From Aishwarya Rai To Rashmika, Salman Khan's Leading Ladies With Karnataka Roots

Actress Rashmika Mandanna has been reportedly roped in to play the female lead in Salman Khan's upcoming movie 'Sikander'. The Hindi movie is directed by AR Murugadoss and Sajid Nadiadwala.

This will be her first movie alongside Salman Khan. "Sajid Nadiadwala was on the lookout for a fresh pairing as the script demands that at the writing level. He narrated the subject to Rashmika and the actress was excited by not just her part, but also the overall approach of AR Murugadoss and Sajid Nadiadwala to mount the film," Pinkvilla quoted a source as confirming the news.

With this opportunity, Rashmika joins the ranks of actresses with roots in Karnataka who have shared the screen with Bollywood's Bhai. Notably, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, a Kannadiga by birth, stands out as the most prominent among them. Their chemistry in 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam' left an indelible mark on Bollywood, despite their tumultuous personal history.

Born in Mangaluru and raised in Mumbai, Aishwarya has not worked in Kannada cinema, but she maintains strong ties to her roots.

Additionally, Salman Khan has collaborated with Shilpa Shetty in several films, including 'Shaadi Karke Phas Gaya Yaar', 'Garv', 'Phir Milenge', 'Auzaar', and 'Dus'.

Sneha Ullal, who bears a striking resemblance to Aishwarya Rai, was launched by Salman Khan in 'Lucky' after his breakup with Aishwarya.

Furthermore, Pooja Hegde shared the screen with Salman Khan in 'Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan', released last year.

Remarkably, all four actresses hail from Mangaluru or the Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka and belong to the Tulu-speaking community.

As far as Rashmika is concerned, she hails from Kodagu. She started off her career with Rakshit Shetty's blockbuster movie 'Kirik Party'. Today, she is one of the highly-paid South Indian actresses.

Interestingly, Salman Khan has not paired up with Bengaluru girl Deepika Padukone despite she being in Bollywood for close to 15 years.