Actor Lakshmi Manchu is a class apart: A stunning combination of candour, cool quotient in acting, and charming looks. Blame her gene pool: she is the daughter of the legendary Tollywood actor and producer Mohan Babu.
A leading name in Telugu film industry, she is the co-owner of Sree Lakshmi Prasanna Pictures, a production company that has produced a sizable quantum of films. Lakshmi moved to the US, and won recognition for her role in the popular American series Las Vegas in 2003. Back on home turf after a hiatus, she has won a brilliant fan following and applause based on her films in Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada. Her film repertoire includes Anaganaga O Dheerudu, Basmati Blues, Chandamama Kathalu, W/O Ram, and Monster.
Excerpts from a conversation:
What made you move to Mumbai?
You know when you are the queen, there is no getting higher than that. I wanted to come to Mumbai because it’s a new playground. Life is about exploring and experimenting and what better place than Mumbai for different avenues and verticals of work.
Are we seeing you in Hindi cinema soon?
I hope you get to see me in not just Hindi but also Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati, Korean. I don’t want to limit myself to any language.
You are wonderfully straightforward. You come of an accomplished acting background – you are superstar Mohan Babu’s daughter, yet you have faced patriarchal mental constructs. What made you choose acting as a career?
It’s a struggle for a woman coming from any patriarchal society. I didn’t really have a choice when it comes to choosing this as a career. I knew I was good only at this.
What has worked to your advantage so far?
The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree and fighting for my dream has been my journey.
People talk having a godfather in the film industry as an advantage. What is your opinion of this statement?
I don’t believe in the concept of godfathers in the industry. You cannot have one but ten. This is a very confusing industry. You are looking at what’s working and what’s not working. So, it’s good to have people guide you and people whom you can trust and freely ask about your career.
What has been your biggest challenge?
The biggest challenge I feel here are that your manager and agents need to be a little more invested in your career growth rather than one job to the other. I think that’s what is failing right now where people are not invested in you. They get activated when you have a hit or a superhit. They line you up for other movies. But are they really working towards how your career should be. I find that missing here.
Your biggest turning point in your career?
My turning point in my career was moving to India to start working.
What made you come back from US to India in 2011?
I don’t know if I ever mentally came back to India although it’s been a decade. I feel I came here to stay and do one job and now, I am here giving interviews. It all seems like a big blur.
Are you looking at OTT as a sizable part of your career?
Working in TV show and movies. When you say it’s difficult working, you don’t find every medium that you can work in. So that’s what this has been.
What is the biggest difference in the style of working?
Each medium has its own style and way of working. So comparing any one to the other isn’t really fair.
Share with us your fitness routine.
My fitness routine differs from day to day. It can be yoga or pilates or dance or cardio or weight-training. It depends on the mood that I am in.
Where do you see yourself two years from now?
I don’t know where I see myself six months down the line, so two years is a long time indeed. So, all I can do is wake up and be the best version of myself and hope that will propel something amazing tomorrow.
A skill you have picked up during the shoot of a recent project?
A skill that I have picked up in recent times has been how to really work a harness.
What do you look for when you sign on a project?
I look for how exciting it would be to watch this and to be with it. I also see who are the other people involved in this.
A pearl of wisdom for those who aspire to be in your shoes
Wake up and show up. There are no shortcuts and you’ve got to put your time and effort into whatever it is that you want to do.
A thing that no one knows about Lakshmi Manchu?
My life is such an open book and I feel everyone knows almost everything about it. So I don’t know what that is.
What has been your biggest learning?
My biggest learning has been to never stop learning. Learn how to unlearn and more ways to learn. That’s my biggest learning.
Share with us a peep into your philanthropic initiative
With my NGO ‘Teach For Change’, we are opening 134 smart classrooms this year alone in Government schools. There is no bigger joy for me than seeing this work coming into reality in the interior parts of our country
What’s next?
I am excited for whatever that’s next. I have a couple of projects. Some really exciting ones and I can’t wait to share about it when the right time comes.
Shilpi Madan for DH Wknd