Manchu Lakshmi Prasanna (born 8 October 1977) is an Indian actress, film producer, and television presenter who works in Telugu cinema and worked in American television. The daughter of senior actor Mohan Babu, Manchu holds a bachelor's degree in theatre from Oklahoma City University. She has garnered two Filmfare Awards South, and two State Nandi Awards.Manchu made her acting debut with the American television series Las Vegas, where she played the minor role of Sarasvati Kumar, 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. She has also appeared in commercials for Toyota, AARP and Chevrolet. 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.

Early life and family

Lakshmi Manchu is the only daughter of actor Mohan Babu and Vidya Devi. She has a younger brother, Vishnu Manchu and a younger paternal half-brother, Manoj Manchu. She was born in Chennai.Manchu married Andy Srinivasan, an IT professional from Chennai in 2006. The couple has a daughter born through surrogacy. They settled in Hyderabad for a few years before moving to Mumbai.

Career

Having started her career at the age of 4, Manchu has been in 20 feature films in India and few minor television roles in the U.S. She co-owns Sree Lakshmi Prasanna Pictures along with her family members, a production company that has produced fifty-six feature films to date.In December 2011, she was signed on to portray a supporting role in Mani Ratnam's Tamil film ''Kadal'' after a successful audition. Portraying the role of Celina, a poor village woman, she expected this film to be her breakthrough but hardly got offers in Tamil after the film's release.Having started her career at the age of 4, Manchu has been in 20 feature films in India and few minor television roles in the U.S. She co-owns Sree Lakshmi Prasanna Pictures along with her family members, a production company that has produced fifty-six feature films to date.In December 2011, she was signed on to portray a supporting role in Mani Ratnam's Tamil film ''Kadal'' after a successful audition. Portraying the role of Celina, a poor village woman, she expected this film to be her breakthrough but hardly got offers in Tamil after the film's release.