Richa Chadha's Shakeela biopic to pay tribute to Silk Smitha

The poster of Silk Smitha and Richa Chadha in the Shakeela biopic

Even though they may have been arch-rivals off screen, Shakeela and Silk Smitha, it appears, are set to be represented together in the same offering. The development stems from the decision of the makers of the Richa Chadha-starrer Shakeela biopic to pay tribute to Smitha in their film, given that the untimely demise of the latter, they claim, was responsible for the former's success.

Chadha tells mid-day of the South adult film actors, "Silk Smitha was an iconic name in the '90s. She created a genre and empowered women. Her films raked in a lot of money, and her popularity knew no bounds. Unfortunately, she had a tragic and untimely death, which led to the rise of Shakeela's popularity." The first poster of Chadha as Shakeela was unveiled recently, and the actor says that the look was inspired by a poster of Smitha's film, Miss Pamela.

"When the makers came across the iconic poster of Silk's film, they decided to pay homage to her. Had it not been for Silk, Shakeela wouldn't have enjoyed the popularity that she did." Director Indrajit Lankesh seconds Chadha's opinion, further adding, "Shakeela became a star, despite the constant attacks directed towards her. While Indian movies are being sold overseas now, her films were translated in 16 languages, including Chinese and Russian, at the peak of her career. But, Shakeela would not have become the star she is, if it wasn't for the tragic demise of Silk Smitha. Hence, [Chadha's] first look is a tribute to Silk."

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