Rashmika defends her choices, says feminism means freedom to choose

Rashmika Mandanna responded to online criticism over her relationship with Vijay Deverakonda, saying they chose each other after taking time to understand their bond. She described Vijay as a key source of support and criticised attacks on her family as bullying

Mumbai: Actor Rashmika Mandanna has responded to online criticism over her relationship with Vijay Deverakonda, saying the reaction of some netizens felt less like an opinion and more like an “angry mob looking for someone to vent at”.

Speculation about the couple’s relationship has continued since their appearance on Koffee with Karan Season 9.

“Somewhere along the way, the whole point got lost. Maybe it didn’t fit your lens. Maybe some of you simply don’t want to see it (sic),” Rashmika wrote in an Instagram post.

She said she had decided to speak out to protect those who still believed in love.

Addressing claims that she had spent an entire year proposing to Vijay, Rashmika said neither of them had been looking for a grand proposal.

“But neither of us was looking for a grand proposal. The conversation was about him wanting both of us to take the time and space to understand each other, to be sure that despite all the highs and lows, the joys and stresses of life, this was what we wanted and the right time for it. And we did. We chose each other,” she wrote.

Rashmika also described Vijay as a major source of support in her life.

“When I snap a bone, you aren’t there. He is. When my stomach hurts every month, you aren’t there. He is. When I need to go to the hospital, you aren’t there. He is. When I wake up in the middle of the night with anxiety, you aren’t there. He is,” she added.

The Pushpa actress also made it clear that she would not tolerate anyone speaking ill of her family.

“Bitch about me all you want. I can take it. But talking about my family without knowing them? That’s not feminism. That’s bullying dressed up as feminism,” she wrote.

Rashmika added that feminism was not about putting others down or establishing superiority, regardless of whether one was a man or a woman. For her, she said, feminism meant having the freedom to choose one’s own life and take charge of it.

“I took charge of mine and it rewarded me with immense love,” she added.