The actor demanded a public apology after a journalist made ageist and body-shaming comments about her attire
Lakshmi Manchu has lodged a formal complaint with the Telangana Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC) against a senior journalist who, in a recent interview, questioned her dressing choices, citing her age and motherhood.
During the interview, the journalist remarked, “You are a woman nearing 50 with a 12-year-old daughter… people might criticise your dress sense.”
Lakshmi sharply retorted, “Would you ask Mahesh Babu why he goes shirtless in films? Why put such questions to a woman? People in positions like yours must be mindful, because audiences observe and learn from you.”
In her statement to the TFCC, she wrote, “India is a country that reveres women as Shakti, yet when we step into professional spaces, we are subjected to casual misogyny, humiliation, and disrespect. This cannot continue. I owe it not only to myself but also to the many young women who look up to me to call this out.”
Lakshmi clarified that she welcomes tough questions and constructive criticism but drew a firm line at “cruelty masked as journalism.” She demanded a public apology and urged TFCC to take strict action to prevent such incidents. “Respect is not optional. Accountability is not negotiable,” she asserted.
