There was a time when Rashmika Mandanna would read about stars and movies in the media with all the possible enthusiasm.  That was before she became an actress herself.  

Says the 'Chalo' and 'Geetha Govindam' actress, "I have come to realize in recent years that real and reel lives are entirely different.  When I started out as an actress, my curious friends used to ask me about the shootings, co-stars, etc.  They are now used to me being in the film industry now."

Years before she debuted in films with a Kannada movie, Rashmika participated in a beauty contest because of which she got the opportunity to see Upendra and Kriti Kharbanda.  "When I was to Mumbai, I got to see Akshay Kumar and Rana," she recollects.  

'Dear Comrade' opposite Vijay Deverakonda is her next Telugu outing.