‘I Want To Do A K-Drama’

‘I
want
to
be
in
Korea
doing
a
love
story,
full
of
romance.’

Lakshmi
Manchu
is
a
name
that
resonates
with
versatility
and
grace
across
various
film
industries.

The
daughter
of
Telugu
movie
star
Mohan
Babu,
Lakshmi
has
made
her
presence
felt
in
Tamil
and
Telugu
cinema,
as
well
as
making
significant
strides
in
Hollywood.

“It
sounds
like
a
very
unconventional
roadmap
but
going
to
Hollywood
seemed
easier
than
a
Telugu
girl
from
South
India
from
a
certain
family
to
have
a
dream
to
be
in
front
of
the
camera.
It
was
such
a
no-no,”
Lakshmi
tells



Rediff.com
Contributor

Mohnish
Singh.

What
gave
you
the
certainty
that
acting
was
the
career
you
should
pursue?

Certainly,
I
don’t
know,
but
I
can
tell
you
that
I
had
a
feeling
as
young
as
I
can
remember.

And
then,
also
being
really
scared
of
having
that
feeling
because
by
then,
we
had
already
been
talking
about
I
had
picked
up
somewhere,
that
girls
from
our
homes
don’t
act.

During
college,
I
went
to
see
a
play
once
and
my
entire
being
shifted
to
‘This
is
what
you’re
supposed
to
be
doing’.

It
was
like
a
floodlight
from
the
stage
to
me.
It
was
such
a
revelation.

So
within
the
first
semester
of
my
college,
I
had
the
guts
to
change
my
major.

Did
your
father
Mohan
Babu
being
a
prominent
figure
in
Telugu
cinema
have
anything
to
do
with
you
joining
films?

My
mother
encouraged
me.

My
dad
was
not
keen
on
me
being
an
actor,
but
you
know,
when
you
follow
your
dream,
everybody
conspires
because
ultimately
they
want
you
to
be
happy.

But
initially,
no,
no,
no,
no.

Can
you
share
any
advice
or
lessons
from
your
father
that
guided
you
through
your
career?

I
think
the
longevity
of
my
career
is
only
because
of
what
my
dad
had
taught
me
about
the
industry,
about
patience,
discipline
and
keeping
your
word.

Your
word
should
mean
more
than
what
you
write
on
a
piece
of
paper.

People
should
value
your
word,
value
your
time.

He
was
a
very,
very,
very
strict
dad
and
I
think
that’s
why
our
foundation
is
so
strong.

Even
today,
his
lessons
continue
to
guide
us.

You
did
not
follow
the
conventional
roadmap
by
debuting
in
an
Indian
film.
What
made
you
choose
to
debut
in
Hollywood
first
(in
the
television
series
Las
Vegas
in
2003)?

You
know,
it
sounds
like
a
very
unconventional
roadmap
but
going
to
Hollywood
seemed
easier
than
a
Telugu
girl
from
South
India
from
a
certain
family
to
have
a
dream
to
be
in
front
of
the
camera.

It
was
such
a
no-no.

What
was
your
experience
in
Hollywood?

Things
have
drastically
changed
in
the
last
20
years.

Hollywood
was
easier
because
I
was
already
here
(in
California).
I
was
going
to
school
and
one
thing
led
to
another
and
I
continued
to
stay
and
audition
here.

It’s
funny
you
ask
what
my
experience
in
Hollywood
is
because
I’m
sitting
in
the
place
I
used
to
spend
a
lot
of
time
in.

Every
time
I
come
back
here,
it
is
beautifully
nostalgic.

The
sun
is
different
here,
the
air
is
different
because
of
the
ocean
and
the
dry
lands.

No
matter
how
hot
in
the
day
it
is,
you
get
that
cool
nip
in
the
air
in
the
evening.

It’s
the
same
with
work:
A
different
kind
of
sun,
a
different
kind
of
work
ethic.

But
work
is
worship
anywhere.

Truly
speaking,
now
that
I’m
sitting
here
in
Hollywood,
I’m
grateful
for
everything
that
I
do
in
India.

And
to
have
had
the
experience
of
Hollywood
and
to
be
able
to
keep
coming
back
is
such
a
blessing.

Where
would
you
like
your
career
to
go
from
here?
Your
recent
leading
role
was
in
the
OTT
show,

Yakshini.

This
is
what
I
do
and
this
is
my
life.
I’ll
continue
to
do
it
as
long
as
God
gives
me
this
strength
in
my
body.

I’m
not
tied
down
anywhere.

But
I’m
continuously
exploring
ideas
from
all
around
the
world.

Yakshani
was
very
sweet.
People
have
come
up
to
me
and
given
the
best
compliments.

I
think
this
is
the
first
time
I’ve
looked
uber
glamorous.

I’m
always
picking
such
interesting
characters,
and
this
one
was
like
a
glamorous
one.

Is
this
the
path?

I’m
an
actor,
whichever
path
has
good,
meaningful
work,
that’s
my
path.

If
you
ask
me
where
I
want
my
career
to
go,
I
have
been
saying
this
for
a
long
time:
I
want
to
do
a
K-drama.

I
want
to
be
in
Korea
doing
a
love
story,
full
of
romance.

Apart
from
acting,
you
are
also
into
production
and
hosting.
How
do
you
manage
these
different
roles?
Which
is
the
most
fulfilling?

As
I
said,
acting
was
a
far
off
dream
for
me
to
reach.
The
next
easy
thing
was
production
and
hosting,
so
they
came
naturally
to
me.

Easier,
I
would
say,
than
acting.

I
had
to
do
whatever
I
could
do
to
be
on
sets,
in
front
of
the
camera.

So
I’ve
written,
I’ve
directed,
I’ve
produced.

I
can’t
say
what
is
most
fulfilling.

But
the
most
rewarding
is
acting.

What
is
next
for
you?

I
have
some
really
exciting
projects
lined
up
and
(I
am)
getting
ready
to
shoot
something
in
September.

I
have
two
releases
in
Telugu
coming
up.

I
have
finished
one
film
in
Tamil
and
shooting
for
another
one
is
in
progress.

As
a
successful
actress
and
producer,
how
do
you
view
the
current
landscape
for
women
in
the
film
industry?

I
think
in
the
last
30
years,
we
have
been
continuously
evolving
and
we
see
more
women,
but
not
in
the
numbers
that
I
would
truly
like
to
see.

Still,
a
larger
number
of
women
are
coming
into
the
industry
and
that
is
amazing.

And
yes,
I
have
seen
significant
changes.

From
me
wanting
to
be
an
actor
20
years
ago
to
how
it
is
today,
it
is
like
night
and
day.

More
women
are
accepted
as
producers
and
directors.
So
it’s
changing,
but
not
at
the
speed
that
it
should,
but
there
is
a
significant
shift.

How
did
your
life
change
after
marriage?

Change
is
the
only
thing
that
is
constant
and
you
embrace
it.

For
me,
the
most
incredible,
amazing
thing
has
been
(daughter)
Nirvana
in
my
life.

That
has
been
the
most
magical
gift.

You
have
featured
in
only
one
Hindi
film,
Ram
Gopal
Varma’s

Department.
Was
it
lack
of
good
roles
that
kept
you
away
from
Bollywood?

Not
really.
I
just
got
very
busy
in
Hyderabad.
But
I
kept
coming
to
Bombay
to
meet
people.

You
know,
things
don’t
happen
if
you
don’t
stay
put
in
one
place.

Now,
it’s
great
if
I
could,
you
know,
be
out
there.
My
daughter
is
going
to
school
in
Bombay.

Bombay
has
always
been
calling
me,
so
let’s
see
what
my
next
exciting,
really
exciting,
work
is
going
to
be
(in
Bollywood).

Bollywood
is
currently
going
through
a
bad
patch,
as
movies
are
not
doing
well
while
the
southern
film
industry
is
leaving
its
footprint
globally
with
films
like

RRR.
Where
is
the
Hindi
film
industry
going
wrong,
according
to
you?

I
don’t
think
anything
is
going
wrong.
I
think
we
make
bad
decisions
sometimes.

For
the
longest
time,
we
always
thought
there
was
nothing
bigger
than
Bollywood
but
now
the
world
is
becoming
smaller
with
OTT
platforms.
Language
is
not
a
barrier,
and
movies
are
releasing
throughout
India
as
pan-India
films.

Before,
most
Bollywood
films
were
copied
from
our
south
films.

Very
few
from
Bombay
came
south
but
most
of
our
south
Indian
films
went
north.

I
think
right
now,
it’s
time
for
all
of
us
to
sit
down
and
say
there
is
no
differentiation.
We
need
to
come
up
with
our
own
original
scripts
and
stories
and
see
where
things
go
from
there.

Some
people
feel
that
South
films
are
more
culturally
rooted
than
Bollywood.
Do
you
agree?

I
disagree.
I
think
there
are
some
really
good
Bollywood
films
that
are
culturally
rooted
as
well.

We
make
(films
in)
Telugu,
Tamil,
Kannada
and
Malayalam,
so
it’s
easier
for
us
to
talk
about
our
nuances.
But
in
Hindi,
you
have
to
represent
a
bigger
Hindi-speaking
audience.

So
I
don’t
agree
with
that.

Is
it
true
that
the
failure
of
your
debut
Tamil
film

Kadal,
directed
by
Mani
Ratnam,
broke
your
heart
as
you
were
expecting
it
to
launch
your
career
in
Tamil
cinema
in
a
big
way?

The
first
part
of
the
question
is
really
true.

I
was
born
and
brought
up
in
Tamil
Nadu.
I
speak
Tamil
very
well.
I
have
done
a
lot
of
movies
after
that.

So,
heart-broken,
yes,
but
launching
a
career?

What
message
would
you
send
to
all
those
young
women
who
want
to
have
a
career
like
yours?

Never,
ever,
ever,
ever,
give
up
on
your
dream.

Whatever
it
is
that
you
want
to
be,
do
become,
you
have
the
power.

You
don’t
need
anybody’s
permission
but
yourself.

That’s
something
every
woman
should
remember.