Lakshmi (Actress)

Some Lesser Known Facts About Lakshmi

• Lakshmi is an Indian actress and director. She has worked mainly in the South Indian entertainment industries and has appeared in popular Indian films like Julie (1975), Jeans (1998), Padayappa (1999), Hulchul (2004), and Oh! Baby (2019). She achieved a rare accomplishment in India by winning the Filmfare Award for Best Actress eight times, which includes recognition for her work in Hindi, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, and Malayalam films.

• Lakshmi completed her schooling at Chennai, Tamil Nadu. While studying in school, she actively participated in acting competitions and achieved numerous awards for her school in the contests.

  

• In 1968, she took on the role of Lalitha in the Tamil film Jeevanamsam. According to Lakshmi, she was paid Rs. 2,500 for her performance in the film. In a conversation with the media, Lakshmi claimed that at that time, there were no acting classes available for aspiring actors to improve their acting skills. She spoke about it and said,
  

  When I started acting in 1968 there was no concept of professional training. You learned about acting out of the experience. It was up to you to apply your mind and refine your technique. Acting is a piece of cake when compared to hosting talk shows. Sometimes it is as if I act to relax.”

• According to Lakshmi, she charged Rs. 3,000 from the makers of the 1968 Kannada film Goa Dalli CID 999. She talked about it, in a media conversation, and said,
  

  When I entered the film industry, I did not have any ambition. I was fascinated by the glamour and the money associated with it. In those days, diamond earrings used to cost Rs 3,000. From the money I made, I wanted to buy myself a watch and jewellery. These are the fantasies that 16-year-old girls had back then, and I was also one of them.”

• In 1969, she starred in many popular Tamil films including Kanni Penn, Annaiyum Pithavum, and Magane Nee Vazhga.

• In the same year, she co-starred with Krishna Ghattamaneni, the father of Mahesh Babu, in the Telugu film Karpura Harathi.

• She rose to stardom in the 1970s.

• In the 1973 Telugu film Puttinillu Mettinillu, she essayed the character of Latha, a role originally seen in the 1972 Tamil film Puguntha Veedu on which the film was based.

• In 1974, she played the role of Parvathi in the film Tamil Dikkatra Parvathi, and she was honoured with a Filmfare Award for her performance in the film.

  

• Lakshmi’s 1974 Malayalam debut film Chattakkari was a box office success, and she received recognition for her performance with both the Filmfare Award and the Malayalam State Film Award. Additionally, the film holds a unique record as the first to run consistently for 40 weeks in a Bangalore theatre.

• She received a Filmfare Award in 1975 for her Malayalam film Chalanum in which she appeared as Pavizham.

• Ganga, the character portrayed by her in the 1977 Tamil film Sila Nerangalil Sila Manithargal, earned her the National Film Award.

  

• She secured the main role of Mohini in the 1976 Malayalam film Mohiniyaattam and was honoured with a Filmfare Award for her performance.

• In 1977, she made appearances in two Bollywood movies, Jeevan Mukt, and Charandas. Thereafter, she stopped working in Bollywood until 2004. In an interview, she disclosed her preference for acting in South Indian cinema as opposed to Bollywood and said,
  

  That was the time when I already had a happening career in the South. A lot of female-oriented films were being offered to me. I was not mad enough to ditch those kind of roles for that of a simpering, scantily clad woman who only had to shout “Bachao, mujhe bachao”! [Save me] In retrospective I should have taken it up. But there were already enough good heroines in Bollywood and I did not want to fight for roles. Besides I was quite comfortable at home and with all four languages in the south.”

• In the Tamil film Oru Nadigai Natakam Parkiral, released in 1978, she played the role of Kalyani and was honoured with the Tamil Nadu State Film Award.

• In the same year, she appeared in the Kannada film Kiladi Jodi along with renowned actors such as Vishnuvardhan and Srinath.

• She landed the role of a character named Sharada in the 1978 Telugu film Panthulamma; her performance earned her the Filmfare Special Award as well as the Nandi Award.

• In 1980, Lakshmi directed her first Tamil film Mazhalai Pattalam under the mentorship of K. Balachander. The film was an adaptation of the American family comedy-drama film titled Yours, Mine and Ours. It was also made in the Kannada language alongside its original version.

• In 1983, she won a Filmfare Award for her performance in the Tamil movie Unmaigal.

• In the same year, she starred in the Kannada films Pallavi Anu Pallavi and Nodi Swamy Navirodu Hige.

• She landed a role in the 1984 Kannada film Makkaliralavva Mane Thumba.

• In the Kannada film industry, she has shared the screen with many famous actors. However, it was her remarkable on-screen rapport with the acclaimed Kannada star Anant Nag in the 1970s and 1980s that connected with the audience. Nag and Lakshmi are celebrated as one of the most legendary duos in South Indian cinema. Together, they starred in more than 25 movies, several of which were based on T. R. Subba Rao’s novels, focusing on the lives of young middle-class couples.

  

• In the Tamil film Samsaram Adhu Minsaram, released in 1986, Lakshmi took on the character of Uma and was honoured with the Cinema Express Award for her performance.

• Lakshmi received both a Filmfare Award and a Nandi Award for her performance in the 1986 Telugu film Sravana Megalu.

• In 1990, she starred in two Malayalam films, Ee Thanutha Veluppan Kalathu as Sreedevi Rosario, and Kshanakkathu as Devaki Nair.

• In the same year, she appeared in a Sun TV Tamil serial titled Adutha Veetu Kavithai.

• Later, she acted in two Tamil soap operas namely Nallathor Veenai and Mahalakshmi. Additionally, she has participated as both a contestant and a judge in several reality TV shows like Kannadada Kotyadhipati, Kathai Alla Nijam, Neeya Naana, Drama Juniors, Champions, and Kathe Alla Jeevana.

  

• In 1993, she appeared as a character named Ramabai in the Kannada film Hoovu Hannu, earning her two accolades, a Filmfare Award, and a Karnataka State Film Award.

• In the same year, she co-starred in the Telugu film Nippu Ravva along with the renowned actor Nandamuri Balakrishna.

  

• In 1999, she took on roles in various Tamil movies, playing Padayappa’s mother in the film Padayappa, Parvathy in Kannupada Poguthaiya, and Saradha in Manam Virumbuthe Unnai.

• She received a Nandi Award for essaying the role of Gopakka in the 2001 Telugu film Murari.

• She co-starred with the acclaimed actor Kamal Hassan in the comedy Tamil film Vasool Raja MBBS in 2004.

  

• In the 2004 Hindi film Hulchul, she essayed the character of Laxmi Devi Anpara and shared the screen with renowned actors like Paresh Rawal, Akshaye Khanna, Amrish Puri, and Kareena Kapoor.

  

• She played the character of Vamshi’s mother in the 2008 movie Vamshi in which Puneeth Rajkumar essayed the role of Vamshi. Lakshmi’s performance in the film earned her the Karnataka State Film Award.

  

• In the 2009 Tamil film Unnaipol Oruvan, she appeared as the Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu.

• In the same year, her performance in the Telugu film Eenadu earned her a nomination for the Filmfare Award in the Best Supporting Actress – Telugu category.

• In the 2012 Telugu film Mithunam, she essayed the character of Buchchi Lakshmi and received the Nandi Special Jury Award. The Film Companion recognized her role in the film as one of the top 100 performances of the decade.

• She secured a role in the Malayalam film Bhoomiyude Avakashikal in the same year.

• In 2014, she bagged a role in a Malayalam film titled Ormayundo Ee Mukham.

• In 2019, she made appearances in several Telugu films, portraying various roles such as Savitri/Bebakka/Baby in Oh! Baby, Samba Siva Rao’s mother in Manmadhudu 2, and Saraswathi in Nani’s Gang Leader.

  

• She appeared in the 2022 Kannada film Trikona.

• In 2023, she was seen in a Telugu film titled Kushi.

• She essayed the role of Sundari in the web series Sweet Kaaram Coffee, which premiered on Amazon Prime Video in July 2023.

  

• In July 2023, she appeared on the Kapil Sharma Show as a guest.

• In an interview, she disclosed that her grandfather had the desire for her to pursue a career in law. She talked about it and said,
  

  My grandfather wanted me to be an advocate as in those days, in Brahmin households, accounting and law were considered the best professions. My grandfather wanted me to study law in London.”

• She reportedly engaged in politics for a short period of time.

• She is proficient in multiple languages such as Hindi, English, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, and Telugu.

Lakshmi in Ormayundo Ee Mukham (2014)