Meet Rajinikanth’s heroine who charged more than Rekha, was forcefully married, left her husband after..,was found dead in hotel room at 35, she is…

In the glitzy and glamorous world of showbiz, it’s usually the dazzling and picture-perfect life of actors that comes to the forefront. However, what happens behind the scenes when the curtains fall is a lot more than what meets the eye. One such tale belongs to a known star of South Indian cinema from the 80s, who saw massive success and stardom in hr professional life. But, behind the scenes, she was fighting a silent battle. Her story, besides the fame and money, was of struggle, pain, and a lonely death that raises an eyebrow even today.

Silk Smitha – A Sensation

The actress that we are talking about is none other than Vijayalakshmi Vadlapati, also popularly known as Silk Smitha in the industry. She was famously known for her bold image and strong screen presence, which also earned her the title of sex symbol. She rose to fame in the 1980s and 1990s and delivered many hit films like Moondru Mugam (1982), Sattam (1983), Layanam (1989), and Reshma Ki Jawani (2002). But besides the massive popularity and sex, she was typecast and struggled to break out of the tag of “item number.”. At one point, she had such a demand that she allegedly charged around 1 lakh per film during 1990, which was even more than what leading actresses like Rekha took at that time.

Challenging Childhood

However, her personal life was full of struggles. Right from her childhood, she faced challenges, and she had to quit school by class 4 as her family was going through major financial issues. At 14, she was forced into marriage.  She was later also abused by her husband and in-laws; hence, she took the bold decision of moving out of the house within two years. To escape her hardships, she ventured into the world of acting as her escape. However, her struggle didn’t end there.

Unresolved Mystery

On 23 September 1996. She was found hanging in her hotel room. This sudden news of her demise left everyone stunned. She was only 35. Although the mystery behind her death never came out, she left a suicide note. As per the reports, she was struggling with some silent battles and wanted to discuss the same with her best friend Anuradha, but fate had some other plans.

It was also believed that Silk Smitha was under the abuse of alcohol, which was possibly the cause of her. Some people suggested that she died by suicide, and others suspected foul play. But the truth also left with her.

From earning massive stardom to dying a lonely battle, Silk Smitha’s story shows that all that glitters is not gold, not in showbiz.

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