Vijay Deverakonda has strongly defended his marriage to Rashmika Mandanna after the couple faced widespread criticism on social media following their appearance on Koffee With Karan Season 9. In a sharply worded Instagram post on Monday, Vijay declared that he and Rashmika were happy together and dismissed those questioning their relationship.
Sharing photographs and a video featuring Rashmika, Vijay described his wife as his best friend and one of the most important people in his life.
"My best friend, my wife, my woman. One of the most beautiful parts of my life that I got absolutely right. For all those concerned, we are both gloriously happy. I am blessed," he wrote.
The actor further stated that he was prepared to stand by his wife regardless of public opinion. "If it's me and her against the world - so be it," he wrote, before concluding his message with an expletive directed at critics.
His response came shortly after Rashmika issued a lengthy statement addressing the criticism surrounding their marriage.
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ด๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐
The controversy began after Vijay and Rashmika appeared together on Koffee With Karan Season 9, where they discussed their relationship and the circumstances leading to their marriage.
During the conversation, host Karan Johar asked the couple about their marriage proposal. Rashmika revealed that she had first raised the subject while they were sitting at an airport.
According to the actor, Vijay initially told her to ask him 100 times before he would agree to marry her. She subsequently explained that she had continued discussing marriage with him over approximately a year before the couple eventually tied the knot in February 2026.
The exchange attracted considerable attention online, with some social media users questioning Vijay's response and criticising the dynamics of their relationship.
Several content creators also posted videos offering unsolicited relationship advice, with some suggesting that Rashmika should reconsider her marriage.
๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐ต๐บ๐ถ๐ธ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐น๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ๐
Responding to the controversy, Rashmika said the couple's comments had been misunderstood and that their conversation was never about the number of times she had asked Vijay to marry her.
She explained that Vijay had wanted both of them to take sufficient time to understand their relationship and consider their future together before making a lifelong commitment.
According to Rashmika, their different approaches complemented each other, with her emotional certainty balanced by Vijay's more practical outlook.
She maintained that their marriage was a mutual decision and that neither had been pressured into it.
The actor also rejected the suggestion that repeatedly expressing her desire to marry Vijay reflected negatively on their relationship.
Rashmika said marriage, for them, was not about a traditional proposal or an engagement ring but about building a future together.
๐๐ฐ๐๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐บ๐ป๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ๐
Rashmika expressed disappointment over the intensity of the online reaction, saying the criticism had gone beyond ordinary differences of opinion.
She accused some social media users of spreading misleading interpretations of their interview and turning a personal conversation into an opportunity for public ridicule.
The actor also addressed women who had posted videos advising her to leave Vijay, arguing that their assumptions overlooked the support he had provided during difficult periods of her life.
She said Vijay had consistently stood by her through personal challenges and remained an important source of emotional support.
Rashmika further objected to criticism directed at her family, arguing that disagreements over her personal choices did not justify involving relatives who had no connection to the controversy.
She maintained that women should have the freedom to make their own decisions without being subjected to public judgement disguised as concern.
๐๐ผ๐๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป
The actors, who married in February this year, have repeatedly maintained that their relationship is based on mutual understanding and personal choice.
In her statement, Rashmika emphasised that both had built successful careers independently and were capable of deciding how they wished to live their lives.
She also criticised the circulation of edited videos and unverified claims about their marriage, saying online speculation should not take precedence over the couple's own account of their relationship.
Vijay's subsequent post reinforced that position, making it clear that the criticism had not affected their commitment to each other.
Meanwhile, the couple's team has approached the Hyderabad Cyber Crime authorities over allegedly fabricated content, manipulated screenshots, impersonation and coordinated online harassment. The complaint seeks an investigation into the material circulated across social media platforms.
The controversy has once again brought attention to the scrutiny faced by celebrity couples, particularly when personal remarks made during entertainment interviews are circulated and interpreted outside their original context.