Karnataka Congress MLA Ravi Kumar Gowda has sparked controversy with his remarks against actor Rashmika Mandanna, accusing her of disregarding Karnataka despite starting her career in the state’s film industry. Ravi threatened her by saying that she should be "taught a lesson" for distancing herself from her roots. Rashmika is a native of Kodagu district in Karnataka. She started her film career with the Kannada film Kirik Party.
The Mandya MLA made these remarks after Rashmika allegedly declined to attend the Bengaluru International Film Festival. "We invited her but she said, ‘I have my house in Hyderabad, I don’t know where Karnataka is, and I don’t have time.’ One of our legislators visited her house 10–12 times to invite her, but she refused and disregarded Kannada, despite growing in this industry. Shouldn’t we teach them a lesson?," Ravi told reporters.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar recently criticised the Kannada film industry’s absence from the inauguration of the Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFes) 2025. He expressed frustration over the low turnout from the film fraternity and said that he knew where to “tighten the nuts and bolts” to ensure cooperation from the industry.
Meanwhile, the controversy escalated as Ravi’s remarks were interpreted as a call for aggressive action. He later clarified that his statement was not a call for "rowdyism" but a plea for cultural pride. Speaking to ANI, Ravi said, "I stand by my statement. Being a Kannadiga, I am proud of my motherland and language. We are proud of Rashmika Mandanna, but she should not forget her roots. My remarks were not about ‘Gundagiri.’ I am not calling for rowdyism."
Rashmika allegedly identified herself as being from Hyderabad at a recent event, sparking outrage among pro-Kannada groups.
Karnataka Rakshana Vedike President TA Narayan Gowda also criticised the actor, warning her against disregarding the state that launched her career. Gowda said, "You bloomed here. If you forget Kannada state soon after getting opportunities in different language films, we think what kind of ‘Meer Sadiq’ you are," referencing Tipu Sultan’s courtier who betrayed him. He added, "However big you grow as a person, you will have a duty to clear the debt of this land."
The backlash against Ravi’s comments was swift, with BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar condemning the remarks. "You can never separate goon from Rahul Congressman. This pompous overblown #Karnataka MLA from constitution-waving @RahulGandhi’s party wants to ‘teach a lesson’ to an actress. I want to tell @DKShivakumar and @siddaramaiah to read up on the constitution—every citizen, including actresses, has rights. And don’t forget, your goon MLA has obligations to respect the law and rights of citizens. If he wants a ‘lesson’ in the constitution, I/we will be happy to ‘teach’ this goon—free of charge—anytime, anyplace. Call me!," he wrote on X.