'Black Panther' star Winston Duke shares "incomparable" moment with Rashmika Mandanna at Anime Awards 2026
Mumbai, May 25
Actor Rashmika Mandanna, in a momentum addition to her global rise, joined Hollywood star Winston Duke at the 10th edition of the Crunchyroll Anime Awards, which took place on Saturday night in Tokyo, Japan.
Duke shared pictures from the awards ceremony on Instagram, along with a couple of moments as he shared the stage with Rashmika.
"Thank you @crunchyroll for an amazing trip and an incredible time at @animeawards.official. This was my first ever trip to Japan, and what an experience it was...it felt surreal to immerse myself in such a rich culture and meet such incredible people," the 'Black Panther' actor wrote.
Describing his experience of meeting Rashmika Mandanna, Duke added, "Including sharing this moment with the incomparable @rashmika_mandanna...I had a blast... pure peace!"
Reacting to the post, the 'Pushpa' star shared that she had a lovely time in Tokyo.
"@winstoncduke it was so so lovely meeting you... Have a lovely time in Tokyo. Until we meet again," Rashmika commented.
For the Anime Awards, Rashmika Mandanna wore a stunning sequinned black off-shoulder dress, which she paired with a statement neckpiece.
Crunchyroll marked the 10th edition of its Anime Awards, honouring this year's winners. Hosted by Sally Amaki and Jon Kabira, the awards saw the final season of 'My Hero Academia' for the coveted 'Anime of the Year'.
The award was presented by The Weeknd.
Among other big winners were 'Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle' for Film of the Year, 'Lazarus' for Best Original Anime, 'One Piece' for Best Continuing Series, and 'Gachiakuta' for Best New Series.
On the work front for Rashmika Mandanna, she will be next seen in Homi Adajania's 'Cocktail 2'.
Also featuring Shahid Kapoor and Kriti Sanon in the lead roles, the film will hit theatres on June 19, 2026.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Nice to see cross-cultural connections like this. But honestly, I think we're overhyping celebrity meets at award shows. This is just PR handshake stuff. Let's see if she gets actual film work out of this rather than just Instagram photo ops. Still, good for her I guess.
Rashmika's rise is truly inspiring! From Pushpa to Hollywood events, she's showing that Indian talent can shine globally. Also loved her dress choice - simple yet elegant. And sharing stage with The Weeknd? That's insane! So happy for her 🥳✨
As an anime fan from Canada, it's cool to see the Crunchyroll Awards getting such mainstream attention. Winston Duke and Rashmika Mandanna make an interesting pair! Good to see the awards recognizing shows like Lazarus as Best Original Anime - that show is underrated. My Hero Academia finally getting its due for the final season 👌
This is such a big moment for Rashmika! She's representing India at one of the biggest anime awards in the world. I love how she's so humble even after reaching these heights. Winston Duke seems like a genuinely nice person too. Can't wait for Cocktail 2 now! 🎬❤️
Not really an anime guy myself but it's impressive how global these events have become. Rashmika Mandanna seems to be building a good international network. Though I wish the article talked more about the actual award winners rather than just the fashion. Demon Slayer winning Film of the Year is expected but deserved.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.