Silk Smitha was known to be one of the most controversial stars of South Indian Cinema. She was born into a Telugu family as Vijayalakshmi Vadlapati, and after entering the world of showbiz she was known by her stage name, Silk Smitha. This diva was sensuous and was considered the ultimate symbol of sensuality down south. She entered the film industry as a side actress, but it was in 1980 she shot to fame with the film Vandichakkaram in which she played the character Silk. In her acting career, Silk has worked with some of the renowned actors of South Indian cinema and it includes Mohanlal, Rajinikanth, among others. Richa Chadha Goes the Mallu Way in the First Look of Her Shakeela Biopic.

Silk Smitha was one of the most controversial figures in the 80s. She was known as the sex-symbol, especially after portraying bold roles on the big screen. Before acting, Silk worked as a makeup artist in films. She was apparently a touch-up artiste for an actress, who helped her get many movies later. In 17 years of her career, she has acted in more than 450 films that includes Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi languages as well. But in these many years, she rocked the Indian Cinema with her bold choices.

Mohanlal – When we talk about Mohanlal and Silk Smitha, the two songs that anyone could think of are "Ezhimala Poonchala" from Spadikam and "Jumba Jumba" from Nadodi. Well, her seductress avatar in these songs did drive all her fans crazy.

Rajinikanth – It would be shocking for many to know that there have been rumours of Rajinikanth and Silk Smitha romantically involved with each other. Well, these are mere speculations. The duo shared screen space in films such as Jeet Humari, Thanga Magan, Paayum Puli and Sivappu Sooriyan.  

Kamal Haasan – Silk Smitha has also worked with Kamal Haasan in the film Moondram Pirai, written and directed by Balu Mahendra. This film was also remade in Hindi as Sadma in which she played the character Soni.

Mammootty – Silk Smitha was Mammukka’s heroine in the 1989 Malayalam film Adharvam. She was seen as the daughter of tribal chief named Ponni.

Chiranjeevi – Yes, Silk Smitha has also worked with the megastar of Tollywood. She played a supporting role named Priyamvada in the Telugu movie Challenge.

Silk Smitha, known for doe-like eyes and voluptuous curves, was not just a cabaret dancer or a vamp onscreen. She was also an impeccable actor and her performance in the film Vandichakkaram was proof. However, she could not escape typecasting. The 2011 film The Dirty Picture featuring Vidya Balan in the lead, was inspired by Silk Smitha’s life.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 02, 2019 08:47 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).