Yaragudipati Venkata Mahalakshmi (born 13 December 1952 ), known professionally as Lakshmi, is an Indian actress known for her works primarily in all 4 Southern Indian language film industries (distributing her acting career across all four languages almost equally). She has also acted in some Hindi films. She debuted with the 1968 Kannada film Goa Dalli CID 999 where she played a full-fledged lead role. She made her debut in Tamil with the movie Jeevanaamsam (1968) where she played the role of lead actor's sister. She also made her debut in Telugu in the same year with the film Bandhavyalu.
In 1974, her debut Malayalam film, Chattakari went on to become a blockbuster throughout India. She has acted in over 650 films as confirmed in the popular Kannada TV Show Weekend With Ramesh on Zee Kannada channel. Her performance in Mithunam (2012) is regarded as one of the 100 Greatest Performances of the Decade by Film Companion. Lakshmi then went on to appear in a number of commercially successful films in various languages without a hesitation or diction. She dubs her voice for all of her movies, irrespective of the language and remains one of the very few critically acclaimed stars to achieve this stage.
In a career spanning more than five decades she has won one National Film Award for Best Actress, nine Filmfare Awards South, One Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress, Nandi Awards, Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actress for the movie Hoovu Hannu, the Bengal Film Journalists Association Awards and various other state awards.
Lakshmi made her Bollywood debut in 1975, with the woman-centric Julie, the remake of Malayalam film Chattakkari. After appearing as a lead actress for more than a decade, she switched over to character roles. She is the only actress who has won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress including south languages and Hindi films .
Early life
Lakshmi was born and raised in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Her mother Kumari Rukmini was a Tamil actress. Her father, Yaragudipati Varada Rao, was a Telugu producer, director, thespian, screenwriter, editor and actor known for his works predominantly in Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Tamil Cinema.
Career
Lakshmi debuted with the 1968 Kannada film Goa Dalli CID 999. She established herself as a successful and popular actress in South India in the 1970s, acting in all four South Indian languages: Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu. Lakshmi rose to fame with her first Malayalam movie Chattakari (1974), which won her the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress. This has the distinction of being the first Malayalam film to run continuously for 40 weeks in a Bangalore theatre. Chattakari (1974) was remade in Hindi as Julie (1975) and in Telugu as Miss Julie Prema Katha (1975). In addition to a Filmfare Best Actress Award, she also won the Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards for the "most outstanding work of the year", for her work in Julie. She is known for her versatility as an actress and for the glamorous outlook she embodied. Her acting in the Telugu film Panthulamma is often credited as one of her best performances.60 years of Telugu cinema a book published in 2007
After the success of her debut Malayalam film Chattakari, she starred in many other films in Malayalam. She won Filmfare Awards for Best Actress for her performances in Chalanum and Mohiniyaattam.
She is the only actress to have played daughter, sister, love interest and wife to Sivaji Ganesan, and even her mother has acted heroine opposite him and has acted with almost all the leading actors and stars of South India, but it was her combination with famous Kannada star Anant Nag in the 70s and 80s that struck a chord with the audience. Nag and Lakshmi are considered one of the all-time greatest pairs in South Indian cinema. They acted together in 10-12 films. Their pair was considered best-looking and the right recipe for success. Some of these films were based on TaRaSu novels and dealt with the lives of married middle-class couples.
After her success in Julie, Lakshmi didn't star in many Hindi films and instead concentrated on doing more South Indian films. She won the National Film Award for Best Actress for Sila Nerangalil Sila Manithargal (1977), becoming one of the first South Indian actresses to win that category for a Tamil film. When her career as a leading lady ended in the 1980s, she started playing supporting roles as a mother and later as a grandmother. She played Aishwarya Rai's grandmother in the Tamil musical blockbuster film, Jeans (1998) and Kareena Kapoor's grandmother in the hit film, Hulchul (2004).
She has performed in more than 400 films and has also been involved in politics.
Under K. Balachander's supervision, she made her directorial debut with a remake of Yours, Mine and Ours: the Kannada film Makkala Sainya (1980 Tamil version Mazhalai Pattalam).
Lakshmi is fluent in all four South Indian languages. She took a break from acting to host two talk shows, including the Tamil talk show Achamillai, Achamillai.She hosted a talk show in Kannada for Suvarna channel called Idu Kathe Alla Jeevana. She also hosts a talk show in Tamil for Vijay TV called Kadhai Alla Nijam. She has hosted a talk show in Kannada for Suvarna channel called Neena? Naana? After the shows ended, she returned to acting in films.
Currently she is on the judges' panel for the Malayalam reality show Champions on Surya TV. She is also a judge for a Kannada reality show called Drama Juniors on Zee Kannada. She has overall appeared in over 650 films across languages as confirmed on the popular Kannada show Weekend with Ramesh on Zee Kannada.
Personal life
Lakshmi's first marriage was with Bhaskaran with whom she has a daughter, actress Aishwariyaa Bhaskaran. They later got divorced.
Her second marriage was with co-star Mohan Sharma on the sets of Chattakari (1975) and ended in divorce (1980).
While she was shooting En Uyir Kannamma (1988) she and actor-director M. Sivachandran fell in love and got married (1987). The couple adopted a girl named Samyuktha in 2000.
Awards National Film Awards 1977 – National Film Award for Best Actress for Sila Nerangalil Sila Manithargal
Filmfare Awards 1976 – Filmfare Award for Best Actress for Julie
Filmfare Awards South 1974 – Filmfare Award for Best Tamil Actress for Dikkatra Parvathi 1974 – Filmfare Award for Best Malayalam Actress for Chattakari 1975 – Filmfare Award for Best Malayalam Actress for Chalanum 1976 – Filmfare Award for Best Malayalam Actress for Mohiniyaattam 1978 - Filmfare Special Jury Award for Oru Nadigai Natakam Parkiral & Panthulamma 26th Filmfare Awards South 1983 – Filmfare Award for Best Tamil Actress for Unmaigal 1986 – Filmfare Award for Best Telugu Actress for Sravana Meghalu 1993 – Filmfare Award for Best Kannada Actress for Hoovu Hannu 1998 – Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award (South)
Cinema Express Awards 1986 – Cinema Express Award for Best Actress – Tamil for Samsaram Adhu Minsaram
Nandi Awards(in Telugu) Best Actress - Panthulamma (1977) Best Actress - Sravana Meghalu (1986) Best Character Actress - Murari (2001) Special Jury Award - Mithunam (2012)
Karnataka State Film Awards 1993 – Best Actress for Hoovu Hannu 2008 – Best Supporting Actress for Vamshi 2017 – Dr. Rajkumar Award (Highest honor in the Kannada Film Industry).
Tamil Nadu State Film Awards 1978 – Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actress for Oru Nadigai Naatakam Paarkiraal
Kerala State Film Awards 1974 – Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress for Chattakari
Bengal Film Journalists Association Awards 1975 - Most outstanding work of the year for Julie
South India International Movie Awards 2021 – SIIMA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Oh! Baby
Notable filmography
Tamil + List of Lakshmi Tamil film credits Year Title Role Notes 1968 Jeevanaamsam Lalitha 1969 Kanni Penn Kaaval Dheivam Gokila Annaiyum Pithavum Mannippu Bama Paalkudam Magane Nee Vazhga 1970 Maattukara Velan Kamala Nagalingam Jeevanadi Ethiroli Kalpana Kannan Varuvan Maanavan Navagraham Vatchala Penn Deivam Ponnamma's daughter Veetukku Veedu Malathi Yaen? Kamala 1971 Nootrukku Nooru Lakshmi Thangaikaga Radha/Amutha Thirumagal Radha Arunodhayam Nirmala Uyir Kumari Kottam Uma Thulli Odum Pulliman 1972 Kasethan Kadavulada Rama Aseervatham Kanimuthu Paappa Karunthel Kannayiram Dhikku Theriyadha Kaattil Puguntha Veedu Pillaiyo Pillai Agathiyar Kaveri Ponmagal Vanthal Idhaya Veenai Nalini Nawab Narkali Kanchana Rani Yar Kuzhandhai Sange Muzhangu Ladha 1973 Rajaraja Cholan Princess Kundavai Karaikkal Ammaiyar Punithavathi Arangetram Cameo as herself Thirumalai Deivam Goddess Padmavati Prarthanai Thalai Prasavam Thedi Vandha Lakshmi Lakshmi Vijaya 1974 Dikkatra Parvathi Parvathi Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil Naan Avanillai Salima Thirumangalyam Lavanya Akkarai Pachai Magalukkaga Kanmani Raja Janaki Prayachittham Tiger Thaathachari 1975 Swaami Ayyappan Mohini Pinju Manam 1976 Seervarisai Unakkaga Naan Vazhvu En Pakkam Saraswathi/Usha 1977 Thoondil Meen Sila Nerangalil Sila Manithargal Ganga National Film Award for Best Actress Oruvannukku Oruthi Punitha Anthoniyar 1978 Oru Nadigai Natakam Parkiral Kalyani Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actress Thyagam Radha Achchani 1979 Dhairyalakshmi Nangooram Vallavan Varugiran 1980 Polladhavan Seetha Avan Aval Adhu Soundaryame Varuga Varuga Mazhai Pattalam 1981 Netrikan Meenakshi Kudumbam Oru Koyil Savaal Ganga Thillu Mullu Cameo Vaa Indha Pakkam 1982 Nenjangal 1983 Unmaigal Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil Indru Nee Nalai Naan Thandikapatta Nyayangal Nenjodu Nenjam 1984 Sirai Bhagirathi Nee Thodumbothu Nenjathai Allitha 1985 Sri Raghavendrar Saraswati Bai Udhaya Geetham Leela Chowdhry Anthasthu Oru Malarin Payanam Thavam 1986 Samsaram Adhu Minsaram Uma Cinema Express Award for Best Actress – Tamil Kodai Mazhai Anandha Kanneer Parvatham Enakku Nane Needipathi Gowri Kanmaniye Pesu Neethana Antha Kuyil Palaivana Rojakkal Surya 1987 Sirai Paravai Kudumbam Oru Koyil Dampathyam Evargal Indiyargal Mupperum Deviyar Thalidhaanam 1988 Kaalaiyum Neeye Maalaiyum Neeye Paasa Paravaigal Mrs. Anandhi Sukumar, Advocate Adhu Antha Kaalam En Uyir Kannamma Kadarkarai Thaagam Ratha Dhanam Thambi Thanga Kambi Ganga (Kaveri) 1989 Ore Oru Gramathiley Gayathri alias Karuppayi 1990 Nyayangal Jayikkattum Saraswathi Naanum Indha Ooruthan 1991 Maanagara Kaaval Rupavathy, the Prime Minister of India Rudhra Lalitha 1992 Jodi Senthachu Sir... I Love You Veni 1993 Enga Thambi Shanthi 1994 Athiradi Padai Chithra IAS Kanmani Kanmani's mother Pattukottai Periyappa Jhansi 1995 Periya Kudumbam Kasthuri Mr. Madras Murugan's mother 1996 Musthaffaa Bhagyalakshmi Ilamai Rojakkal 1997 Vallal Durairasu's sister 1998 Moovendhar Sivagami Veera Thalattu Pandian's adopted mother Jeans Krishnaveny Paatty Iniyavale Prabakharan's mother, Lakshmi Murattu Kadhal Thalaimurai 1999 Padayappa Padayappa's mother Kannupada Poguthaiya Parvathy Manam Virumbuthe Unnai Priya's mother 2000 Kakkai Siraginilae Savithri Rhythm Chithra's mother-in-law Vaanavil Jayalakshmi I.A.S Snegithiye Malathi 2002 Dhaya Mother Sharada 2004 Vasool Raja MBBS Janaki's mother 2005 Ayya Ayyadurai's wife Kanda Naal Mudhal Ramani 2007 Naan Avanillai Sarada Vel Vetrivel's grandmother 2008 Karuvarai Pookkal 2009 Unnaipol Oruvan Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu 2015 Moone Moonu Varthai Malini
Telugu