March 4th 2025.
The city of Bengaluru has been abuzz with a major controversy surrounding Congress MLA Ravikumar Ganiga's statement against popular actress Rashmika Mandanna. Ganiga had accused her of being arrogant and ungrateful, causing quite a stir in the state of Karnataka. However, his colleague and Advisor to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, A.S. Ponnanna, came to the actress's defense, stating that she has the right to choose where she wants to go and where she doesn't.
The controversy began when Rashmika and a few other Kannada actors did not attend the inauguration of an international film festival in Bengaluru. Ganiga slammed the actress, saying, "Rashmika Mandanna made her debut in the Kannada film industry through 'Kirik Party'. She was invited to the international film festival last year, but she claimed she doesn't know where Karnataka is because she lives in Hyderabad. She also said she doesn't have time to attend the festival."
Infuriated by Rashmika's alleged arrogance, MLA Ravikumar, who is a strong supporter of Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, criticized her publicly. Meanwhile, Shivakumar also spoke out, stating that the film industry cannot survive without the support of the government and the people.
In response to Ravikumar's statement, MLA Ponnanna held a press conference and stated, "We live in a constitutional democracy where individual freedom is a fundamental right. Rashmika Mandanna has the same right as MLA Ravikumar to choose where she wants to be." He also commented on the language used against her, saying, "I believe the language used was inappropriate. Rashmika has every right to participate in any program, whether it is a state event or not. No one should interfere with her right to choose."
It is worth noting that both MLA Ponnanna and Rashmika Mandanna hail from the Kodagu region and belong to the Kodava community. Reacting to the controversy, Ganiga stood by his statement and even showed the media the official invitation sent to Rashmika for last year's film festival. "This is our challenge," he declared, countering claims that Rashmika was never invited.
MLA Gowda also spoke up, saying, "Let's put an end to this arrogance. We don't talk about actresses Anushka Shetty and Shilpa Shetty because they didn't start their careers in the Kannada film industry. They struggled and achieved success in the Telugu and Hindi film industries, and they have also acted in Kannada films." He clarified that his statement was not a personal opinion, but a reflection of the sentiment of the Kannada people towards Rashmika's attitude.
He continued, "Why would I target Rashmika Mandanna? What do I gain from this? I am not organizing a film festival in Mandya. We invited her on behalf of the six crore Kannada people, but she declined, citing lack of time. She should rectify her mistake."
Ravikumar represents the Mandya Assembly seat, and he added, "This land gave her a career, and she should show it some respect." Meanwhile, Shivakumar, who has faced criticism for his remarks on film artists, responded, "Let them criticize. I made the statement to provoke a reaction. I know my contribution, and those who have benefited from my help know it too. This is about our state, our land, and our language. Did we organize the film festival for ourselves? It was for the growth of their films."
He also said, "If film artists don't attend to promote their films, should we take the blame for that too? There may have been some lapses, and some people may not have been invited. Whether it was a mistake on our department's part is a separate matter. But ultimately, it was their event, and they should have attended, right? No one is above criticism."
"We can survive without films. They need the government and the people to promote their films," Shivakumar emphasized. Senior producer and director Rajendra Singh Babu, reacting to Shivakumar's statements, said, "The Mekedatu project is crucial for providing drinking water to Bengaluru. There is a way to invite artists. Deputy CM Shivakumar should have considered how to maintain good relations with the film industry. We have our own chambers and associations, and some senior artists would certainly attend if invited."
He also added, "The Kannada film industry has always supported the state's causes and never turned its back on the language. The artists should have attended the festival without waiting for an invitation." Babu further commented, "Will Shivakumar be the Chief Minister for 50 years? This is a political issue. After five years, another government will take over. He should not have spoken like a dictator and should have communicated more respectfully."
He also demanded, "If we are threatened with not being able to make films here, we will go to Uttar Pradesh, where they offer a subsidy of Rs 5 crore. In Jammu and Kashmir, they provide a Rs 6 crore subsidy. We don't need assistance from the Karnataka government. We are creators, and we can create anywhere. Shivakumar should take back his words." He strongly condemned Shivakumar's statement, saying, "Karnataka is not anyone's grandfather's property. Shivakumar has misused his position and platform."
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