Divya Dutta says ‘don’t forget her hits' as she defends ‘incredible actor’ Rashmika Mandanna amid criticism for Chhaava

Divya Dutta defended Rashmika Mandanna after she receives criticism for her performance in Chhaava, praised her talent and success.

Vicky Kaushal, Rashmika Mandanna, and Akshaye Khanna's historical action film Chhaava opened to a positive response from the audience and has been enjoying a dream run at the box office. However, a section of audience was unhappy with Rashmika's portrayal of Maharani Yesubai Bhonsale. Now, her co-star Divya Dutta has responded to the criticism in an interview with India Today Digital.

Divya Dutta defends Rashmika Mandanna amid criticism for Chhaava.

Divya Dutta defends Rashmika

Rashmika received some negative reviews for her portrayal of Maharani Yesubai Bhonsale, with many criticising her dialogue delivery in the film. Defending Rashmika, Divya stated, "Although we didn’t have scenes together, I believe she is an incredible actor. If you look at her kohl-rimmed eyes in certain scenes, they are simply mesmerising. Let’s not forget that she has delivered several hits, which clearly means she has something that resonates with the audience. From what I know, she is a hardworking and genuinely sweet person. Mujhe toh bahut pyaari lagti hai (I find her adorable), I don’t know what others think."

She further noted that audiences will always have differing opinions and added, "The thing is, everyone will have a different opinion. Some might say, ‘Oh, you should have had a longer role in the film,’ while others might say, ‘Oh, you had a great presence.’ Whether it’s for me or Rashmika, we gave our best, others did their part, and now the audience is doing theirs. What truly matters is that the film is performing well and is among the biggest blockbusters of the year—we should celebrate that."

About Chhaava

Chhaava is a historical action film based on the life of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. Directed by Laxman Utekar and produced by Dinesh Vijan under Maddock Films, the film is an adaptation of the Marathi novel Chhava by Shivaji Sawant. It also stars Vineet Kumar Singh as Kavi Kalash, Akshaye Khanna as Aurangzeb, Diana Penty as Zinat-un-Nissa Begum, Neil Bhoopalam as Prince Muhammad Akbar, and Ashutosh Rana as Hambirrao Mohite.

The film has emerged as the biggest blockbuster of 2025 so far, surpassing Akshay Kumar's Sky Force. According to Sacnilk, Chhaava has collected ₹338 crore worldwide in just eight days and continues to run successfully in theatres.