Rashmika-Rakshit: Whirlwind Romance, Engagement & Break-Up, What Happened With Kirik Party Co-stars?

Pushpa 2 star Rashmika Mandanna is also known as National Crush, a moniker she earned after she featured in the 2016 Kannada blockbuster Kirik Party. After debuting in Kannada cinema, Rashmika did Pushpa in Telugu and entered Bollywood with Goodbye and followed it up with Animal. She has other much-awaited Hindi projects in the pipeline. Hers is truly the story of an actress' journey to pan-India stardom. However, not many are aware that Rashmika was once engaged to be married to her debut film's co-star Rakshit Shetty.

Did you know Rashmika got engaged at 21?

Rashmika and Raskhit met during the filming of Kirik Party. The movie was produced by Raskhit and directed by his close friend, Rishab Shetty. Sparks flew between Raskhit and Rashmika, who played lovers onscreen in the movie. Soon after, rumours surfaced that Rashmika, 20, was dating Rakshit, 33. Things between them took a serious turn when they got engaged in July 2017. An old video from their ring ceremony has also resurfaced on social media as Pushpa 2 release date nears. Many are only discovering now that the Animal star was once engaged to her co-star.

In an old post shared by Rashmika, she also welcomed Rakshit to her family before their engagement. The actress' father was seen greeting Rakshit as he seemingly accepted him as his son-in-law. The couple exchanged rings in a formal ceremony in July 2017. Reportedly, for the lavish event, the families of Rakshit and Rashmika invited as many as 2,500 guests, including prominent celebrities from Sandalwood. They got engaged, with marriage on the cards. But what happened next would surprise everyone.

Rashmika and Raskhit Shetty call off engagement

After the success of Kirik Party, Rashmika Mandanna started getting film offers from various other South industries. Post her engagement to Raskhit, she featured in Geetha Govindam opposite Vijay Deverakonda. The movie was successful at the box office and many liked the lead pair's chemistry. In September 2018, a month after the release of her Telugu debut film, news surfaced that Rashmika and Rakshit had called off their engagement.

The news shocked fans. It was followed by Rakshit and Rashmika's respective families returning the engagement rings and confirming they were no longer together. Rakshit's fans were quick to troll Rashmika.

Rashmika issues statement after calling off engagement with Rakshit

Rashmika shared a post on X (formerly Twitter) after calling off her engagement with Rakshit Shetty. She finally responded to all the rumours and requested others to respect her privacy. “Sorry I have been silent for so long…but I’ve been watching a lot of stories, articles, comments and trolls about me…it has been disturbing me on how I was being portrayed and everything blew out of proportion and yes i definitely don’t blame you guys for it…because that’s what you’d believe and I am not here to justify anything or anyone…just want to tell you guys that Rakshit, me or anyone in the industry should not go through this…And also need to add that just as how every coin has two sides, so does every story…Please let us who work in our industry, work with a little peace of mind. That’s my two cents (sic),” Rashmika said in a statement.

However, the actress did not reveal the reason for their break-up.

What led to Rashmika and Raskhit calling off the engagement?

Reportedly, there were "compatibility issues" between Raskhit and Rashmika, which led to them parting ways before marriage. Other sources revealed that after the success of Kirik Party, Rashmika was flooded with offers and did not see it right to marry when her career could hit a high point.

Where do things stand between Rakshit and Rashmika now?

After their break-up, Rashmika and Rakshit have remained tight-lipped about their relationship in the past and the reason for their breakup. Rakshit, however, did mention that they are still in touch and text each other for movie success. On the personal front, Rakshit remains single with no mention of his dating life in the media. He owns the production and distribution company Paramvah Studios and is focused on his work.

Rashmika, meanwhile, is rumoured to be dating Vijay Deverakonda, with many hinting that they might get married in the future.