Silk Smitha was the glamorous face and a sex symbol of South Indian cinema, who became one of the busiest actresses in such roles in the 1980s. She played the glamorous appearances of a bar dancer named Silk in her first Tamil film Vandichakkaram, after which Smitha came to be known as Silk Smitha.
15 Rare Pics: Unforgettable moments of Silk Smitha the lost spring of glamour
Silk Smitha (Vijayalakshimi) was a South Indian cinema actress, born into a poor family in the village of Eluru in Andhra Pradesh, Smitha has acted in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada films as well as some Bollywood films. Even though Smitha appeared in some character roles, she played the glamorous appearances of a bar dancer named Silk in her first Tamil film Vandichakkaram, after which Smitha came to be known as Silk Smitha.
She left her schooling at 4th standard to become a film actress and moved to Madras with her aunt, she soon found a sponsor who changed her name as Smitha.
She became a sex symbol of South Indian cinema industry and became one of the busiest actresses in such roles in the 1980s. During her 17-year career, she has acted in over 450 films in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi. She was found dead on September 23, 1996, in her apartment in Chennai.
Her life behind glamour and stardom was a huge tragedy, she was an introvert and did not make friends quickly with anyone. She was skilled with makeup and made it her profession before entering the industry.