Lakshmi Devy

Last updated

Lakshmi Devy
Born
New York, United States
Occupations
  • Actress
  • screenwriter
  • producer
  • director
Years active2010–present
Known for When the Music Changes

Lakshmi Devy is an American actress and screenwriter who has acted in films in the English, Tamil, and Malayalam languages. She won the Remi Award for best director for her film When the Music Changes in 2021. She started her screenwriting career with the Tamil film Masala Padam, in which she also played the lead role. After starting her career as a theatre artist and model, Devy played her first leading role in Nil Gavani Sellathey (2010), directed by Anand Chakravarthy.

Contents

In addition to acting in films, she is the principal of a film production company, FiDi Talkies, in the United States.

Personal life

Devy was born into a family of doctors and engineers in New York where she spent most of her early life. Her mother is a nephrologist and father is a travelogue writer and published author, and they run a hospital in Thiruvananthapuram, India. [1] [2] She did her primary education in New York [3] and completed medical school in India, during which she pursued modelling, dance, and theatre. [4] Devy is a medical doctor and started her film career while she was in medical college. [1]

Career

Lakshmi started her acting career with the Anand Chakravarthy directorial Nil Gavani Sellathey in which she played the main lead role. [5] She later starred in numerous South Indian movies including Cinema Company and critically acclaimed Tamil-language action comedy film Masala Padam , which was also her original screenplay debut. [6] [7] [8]

In 2017, Devy founded FiDi Talkies, a New York-based production company and made her directorial debut with a short film 'Daro Mat' in which she played the protagonist. The film was screened in multiple international film festivals and won several awards. She started her career as a film director in 2020 with the film When the Music Changes which is produced by FiDi Talkies and actor-director John Turturro. [9]

Filmography

Denotes films that are in pre-production
YearFilmRoleNotes
2010 Nil Gavani Sellathey PriyaTamil film
2012 Cinema Company RoshniMalayalam film
2015 Masala Padam DiyaTamil film, Also screenwriter
2017Daro MatDivyaShort film, Also director, screenwriter and producer
2018A Happy DivorceRebecca
2022When the Music ChangesDebut as film director

Related Research Articles

<i>Vaalee</i> (1999 film) 1999 film by S. J. Surya

Vaalee is a 1999 Indian Tamil-language psychological romantic thriller film written and directed by S. J. Suryah in his directorial debut. The film stars Ajith Kumar in dual roles with Simran and Jyothika in her Tamil debut while Vivek, Rajeev, Pandu and Sujitha appear in important supporting roles. A modern-day adaptation of the legend of Vali from the Ramayana, it revolves around identical twins Shiva and Deva, with Deva being deaf-mute. When Shiva marries Priya, Deva becomes obsessed with her and lusts for her.

<i>Thiruda Thiruda</i> 1993 film by Mani Ratnam

Thiruda Thiruda is a 1993 Indian Tamil-language black comedy caper film directed by Mani Ratnam written along with Ram Gopal Varma. The film stars Prashanth, Anand, Anu Aggarwal and Heera Rajagopal while S. P. Balasubrahmanyam and Salim Ghouse play supporting roles. The film's soundtrack and background score were composed by A. R. Rahman while the cinematography was handled by P. C. Sriram. In 1994, the film premièred at the Toronto International Film Festival. It also won the National Film Award for Best Special Effects.This is the only film that Anu Aggarwal has acted in Tamil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jayanthi (actress)</span> Indian actress (1945–2021)

Kamala Kumari, known by her stage name Jayanthi, was an Indian actress known for her work in Kannada cinema and Tamil cinema. She was noted for her contributions to different genres of films from the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s. She had appeared in over 500 films in various languages, including Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi and Marathi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shruti (actress)</span> Indian actress and politician

Girija known by her screen name Shruti, is an Indian actress, television personality and politician. She is Winner of Biggboss Kannada Season 3, as an actress, she predominantly appears in Kannada film industry. She is currently serving as chief secretary of Bharatiya Janata Party's women's wing in its Karnataka cadre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sowcar Janaki</span> Indian actress (born 1931)

Sankaramanchi Janaki, widely known as Sowcar Janaki, is an Indian actress known for her works in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada language films.In a career spanning over seven decades Janaki has appeared in close to over 390, films, predominantly in Tamil and Telugu. She also performed on stage in over 300 shows and was a radio artist during her earlier years. She is the recipient of two Nandi Awards, a Kalaimamani and India's fourth-highest civilian award Padma Shri. Her younger sister, Krishna Kumari, was also a noted actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vijayalakshmi Feroz</span> Indian actress in Tamil films (active 2007- )

Vijayalakshmi Feroz is an Indian actress and reality show winner who has predominantly appeared in Tamil language films. As the daughter of film director Agathiyan, Vijayalakshmi made her acting debut as a timid girl in Venkat Prabhu's Chennai 600028 (2007), before portraying another timid character in Mysskin's drama film, Anjathe (2009). After appearing in a few further lead roles, she moved on to become a film producer and an actress in television serials. She also participated in the reality show Survivor Tamil in 2021 and later emerged as the winner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shiva (actor)</span> Indian film actor, comedian, radio jockey, dialogue writer

Shiva is an Indian actor, radio jockey, and dialogue writer. He has featured in several Tamil language films. Prior to his acting career, Shiva worked as a radio jockey with Radio Mirchi. Acting mainly in comedy films, he rose to fame following his performances in the Venkat Prabhu directorials Chennai 600028 and Saroja, before also featuring in Thamizh Padam. His tenure with Radio Mirchi earned him the nickname Mirchi Shiva. He is humorously called by fans as Agila Ulaga Superstar.

<i>Nattamai</i> 1994 film by K. S. Ravikumar

Nattamai is a 1994 Indian Tamil-language drama film written and directed by K. S. Ravikumar. It starred Sarathkumar, Meena and Khushbu. The film was released on 2 November 1994, during Diwali, and completed a 175-day run at the box office. It is considered to be one of the most popular Tamil films of the 1990s and in general. It became a trendsetter for many films in later years. The Goundamani-Senthil comic duo was one of the most popular aspects of the film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maheswari</span> Indian actress

Maheswari is an Indian former actress, who appeared predominantly in Telugu and Tamil language films. She was one of the leading actresses in Telugu and Tamil films from 1994 to 2000. She appeared alongside major South Indian stars like Jagapati Babu, J. D. Chakravarthy, Ravi Teja, Ajith Kumar, Chiyaan Vikram, Prabhu, Arjun Sarja, Prabhu Deva, and Shiva Rajkumar. She is best known for her performances in Pelli (1997), Gulabi (1995), Karuththamma (1994), and Ullaasam (1997).

Nil Gavani Sellathey is a 2010 Indian Tamil-language thriller film written, directed and produced by Anand Chakravarthy, which stars himself in lead role alongside Jagan, Lakshmi Nair, Dhansika, Adithyaa Dev and Ramsyy in the lead roles. The film, which is inspired by The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, released on 17 December 2010 with favorable reviews from the critics. It failed to succeed at the box office and was re-released on 25 March 2011 to mixed reviews. The film was dubbed in Telugu as 143 Hyderabad.

<i>Chatrapathy</i> (2004 film) 2004 Indian film

Chatrapathy is a 2004 Indian Tamil language action thriller film directed by Srimahesh. The film stars R. Sarathkumar and Nikita Thukral whilst Vadivelu, Mahadevan, and Adithya Menon play supporting roles. The film was released on 11 November 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sai Dhanshika</span> Indian actress

Sai Dhanshika is an Indian actress who predominantly appears in Tamil cinema and fone few Telugu films. she has won two Filmfare Award South in her career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lakshmi Menon (actress)</span> Indian actress

Lakshmi Menon is an Indian actress who mainly appears in Tamil films. After making her acting debut in a supporting role in the Malayalam film Raghuvinte Swantham Raziya (2011). She made her first main female lead with her Tamil debut film Sundara Pandian in 2012. She is a recipient of a Filmfare Award South, one Tamil Nadu State Film Award and two SIIMA Awards.

<i>Paradesi</i> (1953 film) 1953 film by L. V. Prasad

Paradesi or Poongothai is a 1953 Indian Telugu-Tamil bilingual romance film, produced by P. Adinarayana Rao under the Anjali pictures banner and directed by L. V. Prasad. It stars Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Anjali Devi, Sivaji Ganesan and music also composed by P. Adinarayana Rao. The film is a remake of the Hindi movie Raj Rani (1950). Paradesi was an average grosser at the box office. No print of Poongothai is known to survive, making it a lost film.

<i>Masala Padam</i> 2015 film

Masala Padam is a 2015 Indian Tamil-language action comedy film directed, filmed and co-produced by cinematographer Laxman Kumar along with Vijayaraghavendra. The film stars Shiva, Bobby Simha and Gaurav alongside Lakshmi Devy, who besides playing the female lead, had also written the film's screenplay. The soundtrack and background score were composed by newcomer Karthik Acharya, while editing was handled by Richard Kevin.

<i>Amma Kanakku</i> 2016 Indian film

Amma Kanakku is a 2016 Indian Tamil language comedy drama film written and directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari and produced by both Anand L. Rai and Dhanush. A remake of the director's own Hindi film Nil Battey Sannata (2016), the film stars Amala Paul, Yuva Lakshmi, Revathi and Samuthirakani in the lead roles. Principal photography of the film commenced on 7 January 2016 in Chennai.

Laxman Kumar is an Indian cinematographer and film director, who has worked in the Tamil film industry.

<i>Odu Raja Odu</i> 2018 film

Odu Raja Odu is a 2018 Indian Tamil-language black comedy film directed by duo Nishanth Ravindaran and Jathin Sanker Raj in their directorial debuts. Nishanth Ravindaran has also written the screenplay and handled editing. The film stars Simran and Guru Somasundaram alongside Lakshmi Priyaa Chandramouli, while Anandsami, Nassar, Charu Hassan, Power Star Srinivasan, Venkatesh Harinathan, and Sona Heiden play pivotal and supportive roles in the film. The film also marks the comeback of veteran actress Simran in a cameo role and also marks the acting debut of her, husband Deepak Bagga who played the antagonist role. The movie is produced and distributed by Vijay Moolan through his production company Vijay Moolan Talkies. The music is scored by debutant Tosh Nanda. The film had its theatrical release on 17 August 2018.

<i>Seeru</i> 2020 Indian film directed by Rathina Siva

Seeru (transl. Roar) is a 2020 Indian Tamil-language action film written and directed by Rathina Shiva. The film stars Jiiva, Riya Suman, Navdeep, Varun, and Gayathri Krishnaa in the lead roles. D. Imman composes music for the film and the film is bankrolled by Ishari K. Ganesh under his production studio Vels Film International. Principal photography commenced on 4 December 2018. The film was released on 7 February 2020 and opened to positive reviews.

Reshma Pasupuleti is an Indian actress who primarily appears in Tamil language films and TV series. She started her career as an anchor and news reporter for a Telugu TV channel. She began her TV career in Tamil through Vamsam. In 2016, She acted in Vishnu Vishal's Velainu Vandhutta Vellaikaaran in a supporting role.

References

  1. 1 2 "Lakshmi in a spooky avatar". The New Indian Express. June 18, 2013.
  2. ↑ "Don't Be Afraid's Lakshmi Devy's Voyage From Medicine To Filmmaking". Urban Asian. September 21, 2018.
  3. ↑ "Interview: Lakshmi Devy | EMR Media". emrmedia.com.
  4. ↑ "Meet Lakshmi Devy: A South Asian-American who Chose to Pursue her Inner Movie Star Over her Career in Medicine". June 29, 2018. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  5. ↑ N'Duka, Amanda (September 20, 2017). "Don Buchwald & Associates Adds Cassandra Freeman; Bohemia Group Signs Lakshmi Devy". Deadline.
  6. ↑ R, Balajee C. (September 11, 2017). "Making waves in the west". Deccan Chronicle.
  7. ↑ Subhakeerthana, S. (August 15, 2015). "Lakshmi Devy: On being a heroine and a screenplay writer". Deccan Chronicle.
  8. ↑ "Lakshmi Devy pens screenplay for Masala Padam". The Times of India.
  9. ↑ "Lakshmi Devy's New Movie "When the music changes" grimly portrays our sadistic sexist ways of Rape Culture". The Week. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.