The Dirty Picture

The Dirty Picture is a 2011 Indian biographical drama film inspired by the life of Silk Smitha, a South Indian actress noted for her erotic roles. The filmmakers have clarified that the story is not officially or literally based on Smitha alone, but on many of her Southern contemporaries such as Nylon Nalini and Disco Shanti. It also resembles the personal lives of other women in popular culture, including Hollywood actress and sex symbol Marilyn Monroe. The film was directed by Milan Luthria and co-produced by Shobha Kapoor and Ekta Kapoor, after Ekta came up with the idea and asked screenwriter Rajat Aroraa to pen a story based on it. Produced on a budget of 18 crore (US$3.4 million), The Dirty Picture was released worldwide on 2 December 2011 (the anniversary of Smitha's birth), in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu versions. Vidya Balan, Emraan Hashmi, Naseeruddin Shah and Tusshar Kapoor played lead roles in the film. Upon release the film was both a critical and commercial success, with...