Raai Laxmi
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Raai Laxmi is...
Raai Laxmi (previously Lakshmi Rai) is a film actress from Bangalore, Karnataka, appearing in South Indian cinema. Since her debut in the Tamil film, Karka Kasadara, Rai has appeared in many successful Tamil productions, most popular being Kanchana and Mankatha. By 2009 she was the unrivalled queen of Malayalam cinema, doing well in Tamil, too.
Biography
Born on 5 May 1989
Height 5' 10"
Reordering her name
Original name given by parents: Lakshmi Raibagi
She began her career as Lakshmi Rai
On 2 June 2014, Lakshmi Rai decided that her screen name would thenceforth be Raai Laxmi.
About her name change Raai told Deccan Chronicle, “I have always been known as Raai at home. I was thinking about changing my name for the past one year and told my parents about it. I developed this emotional and sentimental attachment to the name Raai and at last decided to go for it. For the past one month [May 2014], most of my circle has known about this and in any case I have always been called Raai or Lakshmi Rai never as Lakshmi! This also seems like the right time since I have finished all my earlier projects and now have only the upcoming ones where I can use the name Raai.”
Family
Rai's family belongs to Belgaum but shifted to Bangalore after she was born.
Father Ram Rai, a businessman
Mother Manjula, a homemaker.
Sisters, both older: Reshma and Ashwini.
Best friend in the industry: Prachi Mishra.
Beauty crowns
Crowned Miss Belgaum 2003
Crowned Miss Belgaum 2004.
Crowned Miss Karnataka in 20??
Fashion model
Raai Laxmi began her career as a fashion model
She modelled, inter alia, for
Airtel
Bru coffee,
Emmanuel silks,
Josco jewelers,
Saravana stores,
Sylcon footwear,
TV
Hosted Anu alavum bayam illai, a reality show based on ‘Fear factor’ on the Star Vijay channel.
Career in the films
2005: Laxmi made her acting debut with Karka Kasadara (Tamil). Apparently she would carry her portfolio with her everywhere. Udaykumar was searching for a new face for his film Karka Kasadara The minute he saw her portfolio he signed her up
Many Tamil films followed, none of them a major hit.
Malayalam Lakshmi Rai made her Malayalam debut with Rock and Roll.
2008: The serious film Velli Thirai, in which she played herself, and the action thriller Dhaam Dhoom, in which she played a lawyer were successes. She won a Filmfare Award nomination as Best Supporting Actress for Dhaam Dhoom.
After 2008-09, Lakshmi Rai (as she then spelt her name) became a major star in South India, especially in Malayalam cinema, in which she began her reign.
The successes of Irumbu Kottai Murattu Singam, Kanchana, Mangatha, and Aranmanai (all Tamil) followed.
2009: Lakshmi Rai became the number one heroine in Malayalam film after the blockbuster 2 Harihar Nagar. She did a quick hat-trick with superstar Mammootty by acting with him in the super hit Annan Thambi, the flop Parunthu in director Shafi and producer Anto Joseph’s action comedy Chattambinattil (Chattambinadu)
2 Harihar Nagar ran to such packed houses that she wasn't able to get a ticket to watch her own Malayalam movie in Bangalore. The movie revolves around her character. She comes to stay at Harihar Nagar and plays havoc in the lives of the four heroes.
She quickly signed up — Muthirai with Anees Jeeva, Vamanan, Chimbudevan's Irumbu Kottai Murattu Singam, Naan Avan Illai 2, Casanova with Mohanlal and a Hindi-Urdu film, Satish Kaushik’s Hhey Gujju.
About Ahmed's Vamanan , she told The Times of India, "I am a supermodel in this movie and I have done many glamorous scenes in it. I got to wear bikinis and did some sensual hip shakes."
Lakshmi Rai then played a bold cowgirl (female-cowboy, not milkmaid) in Irumbu Kottai Murattu Singam. "I was tired of playing eye candy roles and wanted to do some wham bam action. When Chimbudevan approached me for Irumbu Kottai..., I didn't even bother to ask him who my pair was. I started dreaming about playing this role — a young lady who is in a completely different world and has a totally different gang. I liked the idea of wearing a leather hat and boots and firing a pistol! I have even started lessons in horse riding!" she told The Times of India.
The year 2012 was very important for Lakshmi Rai as her Casanova with Mohan Lal, Maya Mohini, Adhinayakudu were released. - 'Thandavam' in Tamil with Vikram and Jagapathi Babu; Vana Yuddham and Attahara of AMR Ramesh followed.
Kannada: She first did ‘Valmiki' opposite Shivarajakumar.
Her career grew superbly in non Kannada films. Between 2005 and 2012 she acted in nearly 40 films.
In 2012 She returned to Kannada after four years, with 'Kalpana' opposite Upendra super star of Kannada cinema. Her 'Kalpana' role was what she had done in 'Kanchana' (Tamil, also dubbed into Telugu).
She thus began her second innings in Kannada after Valmiki, Snehana Preethina (2007) and Minchina Ota.
Filmography
2005 Kanchanamala Cable TV
2007 Rock N' Roll
2007 Snehana Preethina
2008 Annan Thambi
2008 Dhaam Dhoom
2008 Parunthu
2009 2 Harihar Nagar
2009 Chattambinadu
2009 Ividam Swargamanu
2009 Mutthirai
2009 Vaamanan
2010 In Ghost House Inn
2010 Irumbukkottai Murattu Singam
2011 Christian Brothers
2011 Kanchana: Muni2
2011 Mankatha
2011 The Arab, The Camel, and P. Madhavan Nair
2012 Casanovva
2012 Kalpana
2012 Mayamohini
2012 Thaandavam
2013 Aaru Sundarimaarude Katha (Malayalam )
2013 Attahaasa (Kannada)
2013 Balupu (Telugu) Cameo
2013 Onbadhule Guru (Tamil)
2013 Vana Yuddham (Tamil)
2014 Irumbu Kuthirai (Tamil)
2014 Rajadhi Raja (Malayalam)
2014 Aranmanai (Tamil)
2016 Bangalore Naatkal
2016 Sowkarpettai
2016 Naam Hai Akira
2017 Julie2
Awards & Nominations
2008: Dhaam Dhoom: Filmfare best supporting actress nomination
2008: Rock & Roll Asianet's Best new face of the year award
2009 Ividam Swargamanu {Evidam Swargamanu}(Malayalam) Filmfare best supporting actress nomination;
2009/10: Ividam Swargamanu Asianet Most popular actress award
2009/10: Ividam Swargamanu Jaihind TV Most popular actress award
2009/2010: Chattambinadu: Matrubhumi-Amrita TV: Most popular actress awards
2011 Mankatha (Tamil): Chennai Times’s Best actor in a negative role (female) award
2011 Mankatha Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Tamil
Filmography (with language of film)
Kundakka Mandakka (Tamil )
Kanchanamala Cable TV (Telugu )
Karka Kasadara (TAMIL )
2006
Dharmapuri (Tamil )
2008
Dhaam Dhoom (Tamil )
2011
Kanchana (Tamil )
Cricket
She doesn’t like cricket-- she loves it
First there was Sreesanth.
And then she cheered for "CSK of course!" she told The Times of India in 2009 and insisted, "No, it's not because of Dhoni. I think, of all the teams, CSK is the strongest. Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab are also quite strong, but none can beat CSK."
Relationships
Mahendra Singh Dhoni
According to a report, Tamil actress Raai Laxmi (formerly Lakshmi Rai) broke up with cricketer MS Dhoni in 2009, but she says she still keeps stumbling upon reports that talk about their affair and she hates it.
Reportedly, the actress changed her name to Raai Laxmi and has been in three relationships since, but the past seems to stick on. "I've begun to believe that my relationship with Dhoni is like a stain or a scar which won't go away for a long time. I'm surprised that people still have the energy and patience left to talk about it even now. Every time TV channels dig into Dhoni's past, they make it a point to bring up our relationship. I dread to think that some day in the future, my kids will see it on TV and ask me about it! I have had three or four relationships after Dhoni, but no one seems to have noticed it," the report quotes the actress. However, there seems to be no love lost between her and Dhoni, the report further states. "I knew him really well and don't know if I can call it a relationship because it never worked out. We still have respect for each other. He has moved on and gotten married. That's the end of the story . I'm a very happy person right now and work is my priority," the report quotes the actress.
