Vijay Deverakonda celebrated India's 79th Independence Day in New York City, offering a glimpse into the festivities at Times Square. The actor proudly represented India at the India Day parade.
Deverakonda's participation included attending the flag-hoisting ceremony at Times Square, where the Indian tricolor was unfurled in the presence of the Consulate General and the Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) Chairman. He expressed his pride in seeing the Indian flag flying high above such an iconic location and praised the strength of the Indian diaspora. Videos shared on X (formerly Twitter) captured Deverakonda greeting fans, dressed in an orange kurta and white pyjamas. Later, he joined India's Independence Day parade in New York, dressed in all black, conveying his heartfelt wishes with a simple, "Happy Independence Day, India".
Adding to the star power, actress Rashmika Mandanna joined Deverakonda in the U.S. for the Independence Day celebrations. Both actors served as co-grand marshals for the 43rd annual India Day parade. The parade was themed 'Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah,' which translates to “May all be happy,” sending a message of peace during challenging times.
The Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) organized a series of events to mark the occasion. The pre-parade weekend commenced on August 15th with the Empire State Building being illuminated in the colors of the Indian flag. In addition to the flag-hoisting ceremony at Times Square, a cricket match was scheduled as part of the celebrations for the first time in the parade's history. Deverakonda and Mandanna made a special appearance at the Consulate General of India in New York on Friday, August 15th, where they were greeted with bouquets and applause.
Speculation about Deverakonda and Mandanna's off-screen relationship continues to swirl as they make joint appearances. The pair has starred in movies such as Geetha Govindam and Dear Comrade.
On the professional front, Vijay Deverakonda was recently seen in the Telugu spy-thriller Kingdom, which had a lukewarm reception. Rashmika Mandanna had multiple releases this year, including Chhaava, Sikandar, and Kuberaa.
