Lakshmi Manchu

Manchu Lakshmi Prasanna (born 8 October 1977 ) is an Indian actress, film producer, and television presenter who works in Telugu cinema and worked in American television. The daughter of senior actor Mohan Babu, Manchu holds a bachelor's degree in theatre from Oklahoma City University. She has garnered two Filmfare Awards South and two Nandi Awards.

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 of each of the following series: Desperate Housewives, Late Nights with my Lover, and Mystery ER. She has also appeared in commercials for Toyota, AARP, and Chevrolet.

In 2006, she directed, produced, and acted in Perfect Lives, a short film that was showcased at the Wilshire Fine Arts Theater as part of the La Femme Film Festival in Los Angeles. She made her theatre debut as Miss Trunchbull in the adaptation of Roald Dahl's Matilda, directed by Taher Ali Baig, in 2016.

Early life and family Lakshmi Manchu is the only daughter of actor Mohan Babu and Vidya Devi. She has a younger brother, Vishnu Manchu, and a younger paternal half-brother, Manoj Manchu. She was born in Chennai.

Manchu married Andy Srinivasan, an IT professional from Chennai, in 2006. The couple has a daughter born through surrogacy. They settled in Hyderabad for a few years before moving to Mumbai.

Career Having started her career at the age of 4, Manchu has been in 20 feature films in India and a few minor television roles in the U.S. She co-owns Sree Lakshmi Prasanna Pictures along with her family members, a production company that has produced fifty-six feature films to date.

In December 2011, she was signed on to portray a supporting role in Mani Ratnam's Tamil film Kadal after a successful audition. Portraying the role of Celina, a poor village woman, she expected this film to be her breakthrough but hardly got offers in Tamil after the film's release.

Filmography

Film Acting roles

Producer Year Title 2005 Sri 2008 Nenu Meeku Telusa? 2010 Jhummandi Naadam 2012 Uu Kodathara? Ulikki Padathara? 2013 Gundello Godari 2015 Dongaata

Television Acting roles Year Title Role Network Language Notes2004–07 Las Vegas Sarasvati Kumar NBC English Recurring role (11 episodes)2006 Boston Legal Juror No. 6 ABC "Shock and Oww!" (season 2: episode 18)2008 Mystery ER Dr. Baker Discovery Health "Eating Away/A Model's Malady" (season 2: episode 5)Desperate Housewives Nabila ABC "Kids Ain't Like Everybody Else" (season 5: episode 3)2019 Mrs. Subbalakshmi Mrs. Subbalakshmi ZEE5 Telugu 2024 Yakshini Jwalamukhi Disney+ Hotstar 2025 The Traitors Contestant Prime Video Hindi 18th place

As a host or judge

Awards and nominations