Lakshmi Manchu has garnered a fair deal of attention with her performance in ‘Yakshini’, which premiered on Disney+ Hotstar on June 14 amid decent fanfare. The series features her in a new avatar and has created a buzz as it is produced by Shobu Yarlagadda and Prasad Devineni, the makers of the ‘Baahubali’ film franchise.
Speaking exclusively to The Daily Guardian, Lakshmi said that she liked Yakshini’s script and felt she could have “have fun with it”.
“It is an interesting socio-fantasy drama series and a first-of-its-kind effort. I felt that I could really have fun with it when I heard the script. There was plenty of scope to play with the character. The show has come out really well. Each episode ends on a cliffhanger.,” she said.
Interestingly, Lakshmi is no stranger to the socio-fantasy genre. She impressed fans with her portrayal of an evil sorceress in ‘Anaganaga O Dheerudu’. She also left an impact with her work in the revenge drama ‘Lakshmi Bomb’ and the Nandamuri Balakrishna-led ‘Uu Kodathara? Ulikki Padathara?’. The actor said that she is able to add “magic” to such characters.
“All these shows with socio-fantasy elements and a parallel world invariably come to me. I even played an evil Disney queen in Anaganaga O Dheerudu.I feel I bring a sense of magic to it and it comes across as fresh,” added the star.
‘Yakshini’ also continues Lakshmi’s association with the OTT space. The actor hit the right notes with her work in ‘Mrs Subbalakshmi’ (2019). She was then seen in ‘Pitta Kathalu’. According to Lakshmi, a web series is more challenging than a feature film as it requires more time. ,
“A web series is brutal on the actors. There are no timelines. There are also more pages in the script. On the other hand, a film set is beautiful and you get pampered on it,” she added.
Lakshmi, veteran actor Mohan Babu’s daughter, began her acting career with a supporting role in ‘Las Vegas’. She then appeared on ‘Desperate Housewives’ and ‘Mystery ER’. The actor also found a foothold in the Telugu film industry with ‘Gundello Godari’, ‘Anaganaga O Dheerudu’, and ‘Dongatha’. She also carved a niche for herself in the Tamil film industry with the Jyothika-led ‘Kaatrin Mozhi’. She also appeared alongside Mohanlal in the Malayalam flick Monster. Her film credits also include ‘Department’, ‘WO Ram’, and Mani Ratnam’s ‘Kadal’.
Lakshmi recently shifted to Mumbai to explore new avenues and expand her impressive filmography.
“I am now in Mumbai and enjoying the experience a lot. It is refreshing. You get to meet new directors and talent,” she said.
She also aspires to work in a Korean drama in the near future.
Her latest show ‘Yakshini’ is, meanwhile, currently available to stream on Disney+ Hotstar.