‘I just had to surrender to the director…’: Rashmika Mandanna on portraying Maratha queen Yesubai in ‘Chhaava’

NEW DELHI: Actress Rashmika Mandanna, known for her diverse roles in Indian cinema, is stepping into the world of historical drama with her portrayal of Yesubai in the highly anticipated film ‘Chhaava’.

In a candid conversation with ANI, Rashmika opened up about the challenges she faced in bringing the character of Yesubai, a revered figure in Maratha history, to life.

The actress revealed that portraying a real historical figure was a first for her. “This is the first time I am doing a character that already existed in history,” said Rashmika.

“For me, it was an incredible opportunity, as I’ve never done a biopic before. It was something entirely new to me. Every time I did films before, I created a character, but for the first time, I wasn’t creating a character–she is Yesubai. There’s nothing of Rashmika in her,” the ‘Pushpa’ actor added.

Rashmika admitted that stepping into the shoes of a royal warrior queen was both thrilling and daunting.

“I didn’t know how the Maharani would walk or talk or act. We’ve read about them, but we’ve never seen them,” she said.

#WATCH | Delhi: On her upcoming film ‘Chhaava’, actor Rashmika Mandanna says, “For the first time, I have done a character which already existed in the history books. I have never done a biopic and it was something new for me…I am very proud that I got the opportunity to… pic.twitter.com/0QjMF5wKHw

— ANI (@ANI) February 12, 2025

Seeking guidance from director Laxman Utekar, she kept checking her portrayal to ensure it reflected the essence of the historical figure.

“Laxman Sir took care of all of that, and luckily, I got the opportunity to work with him. I got to play a beautiful, graceful, and strong character, and today, I’m really proud of it,” she added.

One of Rashmika’s biggest hurdles was language, as Hindi is not her first language. Hailing from Coorg in South India, she found it challenging to deliver her lines in Hindi but mentioned that she worked hard to overcome this barrier.

“I consider myself a blank slate, and I let the directors transform me,” Rashmika shared, adding, “The clothes, jewellery and set were all ready for me, so I just had to surrender to the director and give him what he wanted. And I was happy with what I did.”

Rashmika’s transformation also involved physically demanding costumes, with intricate saree draping and heavy jewellery becoming part of her daily routine.

She explained, “Yes, there’s so much draping happening. I had to wear a saree from scratch every day, as I didn’t have a pre-draped saree. It was hectic because in the middle of the day, if you needed to use the restroom, you had to remove everything (she laughed). The jewellery was heavy, too, but we wanted to keep it as authentic as possible, so we used real gold jewellery. It was all heavy, but at the same time, that’s what brought the character to life.”

While there are no dance sequences in Chhaava, Rashmika highlighted the importance of the film’s music, noting that the songs serve as a score rather than traditional dance numbers.

The film’s musical score is crafted by AR Rahman, adding to the grandeur of the period drama.

‘Chhaava’ stars Vicky Kaushal in the lead role of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, the son of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Akshaye Khanna portrays the role of Aurangzeb.

Directed by Laxman Utekar, the film is set against the backdrop of the Maratha Empire and chronicles the life of the valiant king, focusing on his reign and struggles.

‘Chhaava’ is set to release on February 14. (ANI)