Rashmika made her acting debut with the Kannada film Kirik Party (2016), and had her first Telugu film release in the romantic comedy Chalo (2018). A turning point in her career came with the romance Geetha Govindam (2018), which won her the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress – South. She played the leading lady in the action comedies Devadas (2018) and Sarileru Neekevvaru (2020), and the romance Bheeshma (2020).
Rashmika gained wider success for starring in the action film Pushpa: The Rise (2022). Following a supporting role in the period drama Sita Ramam (2021), she expanded to Hindi cinema. Her highest-grossing release came with the action thriller Animal (2023). 