Hyderabad: Telugu actress Lakshmi Manchu, a familiar face in Telugu, Tamil, and Hindi cinema—and known to international audiences through a few Hollywood projects—is well recognised among Malayalam moviegoers for her role in the Mohanlal film ‘Monster’. In the film, she portrayed the powerful character of Durga, a lesbian woman.

Recently, Lakshmi made headlines for her bold response to an inappropriate question during a promotional interview. Now, the actress has gone a step further by filing a formal complaint against the journalist who asked the question, alleging it amounted to body shaming.

The complaint was submitted to the Telangana Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC). According to Lakshmi, the journalist’s remarks crossed all lines of decency.

“India is a country that respects women a lot. However, when it comes to the workplace, we are subjected to misogyny, humiliation, and disrespect. This cannot continue. This is not just for me, but also for the young women who want me to react against this,” Lakshmi stated in her complaint.

Calling the interview “cruelty masked as journalism,” Lakshmi clarified that she is not against difficult questions but believes that personal and degrading comments have no place in public discourse.

“I always welcome tough questions because it's part of my job. But questions like these that cross all boundaries cannot be accepted,” she added.

She has demanded a public apology from the journalist and has urged the TFCC to take strong measures to ensure no other woman has to face such harassment in the future.

What did the journalist ask?

The controversy began during a media interaction where the journalist commented on Lakshmi’s choice of outfits, suggesting that her move to Mumbai had influenced her dressing style. In response, Lakshmi said that she had lived in the United States for many years before shifting to Mumbai, and that she had worked hard to maintain her current physique—which, in turn, gave her the confidence to dress how she liked.

However, the journalist persisted and repeated the question, this time tying it to her age and motherhood, asking whether it was appropriate for someone “approaching fifty” and “a mother of a girl” to dress a certain way. This prompted a sharp reaction from Lakshmi.

“Mahesh Babu, would you ask him, 'You are fifty years old, why are you appearing without a shirt?' Then how can you ask the same question to a woman? As a journalist, show a little more responsibility,” she retorted.

While the journalist tried to justify his question by citing similar comments made on social media, Lakshmi remained composed but firm in her response, calling attention to the broader issue of gender bias in the industry.

“I know the wife of a superstar who is still in the acting field. After the divorce, she was removed from films that were previously offered to her. This was out of fear that her ex-husband might not like it. She is waiting to do good films. A man would never have to face something like that. His life never changes. But a woman gets a lot of responsibilities. No one will give her freedom,” she added.