Raai Laxmi


Lakshmi Rai, professionally credited as Raai Laxmi is an Indian film actress and model born in Belgaum who predominantly appears in Tamil and Malayalam as well as Telugu and Kannada films. She made her Bollywood debut with the film Julie 2.
Raai has completed over 14 years in the film industry, acting in over 50 films in several languages.

Early life

Raai Lakshmi was born on 5 May 1989 in Belgaum, Karnataka to Ram Raibagi and Manjula Raibagi.

Career

In 2005, at the age of 15, Laxmi made her film debut in the Tamil-language Karka Kasadara after director R. V. Udayakumar saw her performance in the Kannada short film Valmiki. Subsequently, she appeared in a number of Tamil films, including the comedy film Kundakka Mandakka opposite R. Parthiban, Perarasu's action-masala flick Dharmapuri and the romance film Nenjai Thodu. In 2008, she began working in more serious films such as the drama film Velli Thirai, in which she played herself, and the action thriller Dhaam Dhoom, directed by Jeeva. She received positive feedback for her portrayal of a lawyer in the latter. A review from Behindwoods wrote: "The latter sizzles even as she is supposed to play the court professional who is caught in the web of smuggling drugs". She won her first Filmfare Award nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category.
She made her debut in Malayalam in 2007, starring in Rock & Roll, opposite Mohanlal. She followed it up with several successful films such as Annan Thambi, 2 Harihar Nagar, Evidam Swargamanu opposite Mohanlal, and Chattambinadu opposite Mammootty. She appeared in three Tamil films in 2009, Muthirai, Vaamanan and Naan Avanillai 2.
In Vaamanan, she played a glamorous supermodel. In 2010, she was seen in three films. She made special appearances during song sequences in two of them, In Ghost House Inn and Pen Singam and portrayed a cowgirl in the Tamil film Irumbukkottai Murattu Singam.

Public recognition and success (2011–2014)

Raai Lakshmi's first 2011 release was Christian Brothers, which was a huge commercial success. Her next two films were Tamil projects, the comedy horror and the Venkat Prabhu-directed action thriller Mankatha, starring Ajith Kumar. She played a negative character in the latter, which was received positively by critics. Both films emerged as high financial successes. Following Kanchanas success, she was signed on to reprise the role in its Kannada remake.
She performed an item number in the movie Pen Singam which went unnoticed.
However, she performed her first successful item number opposite Ravi Teja in his Telugu film Balupu following which she signed to perform various item numbers with small cameo roles in films like "Money Money" in Vaamanan.
Her latest release Arabiyum, Ottakavum, P. Madhavan Nairum opposite Mohanlal was met with mixed reviews but turned out to a commercial success. Her 2014 films were Aranmanai and Irumbu Kuthirai in Tamil, Rajadhi Raja in Malayalam and Shrungara in Kannada.

Debut in Bollywood (2015–present)

In 2015, she signed three Malayalam films, Arabian Safari Preview and Santhoshayi Gopiyetta and three Tamil films, Oru Ticketla Rendu Cinema, Sowkarpettai and Arjun, Divya Matrum Karthik. After a brief gap of two years, she performed her second item number opposite Pawan Kalyan in his Telugu film Sardaar Gabbar Singh.
Later she signed two Hindi films Akira and Julie 2. Julie 2 is her first Hindi film as the main lead.
In May 2016 she signed to perform her third item number in Motta Shiva Ketta Shiva. In October 2016 she signed to perform her fourth item number with Chiranjeevi in his 150th film Khaidi No. 150.
In 2018 she made her comeback to Malayalam cinema with the Mammootty starrer Oru Kuttanadan Blog

Filmography

YearTitleRoleLanguageNotes
2005Karka KasadaraAnjaliTamil
2005Kanchanamala Cable TVKanchanaTelugu
2005Kundakka MandakkaRoopaTamil
2005ValmikiLakshmi DeshpandeKannada
2006Neeku NaakuSaranyaTelugu
2006DharmapuriValarmathyTamil
2007Nenjai ThoduAsihwaryaTamil
2007Rock N' RollDaya SreenivasMalayalam
2007Snehana PreethinaLakshmiKannada
2008Velli ThiraiHerselfTamilCameo appearance
2008Annan ThambiThenmozhiMalayalam
2008Minchina OtaLakshmiKannada
2008ParunthuRakhiMalayalam
2008Ragasiya SnehithaneJenniferTamil
2008Dhaam DhoomAarthi ChinappaTamil
20092 Harihar NagarMaya/Christina Honai/SerinaMalayalam
2009MuthiraiKavyaTamil
2009VaamananPoojaTamil
2009Naan Avanillai 2DeepaTamil
2009Oru Kadhalan Oru KadhaliCharanyaTamil
2009ChattambinaduGouriMalayalam
2009Evidam SwargamanuAdvocate SunithaMalayalam
2010In Ghost House InnMaya/Christina Honai/SerinaMalayalamGuest appearance
2010Irumbukkottai Murattu SingamPakkiTamil
2010Pen SingamHerselfTamilSpecial appearance in the song "Adi Aadi Asaiyum Edupu"
2011Christian BrothersSofiaMalayalam
2011KanchanaPriyaTamil
2011MankathaSonaTamil
2011Oru MarubhoomikkadhaMeenakshy Thampuran,
Manasi Thampuran		Malayalam
2012CasanovvaHanaMalayalam
2012MayamohiniMaya,
Katrina		Malayalam
2012AdhinayakuduDeepthiTelugu
2012KalpanaPriyaKannada
2012ThaandavamGeethaTamil
2013Vana YuddhamVijetha VasishtTamil
2013AttahasaVijetha VasishtKannada
2013Onbadhule GuruSanjanaTamil
2013Aaru Sundarimaarude KathaFouzia Hassan IPSMalayalam
2013BalupuHerselfTeluguSpecial appearance in the song "Lucky Lucky Rai"
2014Irumbu KuthiraiChristinaTamil
2014Rajadhi RajaRadhaMalayalam
2014AranmanaiMayaTamil
2016Bangalore NaatkalLakshmiTamil
2016SowkarpettaiMayaTamil
2016Sardaar Gabbar SinghHerselfTeluguSpecial appearance in the song "Tauba Tauba"
2016AkiraMayaHindi
2017Khaidi No. 150HerselfTeluguSpecial appearance in the song "Ratthaalu"
2017Motta Shiva Ketta ShivaHerselfTamilSpecial appearance in the song "Hara Hara Mahadevaki"
2017Julie 2JulieHindi
2018Oru Kuttanadan BlogSreejayaMalayalam
2019Where Is The VenkatalakshmiVenkatalakshmiTelugu
2019Neeya 2Malar/ NaharaniTamil
2019Officer Arjun Singh IPS Batch 2000HerselfHindiSpecial appearance in the song "Haya Re Jawani"
2020JhansiJhansiKannadaPost Production
2020CinderellaTamilFilming
2020Anandha BhairaviTeluguFilming
2020-----

Television

Awards and nominations

[Asianet Film Awards]

; Other awards
Based on an online poll conducted by The Times of India, Raai Lakshmi won the "Best Actor Award in a Negative Role - Female" for Mankatha.