Rashmika Mandanna has recently shared her feelings about missing out on her younger sister Shiman's childhood due to her demanding career. In various interviews, the actress has expressed the pain of not being able to witness her sister grow up, a sacrifice she acknowledges as a significant compromise for her professional success.
Mandanna has a close relationship with her younger sister, who is 16 years younger than her. She reminisced about caring for Shiman since she was an infant, including feeding, changing nappies, and bathing her, essentially acting as a second mother. As her career took off, Rashmika found herself increasingly away from home, leading to a sense of sadness about not being present for Shiman's childhood.
On Shiman's birthday, Rashmika posted a heartfelt message on her Instagram Stories, featuring a tender photo of Shiman sleeping peacefully with their golden retriever. She referred to Shiman as her "baby girl" and expressed her love and warm wishes. "My baby sister's birthday and she's growing up so fast… Happiest birthday to you, my baby girl! I love you so, so much, you cutie!" she wrote.
In an earlier interview with Bollywood Bubble, Rashmika shared how she had been very involved in Shiman's early years. "When she was born, I would feed her, I would change her nappies, I would bathe her—I was her second mumma," she said. "To move from that to now not being able to see her grow up was a little painful." Despite the distance, Rashmika maintains a close connection with her family, especially her sister. She makes an effort to communicate with them regularly, messaging Shiman almost every day and calling her parents and sister whenever possible. "My little sister and I message each other almost every day; I miss her terribly," she said. "I make it a point to call my mum, dad and sister whenever I can."
Rashmika also reflected on the importance of her upbringing and how it has shaped her values. She wants her sister to have a similar experience, learning the value of independence and hard work. While she acknowledges the security and comfort she can provide for Shiman, she believes it's important for her to have a grounded upbringing. "I've always had this thing with my sister that she can get anything that she wants, she can't just say it and she gets it," Rashmika explained. "But I don't want that for her, because I am the person I am today because of the upbringing I had."
Despite her busy schedule and the sacrifices she has made, Rashmika remains grateful for the love and support she receives from her fans and appreciates the sacrifices her family has made for her career. She recognizes that her professional and personal lives require balance and that sometimes, one has to be prioritized over the other. "I don't get to spend enough time with my family, and that has been the biggest compromise on my journey," she admitted. "When I was growing up, my mom always told me that you can't have your professional and personal lives on equal footing; you would have to sacrifice one for the other. Sadly, my destiny has led me to sacrifice family time for my professional commitments."
Rashmika is currently filming "Thama," a supernatural love story with Ayushmann Khurrana, set to release on Diwali 2025. She also has several other projects in the pipeline, including Telugu films "The Girlfriend" and "Kubera," and Hindi films "Chhaava," "Sikandar," and "Thama".
