Lakshmi (actress) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lakshmi
Lakshmi at Naan Suvasikkum Sivaji book launch in 2015
Born	Yaragudipadi Venkata Mahalakshmi (1952-12-13) 13 December 1952 (age 72) Madras, Madras State, India
Years active	1968–present
Spouse(s)	Bhaskaran ​ ​ (m. 1969; div. 1974)​ Mohan Sharma ​ ​ (m. 1975; div. 1980)​ Sivachandran ​ (m. 1987)​
Children	2, including Aishwariyaa Bhaskaran
Parents	Y. V. Rao (father) Kumari Rukmini (mother)

Lakshmi (born 13 December 1952) is a famous Indian actress. Her full name is Yaragudipadi Venkata Mahalakshmi. She has acted in over 650 films! She is known for her work in all four main South Indian languages: Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada. She has also appeared in some Hindi films.

Lakshmi started her acting journey in 1968. Her first big role was in the Tamil film Jeevanaamsam. In the same year, she also acted in the Kannada film Goa Dalli CID 999 and the Telugu film Bandhavyalu.

In 1974, her Malayalam film Chattakari became a huge hit. It was so popular that it was remade in Hindi as Julie. Lakshmi is special because she can dub her own voice for all her movies, no matter the language. This is a rare talent! Her acting in Mithunam (2012) was even called one of the "100 Greatest Performances of the Decade" by Film Companion.

Over her career of more than fifty years, Lakshmi has won many awards. These include a National Film Award for Best Actress and nine Filmfare Awards South. She is the only actress to win Filmfare Awards in all four South Indian languages.

Lakshmi's Early Life

Lakshmi grew up in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Her mother, Kumari Rukmini, was also an actress. Her father, Yaragudipati Varada Rao, was a well-known producer and director. He worked mainly in Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Tamil films.

Lakshmi's Amazing Acting Career

Lakshmi with Syed Sallauddin Pasha at a show

Lakshmi became a very successful actress in South India during the 1970s. She acted in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada movies. Her first big success was the Malayalam film Chattakari (1974). This movie won her the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress. It was also the first Malayalam film to play for 40 weeks straight in a Bangalore theater!

Chattakari was later remade in Hindi as Julie (1975). Lakshmi won a Filmfare Best Actress Award for her role in Julie. People admired her for being able to play many different kinds of characters. Her acting in the Telugu film Panthulamma is often considered one of her best.

After Chattakari, she starred in many other Malayalam films. She won Filmfare Awards for Best Actress for her roles in Chalanum and Mohiniyaattam.

Lakshmi has acted with almost all the top actors in South India. She even played different roles like daughter, sister, and wife to the famous actor Sivaji Ganesan. Her pairing with Kannada star Anant Nag was very popular. They acted in many films together, often playing married middle-class couples.

After her success in Julie, Lakshmi focused more on South Indian films. She won the National Film Award for Best Actress for Sila Nerangalil Sila Manithargal (1977). This made her one of the first South Indian actresses to win this award for a Tamil film.

In the 1980s, she started playing supporting roles. She often played mothers and grandmothers. For example, she played Aishwarya Rai's grandmother in the Tamil hit film Jeans (1998). She also played Kareena Kapoor's grandmother in the Hindi film Hulchul (2004).

Lakshmi has acted in over 650 films. She has also tried her hand at directing. She directed the Kannada film Makkala Sainya (1980). She is fluent in all four South Indian languages. She has also hosted several talk shows, like Kadhai Alla Nijam in Tamil and Idu Kathe Alla Jeevana in Kannada. Currently, she is a judge on reality shows like Champions and Drama Juniors in Kannada.

Lakshmi's Family Life

Lakshmi with her daughter, Samyuktha

Lakshmi has been married three times. Her first marriage was to Bhaskaran. They had a daughter named Aishwariyaa Bhaskaran, who is also an actress. Lakshmi and Bhaskaran later divorced.

Her second marriage was to her co-star Mohan Sharma. They met while filming Chattakari in 1975. This marriage also ended in divorce in 1980.

In 1987, Lakshmi married actor-director M. Sivachandran. They fell in love while working on the film En Uyir Kannamma (1988). In 2000, they adopted a girl named Samyuktha.

Awards and Achievements

Lakshmi has received many awards for her outstanding acting.

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 Panthulamma
• 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

• 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 (This is the 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

Selected Filmography

Lakshmi has acted in over 650 films. Here are a few examples from different languages:

Tamil Films

Telugu Films

Malayalam Films

Kannada Films

Hindi Films

TV Shows and Web Series

Lakshmi has also appeared on television and in web series.

TV Serials

• Adutha Veetu Kavithai
• Nallathor Veenai
• Mahalakshmi

Web Series

TV Shows

• Kannadada Kotyadhipati as a Contestant (Kannada)
• Kadhai Alla Nijam (Tamil)
• Neena Naana as Host (Kannada)
• Champions as Judge (Kannada)
• Drama Juniors as Judge (Kannada)
• Kathe Alla Jeevana (Kannada)