Telugu actress and producer Lakshmi Manchu recalled a terrifying experience when she was touched inappropriately at the tender age of 15. Lakshmi said it was difficult for her to digest the humiliation and the scar it left on her impressionable mind.
During a conversation with Hauterrfly, Lakshmi shared that, coming from a privileged background, she used to go to school accompanied by a driver, a bodyguard, and her mother. Once, she travelled by public transport and encountered a harrowing experience.
On one occasion, the school arranged for students to use public transport to collect their exam hall tickets.
"The violation I faced... what is this ugly feeling? I was 15 years old then. I don't know if they knew I was just a little child. I moved away and didn't get into a fight. I shared it with my girlfriends, and they said it happened to them too. I wasn't singled out as a special girl for this to happen. It happens to everyone," the actor said.
She added, "Sometimes people want to mess with you when you're from a big family because they assume you won't speak out. If a theft happens in my house, I can't go out and say it. Let the Rs 15,000 go — that's how I've been raised. Be careful with your things, but if something goes missing, you don't want to put your name out there unnecessarily."
The actor later recalled that she "fell down crying" during the MeToo movement because every single thing mentioned on a flyer by the Women's Commission had happened to her.
Who Is Lakshmi Manchu?
Lakshmi Manchu made her acting debut with the American television series Las Vegas, where she played the minor role of Sarasvati Kumar, the love interest of James Lesure. She then appeared in one episode each of the following series: Desperate Housewives, Late Nights with my Lover, and Mystery ER. She has also featured in commercials for Toyota, AARP, and Chevrolet.
In recent times, she was seen on the reality show The Traitors.
The daughter of Telugu star Mohan Babu, Lakshmi Manchu has received two Filmfare Awards South and two Nandi Awards.
