Rashmika Mandanna Instagram – Pan-India star Rashmika Mandanna (@rashmika_mandanna)—who works in Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, and Hindi films—has the world of movies at her feet…but her gentle manner won’t give that away. In a special conversation with Bazaar India Editor Nandini Bhalla (@nandinibhalla) for the 14th Anniversary issue—the Cinema Issue—Rashmika speaks about creating a space for herself in the industry, how she tackles criticism, and the things that spark joy in her. ⠀⠀ Excerpts from the interview: Nandini Bhalla: Tell us about your earliest memory of cinema, and what impact did that have on you? Rashmika Mandanna: “I never saw myself as an actor, I never believed I could be one. However, I was always fascinated with cinema. I also auditioned for a few roles but nothing came through, and because of that, I began making peace with the fact that acting was not my destiny. However, after winning the title of Times Fresh Face in 2014, I got a call from Paramvah Studios (a production house). They asked me to audition for a character called Sanvi Joseph for a film called Kirik Party, which was my debut film.” NB: Tell us about the first movie you watched as a child, one that had a profound impact on you. RM: “Taare Zameen Par [2007] was one of the first films I watched in school. Before this, there was a Tamil film that my dad made me watch. He enjoys watching Tamil films and had taken me to the cinema to watch Ghilli [2004], starring Vijay Sir and Trisha [Krishnan]. It was truly special.” Editor: Nandini Bhalla (@nandinibhalla) Photographs: Sahil Behal (@behalsahil) Styling: Zunaili Malik (@zunailimalik) Make-Up: Tanvi Chemburkar (@tanvichemburkar) Hair: Priyanka Borkar (@priyanka.s.borkar) Fashion Assistant: Jaishree Chhabra (@jaishreechhabra) Fashion Interns: Garima Taneja (@garimaaa19), Mittali Jain (@mittalijain_) and Vailancia Angel Ferrao (@vailanciaaa) Production: Studio Little Dumpling (@studiolittledumpling) Rashmika is wearing a pantsuit, Maison 9002 (@maison_9002) Head to the link in bio to read Rashmika Mandanna’s full interview. Bazaar India’s 14th anniversary issue is on stands now. . . . . . #BazaarIndia #RashmikaMandanna #BazaarIndiaCover