Rashmika Mandanna adopts 400 families, says Ranabaali's Jayamma inspired her

Rashmika Mandanna has adopted 400 families through a new charity effort called Project Annapurna, and she says Jayamma, her character in Ranabaali, is part of the reason.

The actor shared the news on Instagram. She had kept the work private until now, and she chose to talk about it so that fans and followers would feel moved to help others in small ways.

The plan runs in rounds. Rashmika will support 400 families at a time with groceries, for three months each, and keep it going through the next year. She hopes the help lets families save money and use those savings to plan their futures better.

Fans often ask whether she is anything like Jayamma. She wrote that she is, and that this is one of the ways. "This has always been me and this is also her," she said, before urging everyone: "Let's all start with something small!"

She added that the smiles made every sleepless night, injury and struggle of her working years worth it, calling the feeling priceless.

In Ranabaali, Vijay Deverakonda plays the title role, a warrior who fights British rule, with Rashmika as Jayamma, his wife and companion. At the pre-release event, director Rahul Sankrityan called her a gold mine and said she could reach any level. He then asked her, "Do you know you're India's top actress?"