Hindi film lovers remembered her as the “Julie,” who mesmerised an entire generation with her beauty, charm, innocence, captivating screen presence, and intense acting. But the person who did that is not some ordinary actress; she is a legend, a veteran of 650 films who is the only person to win Best Actress Filmfare in all five major languages: Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and Hindi.
Early Life and Career
Lakshmi was born on 13 December 1952 in Madras (now Chennai) into a family deeply rooted in the film industry. Her father, Y. V. Rao, was a renowned filmmaker, and her mother, Kumari Rukmini, was a celebrated actress and dancer. She completed her schooling in Chennai and actively participated in acting competitions, winning numerous accolades for her performances.
Lakshmi made her acting debut as a child artist in the Tamil film “Sri Valli” (1961), where she played the role of Child Valli. Her debut as a full-fledged actress happened with the Tamil film “Jeevanamsam” in 1968. In the same year, she acted in the Kannada film “Goa Dalli CID 999” and the Telugu film “Bandhavyalu.” Her performances in these films established her as a promising actress in the South Indian film industry.
Lakshmi The Superstar
Lakshmi’s rise to prominence was marked by her versatility and ability to portray a wide range of characters. She quickly became one of the leading actresses in South India, delivering memorable performances in several successful films. Her breakthrough came with the 1974 Malayalam film “Chattakari,” directed by K.S. Sethumadhavan. The film, which was a blockbuster, earned her the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress and established her as a leading actress in Malayalam cinema.
Lakshmi reprised her role of a teen who gets pregnant before her marriage in the Hindi remake of Chattakkari, “Julie (1975),” which went on to become a blockbuster throughout India and won her the Filmfare Best Actor Trophy.
When “Julie” hit the screens, it swept the youth with its bold theme. Youngsters were flocking to the theatres to catch up on Lakshmi, as attractive a lady as one could imagine. On the other hand conservatives were furious about the depiction of teenage pregnancy. Over the years, “Julie” has become a cult classic. Its songs like “Dil Kya Kare,” “Bhool Gaya Sab Kuch,” “Yaad Nahin Kuch,” and “My Heart Is Beating” are still as popular as they were on the time of release.
Lakshami The Performer
After Julie, she did a few more Hindi films, which include Jeevan Mukt (1977), Charandas (1977), Aangan Ki Kali (1979), and Kahani Ek Chor Ki (1981). After many years, she made a remarkable comeback with Priyadrshan’s comedy “Hulchul” in 2004.
In a career spanning more than five decades, she has won numerous awards and acclades. She won the National Film Award for Best Actress for “Sila Nerangalil Sila Manithargal in 1977.” Over the years she has won nine Filmfare Awards South. She also won a Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress, four Nandi Awards, three Karnataka State Film Awards, one Bengal Film Journalists Association Awards, and various other state awards. She is the only actress who has won the Filmfare award for best actress in all 5 major film industries, namely Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada.
Some of her other notable films include Dikkatra Parvathi (1974), Chalanum (1975), Mohiniyaattam (1976), Panthulamma (1978), Sila Nerangalil Sila Manithargal (1977), Panthulamma (1977), Oru Nadigai Naatakam Paarkiraal (1978), Unmaigal (1983), Sravana Meghalu (1983), Samsaram Adhu Minsaram (1986), Hoovu Hannu (1993), Jeans (1998), Padayappa (1999), Murari (2001), Hulchul (2004), Vamshi (2008), Eenadu (2009), and Oh! Baby (2019).
Lakshmi dubs her voice for all her movies, irrespective of the language, making her one of the few critically acclaimed stars to achieve this feat. Her performance in “Mithunam” (2012) is regarded as one of the 100 Greatest Performances of the Decade by Film Companion.
Personal Life
Lakshmi has been married three times. Her first marriage was to Bhaskaran in 1969, with whom she had a daughter, Aishwariyaa Bhaskaran, who later became an actress. The marriage ended in divorce in 1974. She then married actor and filmmaker Mohan Sharma in 1975, but the marriage ended in divorce in 1980. In 1987, she married actor-director K.S. Sivachandran, and the couple adopted a baby girl in 2001.
Lakshmi on IMDB
