After criticising actor Rashmika Mandanna for allegedly refusing an invitation to the Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFF), Congress MLA Ravi Ganiga has dismissed her statement denying any such refusal.

Ganiga asserted that the actor was indeed invited but chose not to attend. “I challenge that. We will release the document publicly to prove we invited Rashmika to the film festival, and she did not attend,” he said. He also suggested that the denial was not Mandanna’s personal statement but that of her public relations team.

Clarifying that his remarks were not personal, Ganiga questioned whether Mandanna had gratitude for the Kannada film industry, which gave her a platform early in her career. “We are not complaining about Shilpa Shetty or Anushka Shetty. They are women from Karnataka who have always worked in other film industries. Rashmika  however, began her career in Kannada cinema before moving to other industries,” the Mandya MLA remarked.

The controversy began when Ganiga accused the actor of repeatedly declining invitations to attend BIFF. He had earlier stated that Mandanna needed to be “taught a lesson” for distancing herself from the Kannada film industry and allegedly showing disrespect towards it.

 

In response, a source close to Mandanna dismissed the allegations as baseless. “The accusations are completely false and do not have any element of truth,” the source stated.

They further clarified that Mandanna never received an invitation for BIFF. “The statements attributed to Rashmika Mandanna and the entire story about someone approaching her and her refusing to attend the Bengaluru film festival are incorrect. This statement is being issued to set the record straight and dispel any false narratives,” the source added.

The controversy has sparked debate among fans and industry insiders, with opinions divided over the actor’s alleged snub and the MLA’s comments.