'This is humiliation': Vijay Deverakonda under fire over controversial marriage proposal remark on Koffee With Karan 9

Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna have offered a glimpse into the personal conversations that led to their marriage, but one detail from their relationship has sparked debate online. During their appearance on Koffee With Karan 9, the couple spoke about how Rashmika raised the subject of marriage repeatedly before Vijay agreed. His remark that she had asked him “a hundred times” drew criticism from some viewers, who felt the way the story was presented made her look as though she had to chase him for commitment.

Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna's discussion about their marriage and proposal sparks criticism

The conversation began when host Karan Johar asked the couple about their marriage proposal. Rashmika explained that she had been ready to take the relationship forward and was the one who first suggested getting married. Vijay recalled that when she raised the idea, he told her to ask him 100 times.

When Karan asked Rashmika whether she had actually done so, she said she had continued asking for an entire year. The exchange quickly became a talking point online, with some viewers interpreting Vijay’s account as making Rashmika appear to have repeatedly pleaded for his commitment.

Following the preview of the episode, social media users questioned Vijay’s decision to recount the experience in that way. Some felt the story placed Rashmika in an uncomfortable position, while others argued that repeatedly asking a partner to agree to marriage should not be presented as a romantic anecdote.

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One user wrote, “Vijay asked Rashmika to beg him 100 times before he agreed to marry her and now he's sitting on television, proudly bragging about it. This is not love. This is humiliation. May this kind of pathetic, ego-driven love stay away from me.”

Another user wrote, "Vijay Deverakonda is a walking red flag. Imagine humilating your partner in front of whole world. Lol Rashmika deserves better."

"This episode is the most awkward, embarassing and weird thing I have ever seen! In short Rashmika loves Vijay and Vijay loves Vijay! This guy is so full of himself! I swear", wrote the third user.

Another X user wrote, "Rashmika is blindly and madly in love. That doesn't mean the entire world is. I have respect for Vijay now Rashmika left his previous boyfriend and promising to marry him and now chasing a nonchalant guy to marry her its karma for her, to desperate to get married."

Vijay explains why he took time to agree to marriage

In the full conversation, Vijay explained that he did not want to make such an important decision based only on a sudden rush of emotion. He said he wanted to see whether their relationship would remain strong through changing circumstances, including difficult days and periods when either partner needed to prioritise their career. He described the process as a way of examining both himself and the relationship before making a long-term commitment. Vijay also acknowledged that his past experiences had made him cautious about love and getting hurt.

Rashmika, meanwhile, said she understood his perspective and continued to bring up marriage because she was certain about what she wanted. Her account suggested that the two approached the decision differently, with her ready earlier and Vijay needing more time to reach the same point.

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He said, "If you look at my past interviews, I always talked about love with disrespect and disbelief. Like, I don’t believe in this concept, which was immature of me… And I was also very clouded by my ambition. For many years, for me, if something was not serving the purpose of career, money and growth, it felt like you were distracting me from my purpose, and I needed to cut it off.”

“I was like, 'I need her around because my day feels better.'" My meals feel better when we are sharing them. I sleep incredibly well when she is with me. Then I realised I want to be married to this woman, I want to be with her,” he further added.

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Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna’s relationship

Vijay and Rashmika first starred together in the Telugu film Geetha Govindam (2018) and reunited for Dear Comrade (2019). Their on-screen pairing fuelled years of speculation about their relationship, although they largely kept their personal lives private.

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The actors married in Udaipur in February 2026, celebrating their respective Telugu and Kodava traditions. They later reunited professionally in the period drama Ranabaali.