Tollywood actress Lakshmi Manchu has sparked conversations in the Telegu film industry with her recent remarks. The actress was seen grabbing headlines while promoting her film Daksha: A Deadly Conspiracy. She claimed that a “superstar’s ex-wife” has “been indirectly blacklisted by Tollywood." This hinted at how divorced women in cinema face unequal treatment compared to men.
In a recent interview, she alleged that the actor in question “is ready for work, but filmmakers are afraid to offer it to her.” Lakshmi added more context to her statement, saying, “There is a superstar’s ex-wife who works here. She got divorced, and since then, even films that were once offered to her have been taken away. He might feel bad and say something, is what they tell her. She is waiting to do good work, and I don’t need to name her.”
Given this description, speculation quickly turned towards Samantha Ruth Prabhu who separated from actor Naga Chaitanya in 2021. However, Lakshmi denied naming anyone directly. When asked if she was referring to Samantha, she clarified, “You’re thinking it’s Samantha. There’s not one superstar; around five to six of them have been divorced. And I am close to all of them. But my point is, a man will face something like that; his life will never change. But for a woman, once she marries, she has kids, has in-laws, she takes on a lot of responsibilities. No one gives us freedom; we have to take it on our own.”
Samantha, who made her debut with Ye Maaya Chesave in 2010 quickly rose to fame with major Telugu and Tamil projects. After her marriage in 2017 and subsequent divorce in 2021, reports suggest she has not signed any new South Indian films. Her recent works include Shaakunthalam and Kushi in 2023, along with the web series Citadel: Honey Bunny in 2024. She also has Netflix’s Rakt Brahmand: The Bloody Kingdom lined up.