Exactly 12 years (December 2, 2011) ago Dirty Picture — a biographical musical drama inspired by the life of Silk Smitha — was released.
Subsequently in 2013, Malayalam film Climax and Kannada film Silk Sakkath Hot were also made. Another film on the late actress has been announced. Australian model and actress Chandrika Ravi will star in the biopic titled Silk Smitha.
“It’s my dream project and I have been waiting for it to happen for a long time,” says Chandrika. She is overwhelmed with the kind of response she is getting for the first look poster, which was released on Smitha’s birth anniversary on Saturday (December 2).
Giving us the back story on how it started, Chandrika says the project is her ‘baby’ — she has been wanting to make the film for 6 years, ever since she entered the industry.
“Many people have said that I resemble her in many ways. I wanted to tell her story on screen, and I have been quietly doing my background research on Smitha. I have been watching her films and talking to her family,” says the actress. After doing Veera Simha Reddy early this year, she realised that she had gained the required confidence to pull off the role of Smitha. “I got the recognition, respect and validation as an artist in the industry,” she notes.
When Chandrika began discussing her idea about making a film on Smitha with her friends earlier this year, they were encouraging.
While the Iruttu Araiyil Murattu Kuththu star continued her research on the late actress, she was also working simultaneously on the cast and crew. Chandrika and director Jayaram Sankaran crossed paths. They held similar views on the project, and this prompted them to collaborate. “We worked on the cast relentlessly for three months before finalising some important members,” she says.
Chandrika feels that Silk Smitha never got the credit and recognition she deserved, even after being part of the industry for over 17 years and with 400-plus films under her belt. “I always felt she never got the bouquets but received brickbats.”
The actress obtained permission to make the film from Silk Smitha’s family who are also part of the film’s creative process. Smitha’s brother was very excited when he was told about the kind of a film that’s going to be made. “Basically it showcases the fighting spirit of the yesteryear actress. She came to the industry without any background and has done everything on her own without the support of any industry colleagues. In the process she fought patriarchy, sexism and chauvinism in the male-dominated industry,” says Chandrika.
She says Smitha’s story resonated with her. “It’s pretty much my story too where I had to fight everything, including racism. I came to India from Australia. Although I was born there my heart lies with India. So this film is very much the story of an underdog. My life mimics hers,” she says.
Ask Chandrika how different her story will be from Dirty Picture, and she says she took the essence, the innocence and fighting spirit of Silk Smitha and wove it into a story. “We are not glorifying sexuality (like Dirty Picture). Ours is a completely new and untold story— showing what Smitha was like in childhood, how she was with her family, how soft-spoken she was, how she liked children, etc. We have obtained complete information about her brother. Our story is about a young woman who fought against all odds. We are giving all such women a voice through our film. So it is about her fighting spirit and perseverance.”
Her intense training in acting in USA, coupled with theatre experience and exposure to Hollywood are the resources Chandrika likes to bank on to play the part convincingly. “The story of how a young woman (Silk Smitha) left home to pursue her dream and build a life for herself is an important and inspiring story, so the success or a failure of my film doesn’t matter to me,” she says in conclusion.
The pre-production of the film is in the final stages and the biopic will go on floors in January.
The film showcases the fighting spirit of Silk Smitha. She came to the industry without any background and has done everything on her own without the support of any industry colleague. In the process she fought patriarchy, sexism and chauvinism in the male-dominated industry. It’s pretty much my story too where I had to fight everything, including racism. I came to India from Australia. Although I was born there my heart lies with India. So this film is very much the story of an underdog. My life mimics hers.”
We are not glorifying sexuality (like in the film Dirty Picture). Ours is a completely new, different and an untold story— showing what Silk Smitha was like in childhood, how she was with her family, how soft-spoken she was, how she liked children, etc. We have obtained complete information about her brother. Our story is about a young woman who fought against all odds and stood tall. We are giving all such women a voice through our film. So it is about her fighting spirit and perseverance.”
Silk Smitha came to the industry without any background and has done everything on her own without the support of any industry colleagues. In the process she fought patriarchy, sexism and chauvinism in the male-dominated industry. SO The film showcases HER fighting spirit
We are not glorifying sexuality. Ours is an untold story— showing what Smitha was like in childhood, how she was with her family, how soft-spoken she was, how she liked children, etc. We have obtained complete information about her brother. Our story is about a young woman who fought against all odds.”
