Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Rumor mills linkup Lakshmi Rai with Dhoni?

Actress Lakshmi Rai

The internet and newspapers are full of stories about Indian cricket captain MS Dhoni having dinner with 27-year-old movie star Lakshmi Rai in Chennai. Though both denied any romantic involvement, Lakshmi Rai confirmed that they have been friends for a while and that they meet whenever he is in town. The beautiful actress rose to prominence with her stellar performance in the Tamil hit film Dhaam Dhoom.

When Lakshmi Rai celebrated her birthday on May 5, 2008 in a five-star hotel, she heard that a few cricketers playing IPL matches were staying there. She could not resist inviting them for the party, also attended by Namitha, Simbu, Jayam Ravi, Nila, Arya and Srikanth.

"No. I didn't meet him during this tour since I was busy shooting elsewhere," says Lakshmi, who claims that the rumors of linkups with Dhoni had died down, only to resurface with the test match being played at Chennai. So, there's nothing at all? "The rumors are baseless," she categorically states, explaining, "They started when I participated in a couple of events with Dhoni during the IPL campaign. There were further whisperings as he came for my birthday party."

She denies any link-up with speedster Sreesanth too. "We met for a photo shoot for a Malayalam magazine but the some people selectively used the photos to substantiate their groundless speculations," she clarifies. Earlier it was widely rumored that Lakshmi Rai was dating cricketer Sreesanth before she bumped into his skipper Dhoni at an IPL success party. “Being a celebrity comes with its own share of troubles,” says Sreesanth and goes on, “People need to know me before they judge me. I really don’t understand why I get linked with actors. I am just a little friendly with them, but that’s what gets me into trouble. The truth is none of the actors I have been linked with - Surveen Chawla, Lakshmi Rai and even Priyanka Chopra - have been my girlfriends.”

And her career-graph's looking good at the moment. "I'm game for exciting Tollywood offers," she says. She is also excited about her other Kollywood films. "I play a significant role in Muthirai," says the actress, and also talks of her other film Vamanan. "It showcases the transition of a small-time model into a top-rung actress," she reveals. Her dream of doing a Bollywood film, however, is set to come true with Himesh Reshammiya's next film, HHey Gujju. "It’s an ideal launch pad for me since it's a lovable family entertainer," says the lady who's all praise for Himesh, calling him a "bundle of talent."

Born on May 5, 1981, at Hubli, Karnataka, she was a model before entering film industry. She has modeled in several ads such as Bru coffee, Saravana’s stores and Fair and Lovely.

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