Silk Smitha | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Vijayalakshmi Vadlapati 2 December 1960 Eluru, Andhra Pradesh, India |
| Died | 23 September 1996 (aged 35) Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Cause of death | Suicide by hanging |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1979–1996 |
| Works | Full list |
Vijayalakshmi Vadlapati (2 December 1960 – 23 September 1996), better known by her stage name Silk Smitha, was an Indian actress and dancer who worked mainly in Tamil and Telugu cinema, in addition to some Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi films.[1] She became one of India's most popular sex symbols of the 1980s and early 1990s, as well as one of the most sought-after erotic actresses in South Indian cinema in the 1980s.[2][3] Smitha was a key figure in the Malayalam 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 successful dance 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]
- ^ Zainab Mulla (2 December 2014). "Silk Smitha Happy Birthday: Top song videos of the bad girl of Southern cinema!". India.com. Archived from the original on 3 October 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
- ^ "The mysterious death of India's biggest Cine Queen Smitha". 23 February 2015. Archived from the original on 19 May 2017. Retrieved 15 August 2017.
- ^ "Remembering India's evergreen sex symbol Silk Smitha on her 62nd birth anniversary". India Today. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ^ Mini, Darshana Sreedhar (1 April 2019). "The Rise of Soft Porn in Malayalam Cinema and the Precarious Stardom of Shakeela". Feminist Media Histories. 5 (2): 49–82. doi:10.1525/fmh.2019.5.2.49.
- ^ a b Anupama Chopra (28 September 2011). "Why Silk Smitha is Bollywood's favourite bad girl". NDTV Movies. Archived from the original on 29 September 2011.
- ^ K, Janani (2 December 2020). "Who was Silk Smitha?". India Today. Archived from the original on 26 July 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2021.