We want to cast a new face as Silk: Chithra Lakhshmanan

Looks like Silk Smitha and her life continue to fascinate filmmakers. Until now, we have had three films that have been inspired from her life — Vidya Balan’s The Dirty Picture (Hindi), Veena Malik’s Dirty Picture: Silk Sakkath Maga (Kannada), and Sana Khan’s Climax (Malayalam). And now, Tamil producers Chithra Lakshmanan and H Murali have announced a Tamil-Telugu film, titled Aval Appadithaan, which, they say, will be a biopic of the actress.
Says Chithra Lakshmanan, “I feel The Dirty Picture did not do justification to Silk Smitha. It treated her life more like a spoof, focusing more on the glamour side alone. The pain Silk went through never came across. And I feel that is the essence of her story — how a touch-up girl became one of the biggest stars in the industry and the challenges and pain that she underwent in her life. Silk’s pre-cinema days were also a big chapter in her life, and involves the struggle of a village girl. We want to bring all those things out through our film.”
A team of writers are working on the story of this film. This includes Dheenadhayalan, who has written a book on the life of Silk Smitha. “We also have a research team, which is speaking to people she worked with, and those who knew her, to present a wholesome picture of her life,” he adds.
KS Manikandan, who directed the comedy Kanna Laddu Thinna Aasaiya, will be directing this project. “Being an ad filmmaker, Manikandan is a good craftsman. We wanted a touch of class in this film, and that is why we have roped him in,” says the producer.
While the team is planning to get the film on floors by November, Lakshmanan informs that they are yet to cast for the film. “We want to cast a new face as Silk because we feel only then we can justify the character. We want to finalise this one first before casting the others. We will be auditioning by the end of this month, but if we don’t find a suitable face, we plan to continue looking and don’t mind pushing the shoot to a later date,” he reveals.
The producer admits that they haven’t got clearance from the family of Silk Smitha to make the film. “But even with The Dirty Picture, I don’t think they got clearance from her family. Silk Smitha’s life was an open book.”