Manchu Lakshmi, daughter of veteran actor Mohan Babu, recently opened up about her experience entering Tollywood. Talking to a leading magazine, she confessed that it was her biggest mistake yet.
The actress shared that getting roles wasn’t easy due to her family’s political background and that her father had trouble finding even supporting roles in films. Without any connections or godfathers in the industry, it was difficult for them both to find success at first.
Lakshmi also spoke about how she managed to make it through without giving up on cinema entirely. Despite being constantly rejected from auditions and having limited resources available, she kept pushing forward with perseverance and dedication until finally landing a role as an anchor in 2005. As she puts it, “If I had been there, I would have been a star by now.” Despite her ambitions and hard work, Lakshmi has decided to stay in India for the sake of her family and children. Now, if given the opportunity, she will not come back if she goes abroad.
“Telugu girls here are not provided many opportunities,” Lakshmi explains. She points out that while actors from other states are getting significant roles, local talents like Madhushalini, Bindu Madhavi, Niharika, and Shivani remain overlooked. This situation remains unchanged despite their potential being clear to see.
The lack of representation of South Indian women is something that needs to be addressed as soon as possible in the film industry. Until then, we can only hope that Manchu Lakshmi’s hopes for success at a higher level in Hollywood will be fulfilled someday.
