'I was left to fight this battle alone,' Lakshmi Manchu revisits the reporter controversy

Telugu actor and producer Lakshmi Manchu is once again coming forward to talk about the entire controversy with respect to the Telugu journalist, as the incident left a permanent impact on her life.

The actress, who is promoting her upcoming show, Top Telugu Influencer, in Hyderabad, spoke about the incident that took place last year and the hardships she faced during it. Though the issue was sorted out with an apology, Lakshmi had a lot to ponder over.

Lakshmi Manchu says she received little support during the controversy

During her media interaction, Lakshmi Manchu spoke candidly about the lack of support she received when the controversy erupted. According to 123 Telugu, she said she largely had to handle the situation on her own despite filing complaints and raising concerns.

“I was left to fight this battle alone,” she said, reflecting on how hard that was. Lakshmi Manchu also pointed out that it took almost a month for the journalist to apologize.

"Why did it take so long for someone to acknowledge that what happened was wrong?" she questioned, expressing disappointment over the delayed response from those who could have intervened earlier.

Actress questions why the public apology became an issue

The actress further revealed that another unexpected issue emerged even after the journalist apologised.

Lakshmi said she shared the apology publicly because she believed the matter had been resolved. However, she later received a request to take it down. "After posting the apology, I got a call asking me to remove it because the journalist was feeling bad," she said. Questioning the logic behind the request, she added, "When I was humiliated publicly, nobody seemed concerned about how I felt.

Why did accountability suddenly become a problem after the apology?" Her words have once again brought the issues of transparency and accountability in public domains into discussion.

Lakshmi Manchu recalls the comments that triggered the discussion

Everything started when a reporter commented about Lakshmi's dress sense, her age, and her motherhood while interviewing her. The actress reacted right away by challenging the double standard she felt from him. "How dare you ask me that question?" She had also famously asked the reporter, "Would you ask Mahesh Babu the same question?" She wanted to stress gender discrimination in the field by asking him this. Now, looking back at those days, Lakshmi says that the whole problem was not about the question but about respect and dignity.

Even though she has already moved on, she feels that the case holds significance regarding how women are treated differently just because they are in public domains. Even though she has already moved on, she feels that the case holds significance regarding how women are treated differently just because they are in public domains.