# Raai Laxmi

Lakshmi Rai, professionally credited as Raai Laxmi, is an Indian actress and model who predominantly works in Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi languages.

## Early life

Raai Laxmi was born in Bangalore, Karnataka to Ram Rai and Manjula Rai. Her family relocated to Belgaum.

## Acting career
### Early career (2005–2010)

In 2005, Laxmi made her film debut in the Tamil-language film Karka Kasadara. Subsequently, she appeared in a number of Tamil films, including the comedy film Kundakka Mandakka (2005) opposite R. Parthiban, Perarasu's action-masala flick Dharmapuri (2006) and the romance film Nenjai Thodu (2007). Valmiki (2005), opposite Shiva Rajkumar, marked her maiden film in Kannada.
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 (Raai Laxmi) 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 n' Roll, opposite Mohanlal. She followed it up with several successful films such as Annan Thampi (2008), 2 Harihar Nagar (2009), Evidam Swargamanu (2009) opposite Mohanlal, and Chattambinadu (2009) opposite Mammootty. She appeared in three Tamil films in 2009, Muthirai, Vaamanan and Naan Avanillai 2.
In Vaamanan (2009), 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)

Laxmi's first 2011 release was Christian Brothers. Her next two films were Tamil projects, the comedy horror Kanchana 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. Following Kanchana's success, she was signed on to reprise the role in its Kannada remake, Kalpana (2012). Her 2014 films were Irumbu Kuthirai, Aranmanai in Tamil and RajadhiRaja in Malayalam.

### Recent work (2016–present)

In 2016, she signed two Tamil films, Bangalore Naatkal and Sowkarpettai. After a brief gap, she performed her second item number opposite Pawan Kalyan in his Telugu film Sardaar Gabbar Singh (2016). She debuted in the Hindi film Akira.
She signed to perform her fourth item number with Chiranjeevi in his 150th film Khaidi No. 150 (2017), and later in Motta Shiva Ketta Shiva (2017) in Tamil with Raghava Lawrence. Raai Laxmi portrayed the lead role in her second Hindi film Julie 2 (2017).
In 2018, she made her comeback to Malayalam cinema with the Mammootty starrer Oru Kuttanadan Blog.
In 2019, she starred in horror movies Where Is the Venkatalakshmi in Telugu then Neeya 2 in Tamil that were failures. She also starred in the Bollywood film, Officer Arjun Singh IPS Batch 2000.
In 2021, she starred in the Tamil horror movie Cinderella.

## Filmography
### Film

Key :
| † | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
* Note: She was credited as Lakshmi Rai until 2014.
List of Raai Laxmi film credits :
| Year | Title | Role(s) | Language | Notes |
| 2005 | Karka Kasadara | Anjali | Tamil | Tamil debut |
| 2005 | Kanchanamala Cable TV | Sireesha / Kanchanamala | Telugu | Telugu debut |
| 2005 | Kundakka Mandakka | Roopa | Tamil | |
| 2005 | Valmiki | Lakshmi Deshpande | Kannada | Kannada debut |
| 2006 | Neeku Naaku | Saranya | Telugu | |
| 2006 | Dharmapuri | Valarmathy | Tamil | |
| 2007 | Nenjai Thodu | Aishwarya | Tamil | |
| 2007 | Rock n' Roll | Daya Sreenivas | Malayalam | Malayalam debut |
| 2007 | Snehana Preethina | Lakshmi | Kannada | |
| 2008 | Velli Thirai | Herself | Tamil | Cameo |
| 2008 | Annan Thampi | Thenmozhi | Malayalam | |
| 2008 | Minchina Ota | Lakshmi | Kannada | |
| 2008 | Parunthu | Rakhi | Malayalam | |
| 2008 | Ragasiya Snehithane | Jennifer | Tamil | |
| 2008 | Dhaam Dhoom | Aarthi Chinappa | Tamil | |
| 2009 | 2 Harihar Nagar | Maya / Christina Honai / Serina | Malayalam | |
| 2009 | Muthirai | Kavyanjali "Kavya" | Tamil | |
| 2009 | Vaamanan | Pooja | Tamil | |
| 2009 | Naan Avanillai 2 | Deepa | Tamil | |
| 2009 | Oru Kadhalan Oru Kadhali | Charanya | Tamil | |
| 2009 | Chattambinadu | Gouri | Malayalam | |
| 2009 | Ividam Swargamanu | Adv. Sunitha | Malayalam | |
| 2010 | In Ghost House Inn | Serina | Malayalam | Special appearance in the song "Ole Ole" |
| 2010 | Irumbukkottai Murattu Singam | Pakki | Tamil | |
| 2010 | Pen Singam | Herself | Tamil | Special appearance in the song "Adi Aadi Asaiyum Edupu" |
| 2011 | Christian Brothers | Sofia | Malayalam | |
| 2011 | Kanchana | Priya | Tamil | |
| 2011 | Mankatha | Sona | Tamil | |
| 2011 | Oru Marubhoomikkadha | Meenakshy Thampuran, Manasi Thampuran | Malayalam | Double role |
| 2012 | Casanovva | Hana | Malayalam | |
| 2012 | Mayamohini | Maya / Katrina | Malayalam | |
| 2012 | Adhinayakudu | Deepthi | Telugu | |
| 2012 | Kalpana | Priya | Kannada | |
| 2012 | Thaandavam | Geetha | Tamil | |
| 2013 | Attahasa | Vijetha Vasisht | Kannada | Guest appearance |
| 2013 | Onbadhule Guru | Sanjana | Tamil | |
| 2013 | Aaru Sundarimaarude Katha | Fouzia Hassan IPS | Malayalam | |
| 2013 | Balupu | Herself | Telugu | Special appearance in the song "Lucky Lucky Rai" |
| 2014 | Irumbu Kuthirai | Christina | Tamil | |
| 2014 | RajadhiRaja | Radha | Malayalam | |
| 2014 | Aranmanai | Maya | Tamil | |
| 2016 | Bangalore Naatkal | Lakshmi | Tamil | |
| 2016 | Sowkarpettai | Maya | Tamil | |
| 2016 | Sardaar Gabbar Singh | Herself | Telugu | Special appearance in the song "Tauba Tauba" |
| 2016 | Akira | Maya Amin | Hindi | Hindi debut |
| 2017 | Khaidi No. 150 | Herself | Telugu | Special appearance in the song "Ratthaalu" |
| 2017 | Motta Shiva Ketta Shiva | Herself | Tamil | Special appearance in the song "Hara Hara Mahadevaki" |
| 2017 | Julie 2 | Julie / Sumitra Devi | Hindi | |
| 2018 | Oru Kuttanadan Blog | Sreejaya | Malayalam | |
| 2019 | Where Is the Venkatalakshmi | Venkatalakshmi | Telugu | |
| 2019 | Neeya 2 | Malar / Nagarani | Tamil | |
| 2019 | Officer Arjun Singh IPS Batch 2000 | Durga Dayal Singh | Hindi | |
| 2021 | Mirugaa | Lakshmi | Tamil | |
| 2021 | Jhansi I.P.S | Jhansi I.P.S | Kannada | |
| 2021 | Cinderella | Thulasi / Akira | Tamil | Dual role |
| 2022 | The Legend | Herself | Tamil | Special appearance in the song "Vaadi Vaasal" |
| 2023 | Bholaa | Herself | Hindi | Special appearance in the song "Paan Dukaniya" |
| 2024 | DNA | Rachel Punnoose IPS | Malayalam | |

### Television

List of Raai Laxmi television credits :
| Year | Title | Role | Language | Channel | Notes |
| 2009 | Anu Alavum Baiyamillai 2 | Host | Tamil | Vijay TV | Reality show |
| 2015 | Star Challenge | Contestant | Malayalam | Flowers TV | Reality show |
| 2020 | Poison 2 | Sara | Hindi | ZEE5 | Web series |
| 2020 | Bigg Boss (Telugu season 4) | Guest | Telugu | Star Maa | Reality show |
| 2021 | Comedy Stars Season 3 | Celebrity Judge | Malayalam | Asianet | Reality show |

## Awards and nominations

List of Raai Laxmi awards and nominations :
| Year | Award | Category | Film | Result |
| 2009 | Asianet Film Awards | Most Popular Actress | Evidam Swargamanu | Won |
| 2009 | Filmfare Awards South | Best Supporting Actress – Malayalam | Evidam Swargamanu | Nominated |
| 2011 | Filmfare Awards South | Best Supporting Actress – Tamil | Mankatha | Nominated |
| 2012 | South Indian International Movie Awards | Stylish Star of South Indian Cinema | Various films | Won |