Silk Smitha
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| Silk Smitha | |
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 Silk Smitha in Niraparathi |
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| Born | Vijayalaxmi December 2, 1960 Eluru, Andhra Pradesh |
| Died | September 23, 1996 (aged 35) Madras |
Silk Smitha (December 2, 1960 – September 23, 1996) was a South Indian cinema actress. Even though Smitha appeared in some character roles, she became popular through her glamourous appearances in softcore films.
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[edit] Biography
Born Vijayalakshimi, into a poor family in Eluru (in Andhra Pradesh), she left school after the fourth standard, determined to become a film star. Moving in with her aunt in Madras (then the centre of the South Indian film industry)[1], she soon found a sponsor who renamed her Smitha.[2] After garnering much notice and acclaim with her first major role, in the Tamil movie Vandi Chakkaram (The Wheel), in 1979, Smitha assumed the name "Silk," after her character's name in the movie.[3]
[edit] Career
Silk Smitha went on to star in over 200 Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada and a few Hindi films. Her dance numbers and her bold performances in films like Moondru Mugam have made her the ultimate symbol of sensuality in Tamil, Kannada. Malayalam and Telugu cinema. Her item numbers in films like Amaran were also celebrated at the box office. Some film critics, historians and journalists have referred to her as a "soft porn" actress.[4] Her roles were, however, mildly erotic in keeping with the Indian tradition of keeping away explicit sex from the screen. One of her films, Layanam, has earned a cult status in the Indian adult film industry, and was remade as Reshma ki Jawani.[5] Her most respected film is Moondram Pirai, remade as Sadma.[6]
[edit] Death
In 1996, Smitha was found dead in her Chennai apartment. In the previous year she had tried to shift career in order to become a film producer. Financial problems and the loss of support among former friends and colleagues apparently led to depression. It is suspected that Smitha committed suicide.[7]
[edit] Filmography
- Sphadikam (1995)
- Jeeva
- Halli Meshtru
- Challenge (1984)
- Moondru Mugam
- Layanam (1989)
- Adutha Varisu
- Rustum (1984)
- Khaidi (1983)
- Yamakinkarudu (1982)
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ "Obituary", The Independent, 1996-09-26. Retrieved on 2006-11-09. (English)
- ^ "Chronicle of a death foretold", Rediff India Abroad, 1997-04-04. Retrieved on 2007-03-10. (English)
- ^ "Some reel-life role models", Deccan Herald, 2006-10-26. Retrieved on 2006-11-09. (English)
- ^ "Magic workers", The Hindu, 2005-03-06. Retrieved on 2006-11-09. (English)
- ^ "Sex Sells", Screen Weekly, 2002-11-08. Retrieved on 2006-11-09. (English)
- ^ "A saga of success", The Hindu, 2006-09-06. Retrieved on 2006-11-09. (English)
- ^ Vasudev, Shefalee. "Young Affluent and Depressed", India Today, 2002-12-23. Retrieved on 2007-12-22.
[edit] References
- Ashish Rajadhyaksha, Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema, Oxford University Press, 1994 (ISBN 0-85170-669-X)
- Roopa Swaminathan, Star Dust: Vignettes from the Fringes of the Film Industry, Penguin, 2004 (ISBN 0-14-303243-7)
- Suparna Bhaskaran, Made in India: Decolonizations, Queer Sexualities, Trans/National Projects, Palgrave Macmillan, 2004 (ISBN 1-4039-6726-1)
[edit] External links
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