Actor couple Rashmika Mandanna and Vijay Deverakonda appeared on Karan Johar’s talk show, Koffee With Karan, recently to talk about their relationship. The aftermath has seen the couple face scrutiny over everything from how Rashmika proposed marriage to how Deverakonda behaved in the episode. Two separate statements and a cyber complaint later, Rashmika amplified a content creator’s post comparing them to Shiva and Parvati.
(Also Read: What made Rashmika Mandanna-Vijay Deverakonda’s team file a cyber complaint: Rumours of halted shoot, objectionable remarks, AI videos| HT Exclusive)
Content creator compares Vijay Deverakonda-Rashmika Mandanna to Shiva-Parvati
A content creator named Natashja Rathore posted a Reel on Instagram defending Rashmika and Deverakonda. Claiming that patriarchy has ‘badly distorted our understanding of masculine and feminine energy’, the creator claimed that they saw a ‘beautiful parallel’ to the couple and Shiva, Parvati. Mentioning that Shiva was a detached yogi with no desire for domesticity, they stated that Parvati pursued the God, much like Rashmika pursued Deverakonda for a year.
“Not every man who hesitates is avoidant. Not every woman who pursues is desperate. And not every relationship you don’t understand is toxic,” wrote Natashja in the caption, adding, “We’ve become so obsessed with identifying red flags that we’ve forgotten how to recognise conscious love.” Re-posting the video on her Instagram Stories, Rashmika wrote, “Now this feels like a warm hug! (red heart emoji).” She even liked the video, in which the creator claimed that men more often than not pursue women to ‘conquer’ what they cannot have.
Rashmika Mandanna addresses criticism after KWK episode
Rashmika posted a long note on her Instagram, addressing ‘those who deeply love and those who are permanently bitter’. “It’s okay that I knew exactly what I wanted. And it was equally okay that he wanted time to think through the practical things in life and be sure. That didn’t change our love in any way. I am all heart and he is the thinker – and we need that in each other’s lives,” she wrote about her proposal.
She also added, “For us, marriage was never about a proposal, getting down on one knee or putting a ring on a finger. That’s the decorative part. For us, it was about building a life and a future together. And I think we did that beautifully so far.” In the episode, Rashmika mentioned that she was the first to propose marriage. Deverakonda, who wasn’t ready to marry yet, asked her to ask him ‘100 times’ and she did over the span of a year. He also mentioned that he was offended that a ring she was wearing was mistaken for her engagement ring, revealing that he had only got down on one knee during their pre-wedding event.