This is a film I'm pretty excited about, and I can't really tell you why. The Dirty Picture is the upcoming Bollywood biopic of south Indian actress Silk Smitha. Smitha was an item girl and actor in a number of South Indian films and a few Hindi films mostly known for her use of her own sexuality and her boldness in a time when Indian films were still a bit more chaste than they are today. Her film career began in 1979 and ran through 1996, when she was found dead of an apparent suicide in her Chennai apartment.
The circumstances of her death are still somewhat mysterious, and she left behind a legacy that touches many present day Indian actors and producers. In the last year of her life, she'd been trying to move from the front of the camera into film production, but a number of complications led to her becoming disillusioned and destitute financially, and it is these problems that are suspected to have led to her demise.
The film has a pretty solid cast, and its director, Milan Luthria, is coming off a hit with last year's Once Upon a Time in Mumbai. The cast is led by Vidya Balan as Smitha. Balan is no stranger to critical success, and is rumored to have put on weight to play the role of Smitha, who was far curvier than most current Indian actresses. It may not sound like much, but intentionally putting on weight is not something any actress, and certainly not an Indian one, will do without fear of consequences. Supporting Balan will be Naseeruddin Shah as Tamil star Rajnikanth, as well as Emraan Hashmi and Tusshar Kapoor in as yet unnamed roles.
The Dirty Picture comes from ALT Productions, which is the same production house that had recent success with Ragini MMS and Love, Sex, aur Dhoka. ALT is no stranger to controversy and loves pushing the envelope, so I think we're in for a treat. Good or bad, I don't think The Dirty Picture will be boring. Below is the first fifteen second teaser for the film, it ain't much, but it's a start. The Dirty Picture is expected to release December 2nd.