Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna officially got engaged on October 3 in the presence of close friends and family in Hyderabad, sending fans into a frenzy. The news was confirmed by Vijay’s team on the morning of October 4. While the couple’s love story has long been a subject of speculation, it was Ranbir Kapoor who intentionally gave fans a glimpse of their bond during the promotion of Animal.
Ranbir teases Rashmika on national television
During an appearance on Nandamuri Balakrishna’s show ‘Unstoppable’, Ranbir Kapoor and Rashmika were promoting their upcoming film Animal. In a playful moment, Ranbir teased Rashmika about her “real hero” – hinting at Vijay Deverakonda – while discussing films.In a widely circulated clip, NBK asked director Sandeep Reddy Vanga and Rashmika to pick one film between Animal and Vijay’s Arjun Reddy. Ranbir chipped in, asking Rashmika to choose between her “reel hero” (himself) and her “real hero” (Vijay).When Rashmika politely refused to take sides, NBK suggested calling Vijay. Ranbir quipped, “Sir, let Rashmika call, Vijay won’t pick his (Sandeep’s) call.” When Vijay finally spoke, “What’s up, re?” Rashmika playfully reminded him that he was on speaker, making everyone laugh.
Posters, blushes, and funny revelations
The banter continued when Rashmika was asked to choose between Ranbir’s Animal poster and Vijay’s Arjun Reddy poster. Diplomatically, she said, “I have a connection with Arjun Reddy and Animal is my film.”Ranbir and NBK couldn’t resist teasing her further about the connection, and Rashmika admitted that Arjun Reddy was the first film she watched after moving to Hyderabad. Ranbir added a fun tidbit about how Sandeep met Rashmika during Arjun Reddy’s success party on Vijay’s terrace, to which she laughed and said, “It’s not necessary to give all this information.”
A love story kept under wraps
Rashmika and Vijay have reportedly been dating since 2018. They fell in love while working on Geetha Govindam and went on to star together in Dear Comrade, Selfie Shuru Maadida Love Story, and Kingdom. The couple had kept their relationship private, revealing in 2024 that they were not single but choosing not to disclose their partners’ names – until now.
