'Pushpa' has helped me explore a different side as a performer: Rashmika Mandanna

'Pushpa', Rashmika's first pan-India movie, is slated to hit the screens on December 17

Actor Rashmika Mandanna says that her upcoming movie Pushpa has helped her explore her abilities as an actor and unlocked a completely different side of her personality. In a statement issued to the media, the star said that that the biggie will 'remarkably' be a milestone in her career. She thanked movie buffs for loving her first look poster from the flick and added that their support means a lot to her.

Pushpa is touted to be a 'massy' action drama that revolves around the sensitive issue of smuggling. The film stars Allu Arjun in the lead and is the biggest release of his career. Rashmika plays a character named Srivalli and will be seen in a raw and 'desi' avatar in Pushpa. Her intensity was one of the biggest highlights of her look in the movie. Her character hails from the Telugu heartland and speaks in a 'desi' accent. The actor put in a lot of effort to do justice to the film, which is a complete departure from her previous outings. Her scenes with 'Bunny' are likely to be the heart and soul of Pushpa. The film stars Malayalam actor Fahadh Faasil as the antagonist and parts his Tollywood debut. He, however, is likely to feature prominently only in the sequel.

Rashmika, meanwhile is going through a busy phase on the work front. 'Geetha' was part of the Tamil film Sulthan and the Kannada movie Pogaru. She is working on the spy-thriller Mission Majnu, which marks her Bollywood debut. It stars Sidharth Malhotra in the lead and is likely to cater to an urban mass audience. She will be seen alongside 'Megastar' Amitabh Bachchan in Goodbye, one of the most important projects of her career. The star's also part of the Telugu movie Aadavaallu Meeku Johaarlu. There was talk of her playing Chiranjeevi's sister in the Telugu version of the Tamil biggie Vedalam but the role eventually went to Keerthy Suresh.