Is Rashmika Mandanna a bigger star than Deepika Padukone? India Today says yes.
In its latest issue, the magazine has ranked Rashmika Mandanna as the No. 1 female star in Indian cinema and labelled her a “national star.” Interestingly, Deepika Padukone, who also hails from Karnataka, is placed at No. 2, although she is generally identified more strongly with Bollywood than the South Indian film industry.
Another interesting ranking is Sai Pallavi being placed above Bollywood star Alia Bhatt.
As per the magazine, the top five female stars of Indian cinema are:
1. Rashmika Mandanna
2. Deepika Padukone
3. Shraddha Kapoor
4. Sai Pallavi
5. Alia Bhatt
While Rashmika has been ranked ahead of Deepika in terms of star power, Deepika continues to command a significantly higher remuneration. She reportedly gets around 2.5 times more than Rashmika for a film. Rashmika, however, has an edge when it comes to brand endorsements and has a larger portfolio of commercial deals.
A similar difference can be seen between Sai Pallavi and Alia Bhatt. Alia reportedly earns around twice as much as Sai Pallavi per film and also has several major brand endorsements. Sai Pallavi, on the other hand, is known for keeping her brand endorsements relatively limited.
Of course, rankings published by magazines do not always completely reflect the ground reality, as star power can be measured in different ways.
On the work front, Deepika Padukone is currently shooting for Raaka, starring Allu Arjun. She has also completed Shah Rukh Khan’s King, which is scheduled for release in December 2026.
Rashmika Mandanna, meanwhile, is gearing up for her first release after marriage. She will be seen alongside her husband Vijay Deverakonda in Ranabaali, which is slated for release on October 16, 2026. She also stars in Mysaa, her first female-centric action film, which is scheduled to hit screens on November 27, 2026.
