Silk Smitha
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Silk Smitha | |
|---|---|
| Image:Silk Smitha.jpg Silk Smitha in Niraparathi | |
| Birth name | Vijayalaxmi |
| Born | 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.
Contents |
[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, 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] 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 Mumbai apartment of an apparent suicide.[7]
[edit] Selected Filmography
| This article or section contains a list of works that does not follow the Manual of Style for lists of works (often, but not always, due to being in reverse-chronological order) and may need cleanup. |
[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] External links
[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)
Erotic Actresses of South Asian Descent |
|---|
| Angela Devi · Sunny Leone · Nicole Narain · Nadia Nyce · Charmaine Sinclair · Jazmin · Shakeela · Silk Smitha · Tiffany Taylor |
Cinema of India | |
|---|---|
| Industries: Assamese • Bengal • Bollywood • Karnataka • Kollywood • Malayalam • Marathi • Punjwood •Tollywood | |
| Image:Indiafilm.png | |
zh:西麗克·史密莎
