Telugu actress Lakshmi Manchu has voiced her strong discontent after a journalist questioned her dressing style at 47, particularly considering her role as a mother. In an interview with Great Andhra, she was asked if relocating to Mumbai had impacted her wardrobe. Lakshmi explained that she had previously lived in America, then moved back to Hyderabad, and now resides in Mumbai, emphasizing that she has “worked hard to look the way she does,” and that her appearance boosts her confidence to dress as she wishes. When further pressed, she inquired if the journalist would similarly question actor Mahesh Babu, who is fifty, about his choice to go shirtless. She challenged, “How dare you ask me that question?
Would you say, ‘Mahesh Babu, you are 50 now why are you going shirtless?’ Then how do you ask a woman the same thing?” She urged journalists to be more responsible in their inquiries. The journalist conceded that he would likely not pose such a question to a male actor and defended his questioning by referencing public comments regarding her social media presence. Lakshmi asserted that her response was not complete, highlighting that unlike men, women often face repercussions for their choices, including professional setbacks or societal scrutiny.
She noted that a prominent actress lost film offers after her divorce due to associations with her ex-husband, illustrating that women typically do not enjoy the same liberties and must frequently advocate for themselves.
