Rashmika Mandanna trolled for saying south cinema is about 'mass masala, item numbers': 'Really stupid thing to say'

Rashmika Mandanna drew the ire of a certain section of film fans from the south after a video of hers implying that south cinema is all about item numbers went viral. The video is from the song launch of Rashmika’s upcoming Hindi film Mission Majnu and the actress was speaking about the differences between film songs in Hindi and the south industries. However, the statement has caused furore in fans, who have labelled it ‘stupid’.

The launch of Mission Majnu’s song Rabba Janda was held in Mumbai recently. The spy thriller also stars Sidharth Malhotra in the lead and is slated to be released on Netflix on January 20. Rabba Janda is a romantic track. Talking about it, as per a video posted on Reddit, Rashmika said at the event, “For me, while growing up, Bollywood romantic songs were a thing. Romantic songs meant Bollywood songs.”

The actress then went on to draw a contrast with songs from the south and added, “In south, we have mass masala, item numbers, and all dance numbers. But this is my first Bollywood romantic song and I am so excited because it is so good.”

However, netizens did not take kindly to Rashmika’s remark about south songs being all masala and dance numbers. One commented, “Yeah but reducing south songs to just "item numbers" is a really stupid thing to say.” Many others said that her statement was ironic as she herself has gained fame from several such songs. “This is the same woman who dances on “Saami” all the time. I want to defend her but she makes it soooo hard,” wrote one.

Many defended the actress too, saying that she was just talking about her preferences. “Hating a person's choice is just hate mongering. Not every single person has to unanimously like the same thing,” read one comment.

Rashmika has four films lined up for release in 2023, starting with Tamil action thriller Varisu, which stars Vijay. This is followed by Mission Majnu and Animal, which sees her paired with Ranbir Kapoor for the first time. As per reports, she will round up the year with Pushpa 2: The Rise.