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Rashmika Mandanna adopts 400 families after playing Jayamma in Vijay Deverakonda’s Ranabaali: ‘If this could influence you’

Inspired by her role as Jayamma in Ranabaali, Rashmika Mandanna says she has adopted 400 families and will provide groceries for three months.

Published on: Oct 14, 2026, 13:17:18 IST
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Rashmika Mandanna is awaiting the release of her film Ranabaali, her first film with husband Vijay Deverakonda since their marriage. Recently, the actor shared that playing Jayamma in the film, which draws inspiration from one of the darkest chapters in India's history – the devastating Famine of 1876-78 – inspired her to adopt 400 families and provide them with groceries.

‘If this could influence you’

Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna in a still from Ranabaali.
Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna in a still from Ranabaali.

Rashmika took to Instagram to share that she had adopted 400 families and would provide them with groceries for three months, helping them save money and use it to plan their futures better.

She also shared a video of her team distributing ration kits to the families. She wrote, “There is something in the characters you play that influence you.. A lot of you keep asking are there any similarities between Jayamma and me and my answer is yes - and this is one of them.. this has always been me and this is also her.. and I would always keep doing things like this for all the love that you give me.. but always kept this under the wraps cz I thought if I knew and just my team knew and just a bunch of us knew.. it was enough.. but now I am opening up about this because I am thinking.. if this could influence you lovelies out there to do anything like this.. I would be happy. ❤️ So hence I thought why not start now.. with this!.”

‘Want to just help 400 families at a time for 3 months each’

About Ranabaali

Vijay and Rashmika's Ranabaali draws inspiration from the Great Famine of 1876-78, one of the deadliest famines in colonial India. Repeated droughts affected large parts of southern and western India, including Rayalaseema, a drought-prone region in present-day Andhra Pradesh. Despite the crisis, the British continued exporting grain from India, contributing to widespread starvation and the deaths of millions.

Ranabaali is a fictional story set in 1870s South India during the Great Famine. Vijay plays a rebellious warrior who confronts a British commissioner while protecting his region and its people. Rashmika plays Jayamma, Ranabaali's wife and partner in his rebellion.

Directed by Rahul Sankrityan, the film is scheduled to release in theatres on October 16.

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vibha Maru

Vibha Maru is an Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times Entertainment, based in Delhi. With a decade of experience across digital and print media, she covers Bollywood, Hollywood and web shows. A self-confessed cinephile who breathes Hindi cinema, Vibha can often be found sacrificing sleep after binge-watching films and web series. Though she holds a Commerce degree, she discovered her true calling in journalism after enrolling at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC). She began her career covering Delhi's cultural scene, food, nightlife, concerts, and city life at The Times of India, before moving into full-time entertainment journalism with India Today. At India Today, Vibha interviewed some of the biggest names in Bollywood and television while carving a niche for herself through film reviews, opinion pieces, nostalgic features, celebrity interviews, and trend-driven stories. She later brought her storytelling and editorial expertise to The Indian Express, where she continued to deepen her understanding of cinema through long-form entertainment explainers, retrospectives and feature writing. Now, as Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times Entertainment, Vibha continues to chronicle the world of movies and pop culture. Her work spans breaking entertainment news, exclusive interviews, celebrity features, and stories that capture the conversations shaping Indian cinema.

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