Long before wedding bells rang in real life, Rashmika Mandanna and Vijay Deverakonda had already experienced a cinematic version of marital rituals — one that left Vijay unexpectedly nervous.The actors, who famously played lovers in Telugu blockbusters like Geetha Govindam and Dear Comrade, have now officially upgraded their relationship status to married. They exchanged vows at ITC Mementos Udaipur in the morning following traditional Telugu rituals, followed by a second ceremony in the evening as per Kodava customs.But here’s a anecdote many fans may not remember.Seven years ago, the duo had already performed wedding rituals together — and Vijay admitted he was genuinely shaken by the experience.
When reel felt a little too real
In Geetha Govindam, during the popular song Vanchindamma, there’s a sequence where Vijay’s character ties the three knots of the mangalsutra around Rashmika’s neck to lend authenticity to the scene.While promoting the film in 2018, Vijay revealed in an interview with NTV that the moment unexpectedly rattled him.“Sitting in a pelli mandapam (wedding altar) and all is fine, but there’s a shot of me tying the three knots (of the mangalsutra). It scared me a lot,” he admitted.He further explained that even though he was aware it was “just a shoot,” the atmosphere made it feel incredibly real. “Even though I knew it was just a shoot, the girl (Rashmika) is sitting there in a pattu cheera (silk saree). And I’m there in a pattu pancha (traditional dhoti). It all looks like a proper wedding, with flowers and everything. They asked me to tie all three knots in the shot,” he said.Recalling his confusion at the moment, he added, “I was like, what is even happening? I was telling the heroine, this is really weird. This was the third time she had gotten married on screen, and she wasn’t worried.”
Rashmika was ‘scared’ too — but for a different reason
Interestingly, not many know that Rashmika herself was initially intimidated by Vijay when she entered the Telugu industry.In a conversation with The News Minute, the actress confessed, “I was scared when I first shot with him, as I’m scared of new people. But then, Vijay is a very chill fellow, and I found it easy to work with him.”It was in the same film that the duo shared their first on-screen kiss. Rashmika later admitted that a kiss is an extremely personal and intimate moment for her, and performing it in front of a full film crew left her gobsmacked — a feeling Vijay apparently shared.Despite the initial awkwardness, the two found comfort in each other’s presence — a comfort that translated beautifully into their second collaboration, Dear Comrade.From being “scared” in a reel wedding mandap to finally tying the knot in real life, their journey has come full circle — proving that sometimes, cinema doesn’t just imitate life; it quietly prepares you for it.
