Vadlapati Vijayalakshmi (2 December 1960 – 23 September 1996), better known by her stage name Silk Smitha, was an Indian actress and dancer who worked inTamil,Telugu,Kannada,Malayalam andHindi films.[1] She became one of India's most popularsex symbols of the 1980s and early 1990s, as well as one of the most sought-aftererotic actresses inSouth Indian cinema in the 1980s.[2][3] Smitha was a key figure in theMalayalam softcore film genre in the late 1980s.[4]
In a career spanning 18 years, she appeared in over 450 films.[5] Smitha was part of several successfuldance numbers in the 1980s Indian films.[6] She entered the industry as a supporting actress, and was first noticed for her role as "Silk" in the 1979 Tamil film,Vandichakkaram.[5]
Due to family poverty, she had to drop out of school during thefourth standard. Her family pushed her into marriage with an older man at the age of 14, despite being underage, due to their financial situation.
Her husband and in-laws abused her, and within two years she walked out of this marriage and ran away, working as a housemaid to support herself. She then moved to Chennai to live with her sympathetic mom, working as a make-up or "touch-up" artist.[7][8][9]
Smitha started as a touch-up artist for the actress Aparna and soon got a break in small character roles.[7] She was given her first movie role as a heroine by Malayalam directorAntony Eastman in his filmInaye Thedi, though the movie was released very much later. Eastman gave her the name Smitha.[10]
She got her big break in Tamil cinema after directorVinu Chakravarthy took her under his wing; his wife taught her English and arranged for her to learn dancing,[11] though soon, due to her marked sex appeal, she switched to roles of cabaret dancers and vamps and inevitably found herselftypecast.[7]
After garnering much notice and acclaim with her first major role in the Tamil filmVandichakkaram,[12] in 1980, Smitha assumed thescreen name "Silk", after her character's name in the movie.[13][14] After it became a big hit, she could not escape typecasting, severely limiting her range throughout her career.[7]
Smitha went on to star in Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada and a few Hindi films. Her dance numbers and bold performances in films such asMoondru Mugam made her the ultimate symbol of sensuality inSouth Indian cinema. Heritem numbers in films such asAmaran andHalli Meshtru (inKannada) were also celebrated at the box office. Some film critics, historians and journalists have referred to her as a "soft porn" actress.[15] A vast majority of her movies are considered "softcore" by Indian standards and a common theme is her playing a strong agent beating up huge thugs.
Her acting prowess did not go completely unnoticed, and in her rare non-sexual roles she impressed critics and audiences inAlaigal Oivathillai (1981).[7] One of herMalayalam softcore films,Layanam (1989), has earned cult status in the Indian adult film industry and was dubbed in numerous languages, includingHindi asReshma Ki Jawani (2002), acquiring cult status.[7][16] Her most respected film isMoondram Pirai, byBalu Mahendra, remade in Hindi asSadma, with much of the top-drawer cast, including Sridevi, Kamal Hassan, and Silk Smitha reprising their roles.[17]
Such was her audience-drawing power that, at the peak of her career, according to Tamil film historianRandor Guy, "Films that had lain in cans for years were sold by the simple addition of a Silk Smitha song."[7]
On the night of 22 September 1996, after aKannada film shoot, Smitha contacted her friend, the actressAnuradha, to discuss a serious but unspoken issue that was disturbing her. Later that morning, Smitha was founddead by hanging in her hotel room. She was 35 years old.
A few months after her death, it was reported that Smitha may have died by suicide due to excessalcohol found in her body.[19][20] The police also recovered a suicide note from her, which could not be deciphered. Her death remains a mystery.[21]
In 2011, the filmThe Dirty Picture directed byMilan Luthria[22] starredVidya Balan as Silk Smitha. Reports suggest that the family of Silk Smitha, on whom the film is based, is not happy with the movie. Smitha's brother, V. Naga Vara Prasad, claimed the film was made without the family's consent.[23] After the claim arose,Ekta Kapoor, the producer of the film who had come up with the idea for it, stated thatThe Dirty Picture is not based on Silk Smitha's life.[24]
In 2013, aKannada film titledDirty Picture: Silk Sakkath Hot, starring Pakistani actressVeena Malik was released. The film was based on Silk Smitha, and Veena Malik was praised for her performance in the film. The film was a hit in Karnataka.
^Kuldip, Hussain (27 September 1996)."Obituary". The Independent cited in BNET. Archived fromthe original on 17 October 2007. Retrieved9 November 2006.
