Lakshmi Manchu Opens Up About First Experience of Abuse at 15

Actor Lakshmi Manchu has opened up about a traumatic incident from her teenage years, recalling how an unexpected encounter on public transport left her shaken and confused. In an interview with Hauterrfly, she said she was just 15 and in the tenth grade when she first faced sexual harassment. Lakshmi explained that she grew up in a highly protected environment as the daughter of actor Mohan Babu, always travelling with a driver, a bodyguard and her mother. But during one school activity, students were taken by public transport to collect their hall tickets — a change she had looked forward to. That excitement quickly faded. Lakshmi said she was inappropriately touched by strangers during the journey, leaving her disturbed by a feeling she couldn’t fully comprehend at the time. “The violation I faced… what is this ugly feeling? I was 15. I moved away and didn’t fight back. When I told my girlfriends, they said it happened to them too. It wasn’t something special done to me — it happens to everyone,” she said. She noted that harassment on public transport is so common that if a woman claims she hasn’t experienced it, “she’s lying.” Lakshmi added that she broke down during the MeToo movement because every point highlighted by the Women’s Commission reflected an experience she had lived through. The actor also spoke about the added vulnerability of belonging to a prominent family. She said people often assume those from well-known households will remain silent. “Sometimes people want to mess with you when you’re from a big family because they think we won’t speak out. Even if a theft happens at home, I can’t go public about it. Let the ₹15,000 go — that’s how I was raised. Be careful, but avoid putting your name out unnecessarily,” she said. Lakshmi Manchu was last seen in the film 'Daksha: A Deadly Conspiracy', which hit cinemas on September 20.