Lakshmi Manchu: For me, saree is the most feminine garment

by IANS | Mon, May 05, 2025, 12:03 PM

Mumbai, May 5 (IANS) Actress Lakshmi Manchu has professed her love for sarees, saying that, for her, it is the most beautiful and feminine garment.

Lakshmi hosted a special event celebrating the timeless beauty of Kanchipuram and Kota sarees, paying tribute to India’s rich textile heritage. The handwoven masterpieces showcased the intricate craftsmanship of local weavers.

As a passionate advocate for the "Make in India" initiative, Lakshmi said: "In Mumbai, even the so-called real zari isn’t real. I spent time sourcing authentic zari from master artisans, curating sarees that tell real stories. I even hand drew Kalamkari designs that the weavers themselves said they’d never seen before."

Lakshmi emphasized that these sarees are among the most beautiful and feminine pieces and talked about the importance of embracing Indian traditions and culture through textiles.

"I’m the kind of person who walks into coffee shops in Mumbai draped in a saree, because, to me, it’s the most beautiful, the most feminine garment. I believe it’s time we truly embrace our traditions and culture, especially through a fabric the world already looks up to," she added.

Lakshmi is the daughter of senior actor Mohan Babu. She made her acting debut with the American television series Las Vegas, where she played 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.

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.

The actress was last seen on screen in the 2022 film “Monster”, an action thriller directed by Vysakh. The film stars Mohanlal with Lakshmi Manchu, Honey Rose, Siddique, Sudev Nair, K. B. Ganesh Kumar, Lena, Johny Antony and Jagapathi Babu.