Rakshit, Rashmika lauded for splitting without rancour

Movie industry is all praise for the dignity and poise the couple is showing under difficult personal circumstances

News of the break-up of movie stars Rakshit Shetty and Rashmika Mandanna is doing the rounds everywhere, but they are setting an example by keeping it free of acrimony.

The actors starred in the hit Kannada film Kirik Party and got engaged in July this year. Rashmika went on to act in the Telugu film 'Geeta Govinda', which also became a runaway hit.

Speculation is rife that Rashmika wants out because she is getting big roles in Telugu in the wake of her latest hit.

In the past week, Rakshit had gone off social media, saying it had become addictive. He has come back and posted a long message on Facebook, defending Rashmika, and requesting people not to judge her.

For the record, Rakshit has neither confirmed nor denied the break-up. Rashmika’s mother Suman told a channel the couple had mutually decided to call off the engagement.

Rakshit Shetty

Many fans on social media advised Rakshit not to let the turbulence distract him from his work. Some attributed the souring of the relationship to Rashmika’s newfound friendships.

Rakshit’s response: “You all have formed opinions about Rashmika. I don’t blame any of you because that’s how it is projected…. Most of the time we come to a conclusion without even thinking from another perspective. I have known Rashmika for more than two years and I have known her better than any of you. There are many factors which are acting here. Please stop judging her. Please let her be in peace.”

He also suggested TV reports were off the mark: “Please don’t go by any media news. None of them have first hand information from me or Rashmika herself. Many are creating their own news for their requirement. Assumptions are not reality.”

Rakshit has won appreciation from Sudeep, who said he was handling the problem with maturity. He tweeted that public figures need privacy in moments such as this one.

It is not just Sudeep, but many from the Kannada film industry also feel the couple have handled the situation well, without getting into a flap.
Actor Avinash says, “I don’t know why people should talk about them. It is sad that people are waiting to create something and cash in on that. Only Rakshit and Rashmika know what’s happening between them.”

He says social media can be uncharitable when it comes to actors’ lives. “We are human. Why should our troubles be highlighted, speculated upon and thrown into the public glare?” he wonders.

Actor Radhika Chetan read Rakshit’s post on social media and described it as sensitive. “It was very big of him to write that. I think people need to give them their space,” she told Metrolife.

Hemanth M Rao, who directed Rakshit in ‘Godhi Banna Sadharana Maikattu,’ knows Rakshit and Rashmika individually. “They mean a lot to me. It’s good they are taking time and dealing with it like any other couple would, out of the public eye,” he says.

He is unhappy about the speculation rife on social media. “You can’t police people but I think common sense must prevail. It isn’t good to feel nice about somebody’s else’s misfortune, celebrity or otherwise,” he says.