Vidya in The Dirty Picture

But producer Ekta Kapoor's biopic on Silk Smitha titled The Dirty Picture will not focus on the sleaze but the tragedy behind the mask of the sex symbol who provided titillation to thousands of viewers but died a lonely and tragic death.Producer Ekta Kapoor says, "I've beenwaiting for almost two years for the script to be ready. Now my writer RajatArora has finally put the finishing touches to the story of a woman who defiedall conventions to become a sensation in the South but eventually committedsuicide. Let me tell you, this will be my most exhilarating and powerfulproduction ever. It's about women's empowerment and the loneliness behindstardom."Ekta has signed Milan Luthria, who is currently directingOnce Upon A Time In Bombay to direct The Dirty Picture. Reliable sources confirmthat Vidya will be playing the lead in this purported study of stardom,exploitation and self-destruction.Vidya says, "Yes, Milan Luthriahas come to me with the film that you're talking about. But it's too early tospeak about it at the moment."Director Milan Luthria says, "It wouldbe premature to reveal on record who's playing the lead. But yes, I'm directingThe Dirty Picture for Ekta Kapoor. I was bowled over when I read the script.The story has everything. It's a mirror of our times. Silk Smitha was a cultfigure in her times. She spawned so many imitations including Nylex Nalini andDisco Shanti. In fact, I worked with Disco Shanti in Najayaaz when I wasassisting Mahesh Bhatt saab."Silk Smitha was a South Indian actress, who waspopular for her sexy image in films. She was born into a poor family in Eluru,Andhra Pradesh and her real name was Vijayalakshmi. She left studies afterfourth standard to pursue her ambition. She got recognition for herfirst major role in a Tamil film Vandi Chakkaram (The Wheel) in 1979. SilkSmitha went on to act in over 200 Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada and also afew Hindi films. Silk Smitha was found dead in her apartment in 1996.It is believed that she committed suicide. Various reasons such asfinancial problems, disillusionment in love, alcohol dependency and depressionbecause of loneliness were citied as reasons for her taking the drastic step. Check out Vidya Balan’s homepageFollow us on Twitter for more stories