika Mandanna, on the other hand, has Pushpa: Part 2, Animal and a film with Shahid Kapoor lined up.