A moment from Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna’s appearance on a recent Koffee with Karan episode has sparked an online debate, with their reaction to a question about superstar Mohanlal going viral. Host Karan challenged them to match popular actors from South India with their nicknames among fans and the film industry. Rashmika correctly identified Allu Arjun as the ‘Icon Star’ and Yash as the ‘Rocking Star’.
The mood shifted, however, when Karan asked who holds the prestigious ‘Complete Actor’ title. In an apparently playful bid, Vijay instantly quipped, “Me!” After Karan corrected him and revealed that the title belongs to Mohanlal, both Vijay and Rashmika looked surprised, echoing, “Mohanlal sir?”
The banter has not sat well with everyone on the internet. Devoted fans of the Malayalam legend quickly flooded social media to voice their frustration over the actors' apparent lack of awareness.
Recently, Mohanlal loyalists have also been furious over the makers of Jailer 2 for cutting short their favourite actor's cameo appearance in the film, alongside Rajinikanth. They have particularly disliked the exclusion of a Mohanlal moment from the trailer in the final cut of the film, blaming Nelson and even Rajinikanth for it. Before that, the makers of Patriot faced the wrath of loyal Mohanlal fans as the superstar’s character meets an abrupt end in director Mahesh Narayanan's film, co-starring Mammootty.
Mohanlal, meanwhile, has maintained a dignified silence amidst the discourse around his recent choices. In fact, during the release of L2: Empuraan, he told a reporter that he would be open to doing cameos in films featuring big stars, time and schedule permitting. “I am ultimately an actor,” the legendary actor said, underscoring such choices are part of his job.
Coming back to Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna, the two can be seen together in the recent release Ranabaali, which has reunited them after 2019’s Dear Comrade.
