Is Rakshit Shetty’s ‘Let’s Not Disrespect Any Human Being’ Video a Response to Rashmika Mandanna’s Mom?

Has Kannada actor Rakshit Shetty responded to the controversial leaked video of Rashmika Mandanna's mother Suman?

Social media timelines have been flooded with another video clip of actor Rakshit Shetty wherein he appears calm and reflective, speaking about kindness and dignity even in the middle of disagreements.

"Feeling sad to hear some comments," he says in the video. "It is not about me... but I would request everyone-let's leave the past. Let bygones be bygones. Let's not disrespect any human being to a level where we feel ashamed reading our own comments later. Let's be humans first and respect each other."

The video has been widely shared with a specific claim: that Rakshit made these remarks in response to a controversy triggered by a recently resurfaced clip involving the family of his former fiancée, actor Rashmika Mandanna.

But is the clip really a reaction to the latest online storm?

The controversy that sparked the buzz

The renewed attention began after an old interview clip allegedly featuring Rashmika's mother, Suman Mandanna-started circulating online.

In the clip, Suman appears to speak about tensions that surfaced between the two families during the period when Rashmika and Rakshit were engaged several years ago. The engagement, which followed their collaboration in the Kannada hit Kirik Party, had once made them one of the most talked about young couples in the Kannada film industry.

According to the widely shared clip, Suman describes arguments that allegedly occurred during that time. In the clip, she suggests that disagreements escalated between family members and recalls feeling unsupported during one particular confrontation.

She also claims that, at one stage, a condition was placed before Rashmika that she should announce on social media that she would quit acting after marriage.

Suman also speaks about criticism that surrounded Rashmika's lip-lock scene in the Telugu film Geetha Govindam, which starred Vijay Deverakonda. The scene had triggered debate among some fans at the time, but Suman says she supported her daughter's professional decisions.

As the clip spread online, discussions about the actors' past relationship resurfaced, with many users sharing the video of Rakshit's speech as if it were his response to the allegations.

Rashmika Breaks Her Silence

Amid the growing online chatter, Rashmika issued a detailed statement on Instagram addressing the situation.

She wrote: "To my dearest people who have been with me through this incredible journey so far. And to others concerned with this matter, it has been 8 years since a sustained campaign of misinformation, harassment, and targeted attacks from a section of the media and individuals online had started against me. I have watched as my words have been taken out of context, as words I never uttered were spun into false narratives, and hate has been amplified for the sake of views, reach, and engagement."

She further said that the viral clip appeared to originate from a private conversation that had allegedly been recorded and circulated without consent.

"An old private conversation, believed to be from nearly eight years ago, appears to have been recorded and circulated without the knowledge or consent of those involved. A small portion of that conversation has now been deliberately taken out of context and circulated widely to create yet another discomforting controversy-strategically coinciding with recent developments in my personal life."

Rashmika also expressed concern that her family and acquaintances were being drawn into the issue.

"In doing so, they have dragged my family along with people I share cordial relationships with, who have absolutely nothing to do with this matter, into discomfort."

Calling the circulation of the clip a serious invasion of privacy, she warned that legal action would follow if the content was not removed within 24 hours.

The truth about Rakshit's viral clip

While the timing of the video circulating online made it seem like a direct response to the controversy, a closer look tells a different story.

The clip of Rakshit speaking about "not disrespecting any human being" is not recent. It is actually from a promotional interaction around the release of his 2022 film 777 Charlie.

During that interaction, Rakshit was addressing online negativity in general and urging people to maintain respect in public discussions. His comments had no connection to the current controversy.

In other words, the video being shared as his reaction to the resurfaced interview predates the latest debate by years.

A relationship that once captured public attention

Rashmika and Rakshit first met while filming Kirik Party in 2016. Their on-screen chemistry soon turned into a real-life romance.

The couple got engaged in 2017, becoming one of the most talked-about pairs in Kannada cinema at the time. However, the relationship ended the following year.

In 2018, both actors announced that they had mutually decided to call off the engagement and requested privacy regarding their personal lives.

Years later, fragments of old interviews and videos continue to resurface online-often stripped of their original context, rekindling conversations about a chapter both actors had long moved past.