Urvashi Recalls How Silk Smitha Was Treated Differently on Film Sets: ‘She Hardly Spoke’

Veteran actress Urvashi has shared a poignant memory of late actress Silk Smitha, offering a glimpse into the isolation and judgment the iconic performer faced during her career.

Speaking about the way actresses who took on glamorous or sensual roles were treated in the film industry, Urvashi recalled that Silk Smitha was often kept apart from others on film sets. According to her recollection, Smitha even had a chair placed away from everyone else and generally remained quiet.

The anecdote sheds light on a difficult reality that existed behind the glamour surrounding Silk Smitha’s career. While audiences knew her for her screen presence and the bold roles that made her one of the most recognisable performers of her era, her off-screen experience appears to have been considerably more complicated.

Silk Smitha Was More Than Her Screen Image

Silk Smitha became a major name in South Indian cinema, particularly during the 1980s and early 1990s. Her glamorous image made her hugely popular with audiences, but it also subjected her to a level of social judgment that many actresses performing similar roles experienced.

Urvashi’s recollection suggests that this judgment was not limited to public perception. The stigma surrounding glamorous roles could also affect how actresses were treated within the film industry itself.

The image of Smitha sitting separately from the rest of the team is particularly striking. Behind the confident persona audiences saw on screen was reportedly a woman who rarely spoke and kept to herself.

A Larger Conversation About Women in Cinema

Urvashi’s comments also touch on a broader issue that continues to surface in Indian cinema: the tendency to judge actresses based on the roles they choose to portray.

The actress drew a connection between the treatment faced by performers in Smitha’s era and the criticism actresses continue to encounter today when they appear in bold or glamorous roles. The platforms and nature of the criticism may have changed, but the underlying judgment, she suggested, has remained familiar.

For Silk Smitha, the contrast was particularly sharp. She became one of the most celebrated faces of glamorous cinema while simultaneously facing the social stigma attached to that image.

Her story remains an important part of South Indian film history, and Urvashi’s recollection offers another perspective on the person behind the screen persona.

Rather than focusing only on Silk Smitha’s iconic image, the memory brings attention to the human experience of an actress who appears to have faced considerable loneliness while working in an industry that made her a star.