Rajinikanth's heroine, who acted in over 450 films, but never became lead actress, was forcibly married at 14, later died due to..., she was...

India.com

6 hours ago

The 80s era of Indian cinema witnessed various talented actors and actresses. From Rekha, Jaya Prada to Amrita Singh and more, there were plenty of actresses who left a lasting impact on the audience's hearts and minds with their performances and beauty. One among them was a shining star of South cinema who became a sensation of her time. Her popularity doubled, and every director and producer wanted to cast her in their films.
However, fate had something else in store for her. There was a time when this actress in discussion charged more than Rekha, but then life had other plans for her. She shared screen space with big names such as Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, and more. Let us tell you, the actress in discussion is none other than late star Silk Smitha aka Vadlapati Vijayalakshmi.
Silk Smitha's debut was in the 1979 Malayalam film Inaye Thedi, where she was given the name Smitha by director Antony Eastman. However, her major breakthrough came a year later when she featured in the Tamil film Vandichakkaram, where she played the character 'Silk'. Rajinikanth's Heroine Charged Rs… Per Film
When actors like Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Sathyaraj were considered the highest-paid actors, Silk was also giving tough competition to them by charging a remuneration of Rs 1 lakh in the 1990s.
Forced Marriage at the Age of 14
Initially in her life, Silk and her family had to face major financial crunch. As a result, she had to drop out of school in the fourth standard. Not only this, she was also forced into child marriage at the age of just 14.
She faced huge turmoils in her life. After the wedding, her husband and his family started torturing her. After two years into the wedding, Silk Smitha took a bold call and moved out of her husband's home. Mysterious Death of Silk Smitha
When Smitha was hardly 35, she was found hanging in her hotel room. A few months after her death, it was reported that Smitha may have died by suicide due to excess alcohol found in her body. The police also recovered a suicide note from her, which could not be deciphered.