20 March,2026 01:06 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Rashmika Mandanna and her mother-in-law Madhavi Devarakonda
At the Telangana Gaddar Film Awards 2025, Rashmika Mandanna became the centre of attention as she took home the Best Actress Award and gave an emotional acceptance speech. What caught everyone's attention was the fact that Rashmika attended the award ceremony with her mother-in-law, Madhavi Devarakonda. The duo's warm camaraderie quickly became a talking point with moments from the red carpet going viral.
Rashmika received the Best Actor honour for her performance in The Girlfriend, where she portrayed the character of Bhooma Devi. The win is her first major award after her wedding to Vijay Devarakonda on 26 February.
While receiving the award, Rashmika grew visibly emotional and teary-eyed as she addressed the audience with a personal note, "First they trolled my performance, now this state has given me this award. I've come a long way," she said, prompting an equally emotional reaction from her mother-in-law.
In her speech, she also reflected on how she has become Telangana's daughter-in-law after marrying Telugu heartthrob Vijay Devarakonda.
She said, "When I came here, you took care of me like a daughter. Now, I stand before you officially as a daughter-in-law."
For those who are unaware, Rashmika hails from Karnataka and initially worked in the Kannada film industry before transitioning to Telugu films in 2018 with the comedy drama Chalo, which emerged as a commercial success.
During the ceremony, hosts Suma and Pradeep interacted with Rashmika and Madhavi Deverakonda and asked them a few fun questions.
Revealing her adorable nicknames for her son and daughter-in-law, Madhavi stated that she calls Rashmika "Maa Rashi" and Vijay "Maa Chinnu," which instantly won hearts and left everyone gushing.
Madhavi was asked to pick her favourite movies from Rashmika and Vijay's filmographies. She named The Girlfriend from Rashmika's filmography and Pelli Choopulu from Vijay's filmography.
She once again impressed viewers with her warm and sincere answer when she was asked whether there would be any competition between Vijay and Rashmika this year. Vijay's mother smiled and replied, "We never compete, we always share," illustrating the heartfelt bond their family shares.
