The chat starts thus.
“Who I am, is a secret that I will not reveal, ever… People may call me oh-so-many things - actor, producer, talk show host, wife, sister, sister-in-law and more…I am not always that, am all of that.”
“People know me more than they know my dad, brothers (who have their own identity in the film industry), thanks to my exposure in talk shows earlier. Some people love me, while some hate the very sight of me. You can’t win them all, I know,” she says.
That’s Manchu Lakshmi, daughter of actor Mohan Babu, in a chat with The Hindu on the eve of the telecast by MAA TV of the first episode of her all-new talk show Doosukeltha . The first show features her brother Manoj and Praneetha, the heroine of the ongoing Pandavulu, Pandavulu Thummeda . This live-wire will be seen on small screen from Friday.
“When I was pitching with stories and ideas for MAA TV, this concept of mine, with celebrities in a talk show, clicked instantly. I was thinking that the usual serials on television were full of sadness, making people’s eyes moist on the one hand, while game shows were full of life on the other. Doosukeltha will be a complete entertainment show with full of life,” Lakshmi says, giving a peep into the first episode.
Talking about herself as an actor, she recalls how much she enjoyed working in seven Telugu films, from Anaganaga O Dheerudu to Chandamama Kathalu .
“I am going to be an actor for the rest of my life. I believe overnight success takes 10 years, and I am going to strive towards achieving my level of success,” she says.