3 min readHyderabadMar 4, 2026 04:07 PM IST
A week after one of Indian cinema’s most talked-about weddings, Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna, took a moment to sit down with the people who have covered their journey from the beginning.
The newlyweds hosted a special lunch for the Telugu media fraternity on Wednesday afternoon, hours before their formal wedding reception was scheduled to begin at Taj Krishna .
Vijay, visibly emotional, addressed the room with a gratitude that went beyond the usual pleasantries. “You guys have been watching me since I was a kid, saw me growing through movies, interviews, photoshoots,” he said. “When I was at the beginning of my career, all these interviews mattered.” He drew a direct line from those early days to where he stood now, acknowledging that the Telugu press had been present through all of it. “This relationship, of an actor chasing his dreams, you were part of that journey. Today, when I am married, you are still here and we are all growing,” he added. He ended with a warm request that felt more like a son speaking than a star. “Telugu states has now a new daughter-in-law. Please take care of her.”
Rashmika, who made her name in Kannada cinema before becoming one of the most recognised faces across South Indian and Hindi film industries, kept her words brief but sincere. “This is the first time we are taking such a big step, so we seek all of your blessings for us to start a new life,” she said.
The media lunch was only one part of a week that the couple spent giving back to people who have been part of their lives. The couple sent truckloads of sweets across India carrying a joint message: “You have always been a part of our journeys and our love. And it would make us truly happy to celebrate our wedding with all of you.” They also organised annadanam, the Hindu tradition of offering free food, at 16 temples spread across Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu
This was not their first public appearance since tying the knot. On Tuesday, the couple had hosted around 200 fans for lunch at Daspalla in Hyderabad, spending time with them and interacting personally. The two looked relaxed and at ease throughout, a glimpse of a couple clearly still riding the warmth of the week just gone by. Wednesday’s media gathering carried the same tone, unhurried and genuine.
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After the reception, the couple plans to take a month-long break from professional commitments. They will next be seen together on screen in Ranabali, scheduled for release on September 11.
