Actor Rashmika Mandanna enjoys a massive fanbase in the Hindi belt despite not having made her Bollywood debut yet. Her 2021 film Pushpa: The Rise added to that. When one has such a career high, does making future choices become difficult in order to live up to the expectations of fans? “I would be lying if I say it doesn’t get stressful, but I am my fans’ baby,” she tells us, adding, “I like it when I do something they like. Making them happy is what keeps me going, which keeps me motivated to work harder and keep getting better at what I do. So, I maintain my choices with a good balance of what I want, and what I think they would want.”

The actor says that after Pushpa: The Rise - Part 01, the amount of love that has come her way has been overwhelming: “I am always and forever grateful... and the audiences’ love makes me want to work much harder. Pushpa has transcended languages and boundaries.”

This year already looks great for Mandanna, as she will finally make her Bollywood debut with Mission Majnu, starring Sidharth Malhotra. She also has two more Hindi films in her kitty — Goodbye, which features actor Amitabh Bachchan, and Ranbir Kapoor-starrer Animal. “I am so thrilled that Animal’s announcement is finally out. Not only is the story amazing, but also the team I get to work with. It’s like a dream come true,” she says.

Meanwhile, the actor is celebrating her 26th birthday today. She feels this year is going to be extra special for her, especially with her latest Hindi film’s announcement. “The past few days have been overwhelming, as I can finally talk about my upcoming projects,” she adds.

Ask her about her birthday plans, and she tells us, “This year, it’ll be a partial working birthday for me. The best way to celebrate the day is to just be surrounded by work and do what I love doing. My team gave me a half-day off today to spend some time alone, meet my friends and dear ones. In the second half of the day, I will be travelling for a shoot.”