Bulgarian actor Vladimir Angelove, who worked with Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna on Ranabaali, says they were unpretentious and grounded on set—far removed from the 'arrogant' image some viewers have painted after their Koffee With Karan 9 appearance.
Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna’s appearance on Koffee With Karan Season 9 has sparked a firestorm online, with viewers dissecting every glance, pause, and line for signs of arrogance or imbalance. The conversation — where the couple discussed their relationship, marriage plans, and journey from co-stars to life partners, became a flashpoint, especially after Rashmika revealed she had asked Vijay to marry her nearly 100 times.
Critics pounced, branding some of Vijay’s remarks as dismissive, even red-flagging his tone. He responded in kind, dropping an expletive in a public reply to trolls. But amid the noise, one voice from their latest film offers a different lens: Bulgarian actor Vladimir Angelove, who shared screen space with both stars in Ranabaali, a Telugu period action drama.
In an exclusive interview with Filmibeat, Angelove spoke candidly about his experience working with them on set. 'I wasn’t particularly familiar with Indian cinema or its stars when I joined Ranabaali,' he said. 'In fact, I had no idea how celebrated Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna were in India.' That ignorance didn’t last long.
What struck him was not their fame, but their absence of pretense. 'What struck me was how remarkably ordinary they made everything feel, in the most beautiful sense of the word,' he recalled. He described Rashmika as a 'wonderfully talented actress' whose warmth and simplicity stood out. 'There was no sense of someone carrying the weight of enormous stardom.
She was simply an artist doing her work with sincerity and grace.' Vijay, too, left a similar impression. 'I had a similarly positive impression of Vijay,' Angelove said. 'Neither of them made me feel that I was working alongside two of India's biggest stars. There was no unnecessary display of celebrity or superiority.
Everything felt natural and comfortable.' His revelation came only later, during a chat with an Indian friend who reacted with surprise upon hearing the names. 'That experience taught me something interesting about stardom,' he reflected. 'Perhaps the most impressive thing about genuinely successful people is that they don't need to constantly remind others of their success.' When pressed on the KWK backlash, Angelove remained cautious.
'I would be hesitant to judge two people based on moments from a television appearance,' he said. 'I cannot claim to know every aspect of their personal lives, nor would I presume to speak for their relationship.' But from his own professional interactions? 'I found two talented, grounded and unpretentious individuals.' He ended with a quiet reminder: 'I think we sometimes become so fascinated by the celebrity that we forget the human being behind it.'
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