Kingdom 2 Shelved: Rashmika Mandanna’s Phone Call To Vijay Deverakonda After First Part's Release 'Slowed' Him Down

Tollywood

actor Vijay Deverakonda last film in the 2025 was the spy action thriller Kingdom directed by Jersey fame Gowtham Tinnanuri. Although the film was released amid much hype and was expected revive his career, it unfortunately turned out to receive yet another underwhelming box office performance. The movie ended in a cliff hanger with an open end about the second instalment. Recently, the makers have revealed details on the sequel. Naga Vamsi, who bankrolled the film, has confirmed that the second part of the franchise Kingdom 2 has been shelved. Soon after the release, it earned Rs 80 crore, in an interview Vijay Deverakonda spoke about his rumoured fiancé Rashmika Mandanna's words of advice. Here's what she said.

Kingdom 2 Shelved: How Rashmika Mandanna’s Call Slowed Vijay Deverakonda

When Kingdom released, it opened to mixed reception from audiences, however several fans praise Vijay Deverakonda's performance. In an interview, Vijay Deverakonda revealed that Rashmika Mandanna call to him reminded him to enjoy the film's 'success'. Speaking to The Hindu, he said "I think it will take a while. I fully grasped the extent of Geetha Govindam’s success only a year ago. Back then I didn’t understand all the talk about collections and asked producer Bunny Vasu and others whether it’s a hit."

He went on to say that Rashmika and him spoke about it only recently. "About a year ago when I saw some footage of the promotions and how the film drew the audiences, it sunk in. Rashmika and I talked about it and said, “we should have enjoyed this at the time”. It is seven years too late. She called me yesterday and said, “I hope you are enjoying the reception (to Kingdom).” Rashmika's advice came at the right time for Vijay, who often describes himself as 'a man in a rush'.For the unversed, Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna are rumoured to be getting married in Udaipur in February. Although it has not been announced, several reports suggest that the two have been in the relationship since their film Geetha Govindam.

About Kingdom

Kingdom was released in theatres in July 2025, at a time when Vijay Deverakonda was in need of a hit to get his career, back to form. It had been on a underwhelming note since the release of the 2022 film Liger. The film, which also starred Satyadev, Venkitesh, and Bhagyashri Borse, featured Vijay as Suri, a constable turned spy, who goes undercover in Sri Lanka to infiltrate a gang. At first, Kingdom was said to be a high-budget franchise that would have included two parts. However, the lukewarm reception the film received during its theatrical release gave way for speculations that the film would be shelved and now it seems that the Kingdom 2 will no longer continue.