Newlywed Rashmika Mandanna attends TGFA 2025 with mother-in-law, wins big for 'The Girlfriend'

Mar 20, 2026

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India]. March 20 : At the Telangana Gaddar Film Awards 2025, Rashmika Mandanna emerged as one of the biggest highlights of the evening, winning the Best Actress award and drawing widespread attention for her emotional acceptance speech and heartfelt appearance with mother-in-law Madhavi Deverakonda.
The awards ceremony, held on March 19, coincided with Ugadi celebrations and marked a grand showcase of Telugu cinema. Named after revolutionary folk singer Gaddar, the state-backed awards celebrate films that reflect Telangana's cultural and social ethos.
Rashmika received the Best Actress honour for her performance in 'The Girlfriend,' where she portrayed the character Bhooma Devi. The win is her first major award after her recent marriage to Vijay Deverakonda on February 26.
The award was presented to her by actor Ramcharan in the presence of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.
Making her first public appearance post-wedding, Rashmika attended the ceremony alongside her mother-in-law, Madhavi Deverakonda.
The duo's warm camaraderie quickly became a talking point, with moments from the red carpet going viral.
During her acceptance speech, Rashmika grew visibly emotional, addressing the audience with a personal note. "First they trolled my performance, and now the state has given me this award. I've come a long way," she said, prompting an equally emotional reaction from her mother-in-law.


Her appearance also drew praise for its understated elegance. Rashmika wore an ivory silk saree adorned. She completed the look with traditional newlywed elements, including a gold mangalsutra, sindoor, and gajra.
Minimal makeup, gold jhumkas, and bangles added to her refined red-carpet presence.
The evening also saw Naga Chaitanya win Best Actor for his performance in 'Thandel,' Kamal Haasan was honoured with the Paidi Jairaj Film Award and Saailu Kampati won Best Director for 'Raju Weds Rambai'.