Varalaxmi Sarathkumar To Turn Director With Telugu Film 'Saraswathi'

Tamil and Telugu actress Varalaxmi Sarathkumar will soon turn director with Telugu film Saraswathi. The actress announced the news in a fun promo video on Instagram. The video sees her split duties between acting and directing. "Playing different roles in front of the camera is very interesting. But this time, behind the camera too," she says in the promo.

"So excited, need all your blessings..Director vs Actor. Ft. @varusarathkumar," she wrote on Instagram. The film will be produced by Pooja Sarathkumar and Varalaxmi Sarathkumar under the banner Dosa Diaries. The film, which co-stars Prakash Raj, Priya Mani, Radhikaa Sarathkumar and Naveen Chandra, was wrapped up a month ago.

Varalaxmi was last seen in Tamil Phoenix (2025). It was also announced earlier last year that she would be making her Hollywood debut opposite British actor Jeremy Irons in Rizana – A Caged Bird, a film directed by Sri Lankan filmmaker Chandran Rutnam. The film, which was said to be shot in Sri Lanka, is inspired by the true story of Rizana Nafeeq, a young Sri Lankan domestic worker who was executed in Saudi Arabia in 2013 after being accused of killing a baby in her care. The titular role is played by Vidushika Reddy, while Sarathkumar and Irons take on pivotal roles.

Speaking about the project, Sarathkumar said the experience of working alongside an actor of Irons’ stature was “surreal”. “He is the voice of Scar from The Lion King, a film I adore to a point that I know all the dialogue by heart. To be making my Hollywood debut in a film with him is a dream come true. He is such a respected actor not just in Hollywood, but in world cinema.”

She also expressed gratitude for being directed by Rutnam, whose credits include The Road from Elephant Pass and A Common Man. “This opportunity means a lot to me. It was an absolute pleasure to work with such legends from the international film industry.”