South siren Silk Smitha: A look into controversial life of the actress on her 23rd death anniversary

To this day, 23 years after the tragic suicide of South siren Silk Smitha, there is yet to be a replacement for the unapologetically sassy, curvaceous beauty. Known for her bold, vivacious avatars on the big screen, Silk never shied away from shedding layers of clothes for the camera at a time when it was considered a big No. Around the 80s and early 90s, she was undisputedly one of the most-envied stars in the South, with many of her films attaining cult status owing to her irresistible charm and refreshingly feisty attitude. Till date, there have been numerous stories told by many cinephiles about how the whole cinema hall would erupt into the loudest cheers and whistles when the siren came on-screen. Touted to have acted in over 70 films, including Bollywood movies such as 'Sadma' and 'Jani Dost', Silk Smita is considered one of the most controversial actresses that the film industry has seen. Her heart wrenching suicide in 1996 was reportedly a tragic reaction to depression, alcoholism and an unhappy love life.