M Lakshmi, the mother of actors Bhanupriya and Shanthipriya, passed away on Sunday. She suffered a cardiac arrest on Sunday, succumbing to it late in the evening. The final rites of the 83-year-old will be held at their Chennai residence on Monday at 3 pm. She is survived by her two daughters and her son, Gopi Krishna.
Bhanupriya made her debut with Mella Pesungal(1983) and went on to become one of South Indian cinema’s most celebrated female actors through the 1980s and early 1990s. With a career spanning over four decades and 165 films across Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi, she earned acclaim for her versatility. Notable films include Sitaara, Anveshanaand Swarnakamalam, the latter winning her major awards, including a Nandi Award and Filmfare Award South. She also received Tamil Nadu State Film Awards for Aararo Aariraroand Azhagan, cementing her legacy. Bhanupriya's most recent performance was in the Sivakarthikeyan-starrer Ayalaan.
Shanthipriya is an Indian actor and dancer who has worked across Tamil, Telugu and Hindi cinema. She began her film career with the Telugu film Kaboye Alludu (1987) and made her Tamil debut with Enga Ooru Pattukaran the same year. After acting in around 25 films, she entered Bollywood with Saugandh (1991), marking Akshay Kumar’s debut. She also appeared in the television series Vishwamitra. Beyond films, she has been active in modelling and stage performances and continues to feature in web series such as Dharavi Bank. After her last film performance in Ikke Pe Ikka in 1994, Shantipriya was recently seen in the Tamil film Bad Girl.
