75 kg rice, 10 kg atta, 10 litre cooking oil...for each family: Rashmika Mandanna to give 400 families 3 months of grocery. Who will get?

Actor Rashmika Mandanna has launched Project Annapurna, which is an initiative to provide grocery supplies to 400 families for three months at a time. This programme will cover eight locations across South India, with the actor planning to continue this effort over the next year also. The aim of this initiative is to reduce the burden of everyday food expenses and help families save money for their future.

Rashmika announced the project on her Instagram handle, explaining that she had previously kept such charitable efforts private but now wanted to encourage others to help people in need. She wrote, "This has always been me and this is also her.. and I would always keep doing things like this for all the love that you give me.. but always kept it under the wraps cz I thought if I knew and just my team knew and just a bunch of us knew.. it was enough."

"But now I am opening up about this because I am thinking.. if this could influence you lovelies out there to do anything like this.. I would be happy," she added.

What will families receive under Project Annapurna?

The grocery kits will include essential food items such as rice, whole wheat flour, dal, cooking oil, ragi, soya chunks, spices and tea. The quantities for each family include 75 kg of rice, 10 kg of atta and 10 litres of cooking oil.

The supplies are intended to cover household grocery needs for three months, allowing families to put aside some of the money they would otherwise spend on food.

Project Annapurna covers which Indian locations?

Project Annapurna will cover eight locations across South India: Hyderabad, Mahabubnagar, Anantapur, Bengaluru, Kochi, Chennai, Kodagu and Vijayawada.

However, Rashmika's post did not mention if their will be any eligibility criteria or how families will be selected in each location.

Why has Rashmika Mandanna started the initiative?

The actor said her decision to speak about the project was partly influenced by Jayamma, the character she plays in her upcoming film Ranabaali. In her social media post, she wrote, "There is something in the characters you play that influence you.. A lot of you keep asking are there any similarities between Jayamma and me and my answer is yes - and this is one of them.."

She said she had previously preferred to keep her charitable activities known only to herself and her close circle. She chose to share Project Annapurna because she hoped her actions might inspire others to contribute in their own ways.

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"Even a small act of kindness can change a person's life, and it doesn't have to be big. Let's all start with something small!" she added.

Reflecting on the initiative, Rashmika said that seeing the happiness it brought to families made the sleepless nights, injuries, struggles and pain she had experienced during her working years feel worthwhile.

Rashmika's upcoming film Ranabaali

The announcement comes ahead of the release of Ranabaali, directed by Rahul Sankrityan and starring Vijay Deverakonda in the lead role. Rashmika plays Jayamma, the wife and companion of Vijay's character.

Set in 1870s South India against the backdrop of the Great Madras Famine of 1876–78, the period drama follows a warrior who confronts British rule while protecting his people.