Rashmika Mandanna performs 3.5-minute underwater fight without a body double in ‘Mysaa’

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Rashmika Mandanna is taking on one of the most physically demanding roles of her career in 'Mysaa', Rawindra Pulle's upcoming action thriller. The actor has filmed an extended underwater fight sequence for the film without an action double, with the makers describing it as India's first female-led underwater fight sequence.The sequence, which runs for around three-and-a-half minutes, required extensive preparation and multiple days of filming. Director Rawindra Pulle has now opened up about the challenges involved and revealed that Rashmika volunteered to perform the sequence herself after the team initially considered using a duplicate.

Rashmika Mandanna takes on challenging underwater fight in 'Mysaa'

Speaking about the sequence to Variety India, Rawindra explained that filming an extended underwater fight presented a unique challenge because the actor had to perform while maintaining both physical control and the expressions required for the scene."Most human beings can remain underwater for a maximum of more than a minute. But we had to shoot a three-and-a-half-minute underwater fight sequence involving a female. I don't want to categorize [the protagonist as a] male hero or female hero, but technically, the character is a female hero," the director said, as quoted by Variety India.According to Pulle, the team initially considered using a duplicate for the demanding sequence.

However, after a stuntwoman expressed reservations about performing it, Rashmika decided to take up the challenge herself."We can't rehearse underwater fighting. Initially, we thought we would use a duplicate, but when I narrated this scene to a stuntwoman, she said she would not be able to do it. That is when Rashmika Mandanna stepped in and said she would attempt the scene herself," he said.The makers subsequently completed the sequence with Rashmika performing the underwater action herself, without an action double.

They have described the sequence as India's first female-led underwater fight sequence.

Rashmika Mandanna spent nearly 20 hours underwater

The underwater sequence demanded considerable time from Rashmika. According to the production team's release, she spent nearly 20 hours underwater across two days. Other reports quoting Pulle say the actual combat portion was filmed over three days following a day of rehearsals, with the actor spending around eight to 10 hours in the water each day.The shoot took place at a specialised underwater studio in Shamshabad. Pulle said the team had to contend with challenges including cold water, visibility and the need for Rashmika to keep her eyes open during the fight so that her expressions could be captured.The actor also had to communicate with the diving team while underwater. According to Pulle, cinematographer Sukesh Vishwanath taught Rashmika underwater sign language so she could signal if she was in distress.Rashmika herself previously described the shoot as the most challenging experience of her career, writing on social media that the team was "crazy for this" but that the challenge had also made her excited about the film.

Rashmika Mandanna suffered a hip injury during 'Mysaa' shoot

The physically demanding production also resulted in an injury for Rashmika. In August, the actor confirmed that she suffered a tendon detachment in her right hip while filming a dance sequence for Mysaa.

She revealed that one of the four tendons on the right side of her hip, connecting the hip to the leg, had completely detached.Rashmika subsequently took time away from work to recover. In her health update, she described the injury as her third in a row and said she needed to treat her body "like a human body and not some machine."

About 'Mysaa'

Directed by Rawindra Pulle and produced by Unformula Films, Mysaa is an emotional action thriller set against the backdrop of tribal lands. Rashmika plays a Gond woman in the film, marking a significant shift into a physically demanding, action-led role for the actor. The film also features Eshwari Rao, Guru Somasundaram and Rao Ramesh in important roles.The film is being positioned as Rashmika's first female-led pan-India action film. Its release is scheduled for November 27, 2026, with the film set to arrive in Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam.