13 years of The Dirty Picture: Vidya Balan's career-defining bold role that shattered stereotypes

How The Dirty Picture introduced Indian cinema to its boldest female protagonist.

13 years of The Dirty Picture

After 13 years, one Vidya Balan performance will always hold a special place in the hearts of film enthusiasts. Yes, we are talking about The Dirty Picture which changed the course of the actor's career and went on to bag her first National Award in the Best Actress category. 

Tribute to Silk Smitha and other icons

Inspired by the life of Silk Smitha, known for her racy roles, The Dirty Picture is a biographical musical drama film from 2011. The film references many of Smitha's contemporaries, including Disco Shanti, but makes it clear that Smitha is not the only one. It is also similar to the private lives of other famous women, such as Marilyn Monroe, an iconic sex symbol. 

ALSO READ: Revisiting The Dirty Picture: Did Vidya Balan, Milan Luthria’s drama push the boundaries far enough?

The Dirty Picture tells the tale of a director's and actress's love affair, and it is based on the life of Silk Smitha, a sex siren from South India. This emotional roller coaster bears her ups and downs. In the film, Reshma (Balan) wants to be a movie star in Chennai so badly that she runs away from her hometown. As she gains overnight stardom and the moniker "Silk," she starts to feel the effects of her newfound fame and fortune.

Vision behind the film

Milan Luthria directed the film, which Balaji Motion Pictures and ALT Entertainment co-produced, following Ekta Kapoor's idea and request to scriptwriter Rajat Aroraa.

Released in Hindi, Telugu, and Tamil versions, The Dirty Picture was produced on a budget of ₹18 crore and had a global release on 2 December 2011, which happened to be the anniversary of Smitha's birth. Naseeruddin Shah, Tusshar Kapoor, Vidya Balan, and Emraan Hashmi are the main actors. 

Critics and audiences alike hailed Balan as "the hero of the film" for her remarkable performance as soon as it came out. Critics have also praised the film for its portrayal of strong women who invigorate a patriarchal culture. With Vishal-Shekhar composing the score and Rajat Aroraa penning the lyrics, the film's music was a commercial triumph as well, with the single Ooh La La topping the charts that year.

Casting Vidya Balan: A bold move

Interestingly, after initial conversations with Bipasha Basu and Kangana Ranaut, they offered Vidya Balan the main role. However, when she saw sketches of the costume and received the script to narrate, the actor felt uneasy.

Luthria explained in an interview that Balan was the best choice for this role. Since this casting will be completely different from her previous work, few would consider it a realistic option. However, he is confident that she will push herself to the utmost.

Luthria explained in response to any criticism that Balan's character could receive that he wanted her to know that what she's doing is not vulgar or harsh but can be depicted tastefully in a sensual manner with a touch of sophistication. Her actions are not inexpensive.

He likewise had Balan look at films with "similarly themed" plots, such as Burlesque and Chicago to use as examples. The actor also took salsa classes to mimic Smitha's laid-back demeanor.

Crafting unlikely on-screen chemistry

On the other hand, the unease that Luthria aimed to portray between Balan and Hashmi—a "meeting of two entirely different worlds"—was central to his vision for the film. He therefore forbade them from interacting and becoming acquainted at pre-shoot film workshops. Because he believed they were the most unlikely pair to connect, he paired them up before the start of production, forcing them to confront each other during a crucial sequence. Despite his initial nervousness, the unexpected chemistry astonished him. Everything worked out well.

The Dirty Picture is available to stream on JioCinema (OTTplay Premium) and Prime Video.

ALSO READ: Silk Smitha's 63rd birth anniversary reminds netizens of Vidya Balan’s The Dirty Picture - Here’s when, where and how to watch the film on OTT

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