Marilyn & Silk: Screen Sirens Live On

It’s been a while since I thoroughly enjoyed a Bollywood movie (I think it has something to do with having a female producer, Ekta Kapoor, and her fierce depiction of Indian sex-symbol Silk Smitha). Dirty Picture has lead actress Vidya Balan in some very comprising positions, and yet it demonstrates what Bollywood is truly capable of – a great script, catchy songs, and great talent.

After being heavily entertained by Ekta Kapoor’s version of Silk’s life, I naturally went on Wikipedia to find out more, as I’m sure many viewers have. After searching Google, I was ofcourse disappointed to find very little on the female star that shook the South Indian movie industry to it’s core. I was surprised, however, to find myself thinking about the similarities between Silk and my own idol Marilyn Monroe. So I decided my post should be about just that. It's uncanny the similarities between these two legends despite being worlds and decades apart.

Both Silk and Marilyn were born in poor conditions and had absent mothers. While Marilyn’s mother was declared unfit to raise her, Silk ran away from poverty and her home.  Both went to live with an ‘aunt’ figure.

Both changed their names for stardom.

Both were considered sexually fierce and ahead of their time.  Although they both became known for their sex-symbol status, they were smart, ambitious and savvy women who stood out from the crowd.

Both understood the power of entertainment. It was hard to identify the real woman behind image.

Both were surprisingly confident about their curves. Both women were talked about as being ‘fat’ during their careers. But that didn’t stop either of them. Marilyn found commercial success in the 50s while Silk rose to fame in the 80s.

Both had destructive affairs with married and powerful men. Marilyn’s infamous affair with JFK is said to have led to her downfall and Silk Smitha was no different with Rajinikanth.

Both risked it all to create their own productions and control their image. Many people don’t know that Marilyn actually started Marilyn Monroe Productions right before her death, while Silk invested all her money in hers. Both Silk and Monroe were outcasted from their film fraternities and were typecast on screen.

Both deaths remain a mystery. While it’s been widely reported that Monroe and Smitha committed suicide, their have been countless rumors of murder with some support. Marilyn was 36 at the time of her death, Silk was 35.

Both left a legacy that is now playing in theaters around the world this week.

Silk Smitha, 1960- 1996 

Marilyn Monroe, 1926-1962

By Ashlene Nand.