Telugu filmmaker Rawindra Pulle is gearing up for the release of his upcoming action thriller ‘Mysaa’ starring Rashmika Mandanna in the lead. Recently, the director revealed how his earlier experience with the actress in Hanu Raghavapudi’s period romance drama ‘Sita Ramam’ led him to cast her in the action-packed role.In an interview with Variety India, Rawindra Pulle shared that he felt Rashmika was the right choice for the intense role and also spoke about her preparation for the film.Rawindra Pulle worked on ‘Sita Ramam’ as the first assistant director. He shared that he was also involved as an additional dialogue writer and second-unit director for some sequences. He also shot some of Rashmika’s scenes and developed a close friendship with her.The filmmaker said one particular moment helped him realise that Rashmika could play ‘Mysaa’.
Rashmika Mandanna’s eyes made Rawindra Pulle choose her
“I love her eyes, and in one of the sequences, I saw the intense anger depicted in her eyes, and I knew I had found my ‘Mysaa’,” he said.
Rashmika Mandanna trained in Italy and Thailand for ‘Mysaa’
Rawindra Pulle also recalled telling the ‘Pushpa’ actress that she would eventually become his heroine. After Rawindra narrated the script, Rashmika Mandanna agreed to take up the role and underwent extensive preparation for the action sequences. The director shared that she trained in Italy and Thailand to learn different postures and kicking techniques. He also praised her dedication to the film.“That day, I told her that she would become my heroine someday. It was the power of manifestation. Later, when I narrated the script to her, Rashmika loved the script. In fact, she even trained in Italy and Thailand for some action sequences involving postures and kicking. She has worked really hard and given it her 1000 per cent. She never ever said no to me. Even that last month, we were shooting and she had an injury, but after taking a break for three hours, she completed the shoot. She was in a lot of pain, and the doctor told her she would have to take a break, but she finished the shoot. She is very dedicated that way,” he said.
Rashmika Mandanna plays a fierce Gond tribal woman
In the film, Rashmika Mandanna is seen playing a fierce Gond tribal woman. Shedding light on it, Rawindra Pulle shared that this was very different from the glamorous characters she had played earlier.“Prior to this film, she had not done any hardcore action, nor had she carried any weapon in a movie. She had only done glamorous roles,” he said.The film is being billed as a pan-India movie, the director further shared how the film doesn’t limit itself for a specific region as he said that some Gond tribes have also not just lived in Telangana but Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Maharashtra as well. “There’s a pan-India connectivity. It is also a female-centric film with strong emotion, and since the core emotion is good, it will connect with the audience,” he added.
Cast and release date of ‘Mysaa’
‘Mysaa’ also features Eshwari Rao, Guru Somasundaram and Rao Ramesh in important roles.It is scheduled to release worldwide in theaters on November 27, 2026 and will be available to watch in Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam.
