Lakshmi Manchu, the revered actor, director, and producer is also well known for her philanthropy work. We caught up with her at the Teach for Change Annual Fundraiser 2025, an event more than just a fashion show — a movement to transform lives through education. She started the NGO with the idea of bringing people together. Reflecting on her thought behind it, Lakshmi says that Teach for Change has been her baby for over 11 years, and the idea stemmed from wanting to do something for the society, but not knowing how to act on it. “I feel like God has given me a position of power and a voice that can be heard, and I should use it.”
Along with social work, Lakshmi has also had a long career in films. She has worked in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and English films, and notes that the industry in the west is great at planning and preparation — something we should adapt. “We are always in a hurry to go on sets,” she says. Shows like Adolescence drive her to think out of the box and tell the stories which are important.
Having played multiple roles, she says that being a daughter has been the most difficult role she has played. “When you come from such a strong patriarchal family, they have very strong opinions on how a woman should be,” she says. While on the other hand, she calls motherhood one of the sweetest changes — completely changing her outlook on life. “I am a lot more careful with my life now. Before this, I was the one who would jump in the ocean first. But now I let other people jump, and then I jump.” Lakshmi shares that her daughter has helped her see life beyond work. Calling herself a workaholic, she says that in her 20s and 30s, she was like a woman with blinders — constantly working. Now in her 40s, she wants to “chill a little and travel”.
Lakshmi says that she wants to take things off her plate as she realises that there is a lot more to life than work. “I want to travel the world, experience other cultures, other traditions, and how people look at life. I went to Finland and that really changed me in how I perceive life for myself. I feel like we get too caught up in what we are, who we are, where we come from, and what we have achieved. My perspective has now become live and let live. We have one life, and must do everything we want to. You will never regret what you have done, only what you did not do,” she says.
Speaking about her dreams and what she is working on, Lakshmi shares that she would like to play the role an Indian version of Lara Croft, and wants to be part of a Korean drama. She is currently gearing up for a release with her father, which she has produced, and a reality show on OTT.
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