"Dirty Picture" on Silk Smith's birthday

When Ragini MMS was up for release, Ekta Kapoor said that she wanted to release it on Friday, the 13th, for the date is synonymous with scary spirits.

And when it comes to the release of her next film Dirty Picture, there is another significant date under consideration. We've learnt that the movie, which stars Vidya Balan as the south siren Silk Smitha, will release on December 2, which happens to be Silk Smitha's birthday.

A source says, "Silk Smitha was the biggest sensation down south and was known for her bold and daring erotica on celluloid. At a point, filmmakers could not imagine releasing a film without a titillating song or cameo by Silk. She was every filmmaker's lucky charm. So, the film is being released on her birthday only to pay tribute to her."

Vidya Balan - Smoking Hot..!!!

Vidya Balan redefines 'smoking hot' in her own special way. The 33-year-old actor had to smoke up to ten cigarettes for a scene in her upcoming film Dirty Picture. In the film, Vidya plays a popular actress who lives a tragic life and dies a lonely death. "While shooting in Hyderabad, Vidya had to actually smoke for a scene. By the fourth cigarette, Vidya, a non-smoker, began to feel uneasy and was overcome with a coughing fit," reports Mumbai Mirror.

The shooting had to be stopped for Vidya to regain her composure.

After Vidya was back on set, director Milan Luthria gave the go-ahead to resume shooting.

As luck would have it, and after multiple re-takes, Vidya was ten cigarettes down.

Dirty Picture is based on the life of South sex-icon, Silk Smitha. Smitha was a popular item girl and sex symbol, who enthralled millions. The actor was found dead in her Chennai apartment in 1996.

Vidya is clearly a dedicated actor. She is reportedly experimenting with her look in the film. She is also making some changes on the personal front to convincingly pull off this character.

Milan insisted on non-smoker Vidya actually smoking for the film to keep things real. And professional Vidya stepped up without complaints.

Uncomfortable in sleeveless tops

It is well known that actress Vidya Balan is playing the South Indian sex siren Silk Smitha in her upcoming biopic titled The Dirty Picture.

Currently, the Bollywood star is busy shooting with Emraan Hashmi for director Milan Luthria`s movie in Hyderabad.

Now, rumours are abuzz that she does not want to wear sleeveless tops for the flick.

Vidya Balan is fully aware of the sexy image of Silk Smitha and she does not have any problem in breaking away from her demure persona to emulate the sexy actress.

"I'm not playing Rajnikanth" says Naseeruddin Shah

Bollywood legend Naseeruddin Shah clarified that he is not imitating Rajinikanth in The Dirty Picture, a film chronicling the life of the late sex icon Silk Smitha.

The actor clarifies, “I am not playing Rajnikanth in the film I’m simply portraying an ageing superstar, modelled on many people. I will be using my own observations of Hindi stars for the part, since I am not very familiar with most of the southern actors.”

Talking of south Indian actors, we asked him about sharing screen space with actress Sneha, who is to make her Bollywood debut in the movie Mad Dad, alongside him.

Vidya Balan - the sexy siren

Vidya Balan has never been a sexy siren. Despite locking lips with her male co-stars and even mouthing dialogues seasoned with choicest of expletives, Vidya has remained the typical demure, sari-clad lady one would take home to meet their mom. Not for her the trappings of a sex bomb.

But Vidya has defied the stereotypes and shocked her fans by taking up the role of Silk Smitha in director Milan Luthria’s film Dirty Picture.

For the uninitiated, Silk Smitha was the undisputed siren of the south film industry in the 80s and 90s, popular for her dare-to-bare acts in a number of films. Her plump, curvy body which she revealed without inhibitions was her drawcard.

Now, Dirty Picture, based on the tragic life of Silk Smitha, pitches Vidya Balan as the seductress, dressed in skimpy blouses and thigh-baring ghagras. The first glimpse of Vidya’s makeover as Silk Smitha came out recently, and has been met with mixed reactions from film buffs.

Some feel Vidya isn’t plump and curvy enough to play Silk Smitha, while the others have wholeheartedly approved of Vidya as the siren.

Let us know your opinion. Who according to you looks hotter -- Vidya Balan or Silk Smitha?

Vidya Balan as sensuous "Silk Smitha"

Director Milan Luthria has come up with an innovative way to clear Vidya Balan's apprehension over her bold and sexy role in Dirty Picture, turning into soft porn. He advised Vidya to watch films such as Chicago and Burlesque which portray women with strong and overtly sexual body language.

"I loved the script and was almost shocked that they (Milan and Balaji) thought of me. I was shocked and thrilled because she is so unlike me. Silk Smitha's sexuality is in your face. It is almost offensive," Balan said in an interview.

"Dirty Picture is an apt title for the movie. It is reflective of our perception of her. We feel that she could not have made a pretty picture," she added.

Famous for her bold roles on screen, off screen, Silk Smitha's life was bereft of glamour. Rather, there was loneliness and tragedy.

She went on to star in over 200 Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and a few Hindi films. Her disillusionment in love finally got to her as she was found dead in her apartment in Chennai in 1996.

While many claimed that her death was a suicide, concluding from the note she left behind, the real reason behind her death still remains a mystery.

"Dirty Picture" - Lot of skin show?

Vidya Balan needs to become more comfortable in her own skin on screen, according to the director of her upcoming film Dirty Picture.

The actress is known for her love of more traditional roles in films such as the crime drama Ishqiya.

According to the Mumbai Mirror, she was shocked when she received her wardrobe for the film, which turned out to be full of skimpy outfits.

Helmer Milan Luthria told the paper: "Vidya Balan needs to get bolder in her performance and physicality. Bolder in body and in mind.

"This is not kid stuff we are doing. My film takes a naked look at all we've been whispering about."

Dirty Picture will see Balan playing the tragic South Indian actress Silk Smitha, who was famous for her "sensual" dances.

It was reported last month she planned to sue over doctored pictures of her in a bikini posing on a fake Maxim cover.

Vidya Balan's bold role as Silk Smitha

But soon her screen-image is going to undergo a sea-change. She is about to star in the role of South porn star, Silk Smitha, who was renowned for her alluring, skin-showing act.

To be directed by Milan Luthria, ‘Dirty Picture’ has already created much hype in the industry. The film stars Vidya Balan as the South siren Silk Smitha, while Naseruddin Shah, Emraan Hashmi, and Tusshar Kapoor star in other lead roles.

With low necklines and hot pants, Vidya will look dirtier

While portraying a porn star aesthetically, Vidya Balan might have to do away with some of her inhibitions on-screen. Without much doubt, ‘Dirty Picture’ will have ample skin show where the costumes will be short and quite revealing.

The initial sketches for Vidya’s costumes include hot pants, low necklines, and petticoats.

Niharika Khan, who has designed Vidya’s costumes said, “There is bound to be a lot of skin show where her legs and stomach will be bare.The role has a graph where initially she will be wearing her usual clothes, later she becomes a star and then the downfall. So it's an array of costumes I am preparing covering all three phases.”

Vidya needs to get bolder in mind and body

While researching for the role of a porn star, Vidya Balan confesses that she is not at all a porn enthusiast as she believes porn is more of a guy thing.

To fit the role perfectly, the scipt requires Vidya to put on extra pounds. Playing a porn star can be a hard task, but Vidya is very confident of her acting skills. She said, “It will be my interpretation, not an impersonation.”

Director Milan Luthria feels Vidya needs to be more daring to do justice to the role of a porn star.

Luthria said, “Vidya Balan needs to get bolder in her performance and physicality. This is not kid stuff we are doing. My film takes a naked look at all we've been whispering about.”

Vidya and Naseer in bed again ??

Vidya Balan has been collecting Best Actor trophies for her portrayal as Krishna in Ishqiya at several recent film award ceremonies. From April, she starts shooting for Ekta Kapoor’s The Dirty Picture, in which she plays soft porn queen, Vijaylakshmi aka Silk Smitha, who worked in over 200 Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi films before she was found dead in her Chennai apartment.

Her untimely death in 1996 was attributed to financial problems, disillusionment with love and alcohol. But in her short career, Silk Smitha became a cult figure with films like Moondru Mugam (1982) and Layanam (1989), that had her playing a bikini-clad super agent beating up king-size thugs.

“This film takes me into unexplored territory and I am pinning my hopes on Milan (director Milan Luthria) to carry me through what promises to be one of my most challenging roles ever,” admits Balan, who will reportedly get up close and personal with Tusshar Kapoor and Naseeruddin Shah. She has already shared some intimate on-screen moments with Naseer in Ishqiya last year.

“I can’t thank him enough for being such a rock during Ishqiya and am looking forward to working with Naseer saab again. I’m as excited and nervous as a schoolgirl but am sure I will be far more comfortable with him this time after having seen the chemistry in Ishqiya.”

Balan has also been asked to put on a few extra kilos so she can look as voluptuous as the south Indian actor. “These days, everyone from my director to my stylists have been telling me to stop dieting and start eating more. Silk Smitha wasn’t exactly reed thin,” she smiles, quickly adding that her character will be Luthria’s interpretation of the actor.

“Sabrina, my character in No One Killed Jessica was a very fulfilling experience as an actor, given that it was modelled on such a strong real-life personality (slain model Jessica Lall’s sister Sabrina). So was Sujoy Ghosh’s Kahani, which I filmed at a stretch in Kolkata last year, and has me playing a pregnant woman on a revenge trail. But The Dirty Picture is another story altogether. Like everyone else, I’m wondering what Milan’s Silk Smitha will eventually turn out to be like.”

They got intimate too...

* Neha Dhupia-Raghuveer Yadav My Friend Hitler, 2011

* Priyanka Chopra-Annu Kapoor 7 Khoon Maaf, 2011

* Rajesh Khanna-Laila Khan Wafaa: A Deadly Love Story, 2008

* Amitabh Bachchan-Jiah Khan Nishabd, 2007

* Amitabh Bachchan-Tabu Cheeni Kum, 2007

* Victor Bannerjee-Perizad Zorabian Joggers’ Park, 2003

* Manisha Koirala-Ranveer Shorey Ek Chotisi Love Story, 2002

* Rekha-Akshay Kumar Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi, 1996

* Shah Rukh Khan-Deepa Sahi Maya Memsaab, 1993

* Rajesh Khanna-Sabiha Anokha Rishta, 1986

Vidya ain't sensual to play Silk

Vidya Balan, who has proved her acting prowess by working in offbeat films like ‘Paa’ and ‘Ishqiya’ is all set to play South Indian sex icon ‘Silk Smitha in Ekta Kapoor’s ‘Dirty Picture’. But Vinu Chakravarthy, a filmmaker from down South, who claims to have created the “phenomenon” of the sexy ‘Silk’ siren is of the opinion that Vidya will not befit the role. He was blunt enough to say that the talented actress has a sad face and her eyes lack sensuality.


Talking to a tabloid, Vinu said, “Vidya has a sad face and the main attractiveness of Smitha lay in her large, inviting eyes. This is missing in Vidya. Deepika or Aishwarya would be better.”
“It was I who created the phenomenon of Silk Smitha through my film ‘Vandi Chakram’ way back in 1980. I wrote the script in 1976 and chiseled the character ‘Silk’ for almost three years before we took off in 1979,” added the director.

Moreover, the filmmaker is peeved with producer Ekta Kapoor for not seeking permission from him to make the biopic.

“Smitha, aka Vijayalakshmi, assumed the name Silk subsequently, as her character in the movie became so popular. ‘Silk’ is my creation and anyone who makes a film on her should take permission from me,” said Vinu.

And Vinu has even expressed his concerns over the script. He would like to read it else he would approach the Censor Board to intervene.

“I want to go through the script or else I will raise an objection when they apply to the Censor Board. This is because it is my genuine concern that Silk Smitha should not be projected in a demeaning way. I would gladly work for free if they approached me, “added the director.

Ekta Kapoor, who is known to be extremely short tempered gave a piece of her mind to Vinu and said, “ Vinu is talking rubbish. To begin with, how can he cast aspersions on my casting? Vidya is such a fine actress. Has he seen how broad her range of emotion is on screen? And Vidya certainly doesn’t have a sad face.”