Vidya Balan is apparently being lured to play the role of Tamil legend Silk Smitha in a biopic of her tragic life being made by Balaji Productions producer Ekta Kapoor. Milan Luthria, currently making Once Upon A Time In Mumbai for Ekta’s company, is slated to direct the big budget movie that could be a career-assuring role for Vidya. It was Vidya’s earthy, sensuous performance in Ishqiya that apparently made Ekta feel that she would be perfect to bring Silk back to life on the screen.
Silk’s life echoes that of Marilyn Monroe. Coming from a very poor family, she found fame in Vandi Chakaram in 1979. Her career progressed rapidly as she catapaulted to the top of the industry in movies such as Moondram Pirai and Layanam, playing sultry femme fatale type roles that invariably involved the intimation of sex, gangsters, strong women, fast talk and weak men. Her career eclipsing in her thirties, she tragically took to drink and amidst financial problems, she committed suicide at the age of thirty-five in 1995.
Vidya, meanwhile, recently delivered a lecture at the 14th Annual Wharton India Economic Forum at the University of Pennsylvania. Speaking about the Bollywood film industry. “Vidya spoke on how mainstream Indian cinema is going global in every way possible as international production houses are producing Indian films, and how Indian movies are being watched by over 90 countries and are consistently recognised across international film festivals,” said a source for the forum.
