Rashmika Mandanna Shuts Down Accent Trolls on Koffee With Karan 9

Rashmika Mandanna has heard the accent commentary for years, and on the latest episode of Koffee With Karan 9 she responded with a point so simple it is hard to argue with: she is from the South of India, so of course she sounds like it.

The accent is part of the person

The conversation around Rashmika’s Hindi dialogue delivery resurfaced after Thamma in 2025 and Cocktail 2 in 2026. Similar reactions followed her work in Animal, Chhaava and Sikandar. Appearing with her husband, Vijay Deverakonda, Rashmika said she never saw a South Indian accent as a problem.

“I am from the South of India. So I am going to have an accent. It’s unreasonable to think otherwise.”

For Rashmika, the accent is not a flaw to fix but a natural part of who she is. The trolling, she added, has followed her across performance, acting, language and delivery.

Dubbing in multiple languages is a point of pride

Rashmika said she offers every director the option to choose another artiste if a different voice suits the character better, and she would not feel bad about it. None of her directors have taken the option.

Dubbing across languages is demanding work, and being trusted to do it herself matters to her. That trust, she said, is a point of pride.

Range over limitations

She said she never wanted to put a barrier on herself by working in only one industry or speaking only one language. The contrast between her roles in Animal and The Girlfriend was deliberate.

• Thamma (2025) and Cocktail 2 (2026) brought the accent conversation back.
• Animal, Chhaava and Sikandar attracted similar reactions earlier.
• Ranabaali reunites her with Vijay Deverakonda.
• Mysaa is a female-led action-adventure.
• Raaka, directed by Atlee and starring Allu Arjun, is expected to go into production in 2027.

Why it matters

Rashmika’s response matters because multilingual actors often face pressure to sound as if they belong to one industry. She is making the case that a performer can move across Hindi and South Indian cinema without erasing where they come from.

Source: India Today