Hey, guys! So, I believe I have said this before on the blog, but through differences people realize their similarities. I think a professor my freshman year in college first said this to me and at the time I really did not know what he meant. Actually, I thought the statement made no sense at all. It was similar to Buddha quotes that leave you mystified but still confused. However, after living in a foreign country for close to two months, I finally get it. At first, I only saw the differences between India and the US. The difference in food, dress, body language, etc, but now that that cloud has passed and my vision is a bit more clear I can see more. I still see the differences but every time I think, "We don't do that in America..." I immediately think, "But we do do that!" (I know "do do" hahaha ) The food here may be different but like in every country food is the center of every gathering. Students hate homework just as much in India as they do in the states. Professors and parents lectures students and we pretend to listen. Everyone complains about the economy just like in the states and of course women are the prime targets for crime (particularly sexual assault in India). This last similarity (which sadly India is known for) drew me to learn about Silk Smitha.
The Indian magazine titled "The Week" had wrote an article about what it takes for a Hindi film to be a success. There is one necessary factor to guarantee a Hindi movie will bring in money: the movie must have a good rape scene. When I read this I was shocked. A rape scene determines the success of a movie? What? My shock eventually led to disgust and then anger. I later spoke to my friends about this topic who (with what I would call shame and embarrassment) admitted that rape scenes are the money maker in any Hindi film. They then told me about Silk Smitha, an Indian actress who was ahead of her time that became type-casted into the role of a sex symbol. She was not afraid of her body nor was she afraid to proudly display its beauty. She was bold and demanded the same respect as male actors, but because of her bold personality and attractiveness it was believed she could only play one role. When Silk Smitha would try to break from her type caste she was immediately put back in her place by the industry. They only wanted to hire her for one type of role.
Silk Smitha came from a humble back ground born in a poor village. However, she was always attractive and thanks to her looks her family had her married early. However, she received abusive treatment under her husband's family and so she ran away to stay with an aunt. This was of course a disappointment to her family. According to my friend, Silk Smitha actually used acting ti help her family financially. The sad thing is that when both she and her career started to fall apart due to several factors (such as the prison of typecaste) they denied her. Apparently, they were ashamed of her having played the sexual roles she played despite the fact that it filled their pockets. Silk Smitha was found dead in her Chennai apartment on September 23, 1996 from poisoning. Her death is believed to have been a suicide.
Marilyn Monroe's beginning was not glamorous. She never knew who her real father was and her mother was mentally unfit to raise her. Through out her life she was moved from foster home to foster home constantly having to bear the burden of sexual advances by the men she was living with. She had no family and there was an attempt to abandon her by one of her foster families. Eventually, she became a model which led into her acting career, but in order to advance she had to go through some plastic surgery and had to lighten her hair, advised by the industry. Soon her career blew up. She was young, attractive and teasingly scandalous. The people loved her, but the industry really loved her in the role of "sexy dumb blonde." A role, in my personal opinion, she grew to hate. Marilyn would try to break from her prison, as well, but found it difficult. As her personal life declined so did her performance in movies and her career. Marilyn Monroe was found dead on August 5th, 1962 in her Brentwood, LA apartment from a drug overdose. Her death was labeled a suicide.
These are just summaries of the two women's lives and I would recommend you all to do some research for more details. However, even looking at these brief summaries the similarities are obvious. They lived in different time periods, came from different cultures but their lives had the same plot as if written by the same author. I personally would have liked the two to meet. I can't say what would happen, but I believe they would talk both about the glamours of "Hollywood" and the loneliness/abandonment they felt. Their success brought them a lot, but also took much away from them, including their lives.
Perhaps, you're having a hard time connecting Silk Smitha to sexual assault like I stated above. So, as far as documentation goes, Silk Smitha was not a crime of sexual assault. Not directly at least, but the industry pressure placed on her could be looked at as a form of sexual assault. That's just my opinion, but of course you all are entitled to your own. :) If anyone has anything they would like to add or a comment/ correcton they would like to make, don't hesitate. The similarities between these two women honestly amazes me. It's actually like they were the same person!
Now I'm not saying I believe in reincarnation (which is impossible in this case since Silk Smitha was born two years before Marilyn Monroe died), but some times I have to wonder if souls get a chance to do it all over again. Playing out the same events, subconsciously hoping that this time they'll get it right. The idea mesmerizes me, but I'll have to go on dreaming another time. Until the next post! :)
The Indian magazine titled "The Week" had wrote an article about what it takes for a Hindi film to be a success. There is one necessary factor to guarantee a Hindi movie will bring in money: the movie must have a good rape scene. When I read this I was shocked. A rape scene determines the success of a movie? What? My shock eventually led to disgust and then anger. I later spoke to my friends about this topic who (with what I would call shame and embarrassment) admitted that rape scenes are the money maker in any Hindi film. They then told me about Silk Smitha, an Indian actress who was ahead of her time that became type-casted into the role of a sex symbol. She was not afraid of her body nor was she afraid to proudly display its beauty. She was bold and demanded the same respect as male actors, but because of her bold personality and attractiveness it was believed she could only play one role. When Silk Smitha would try to break from her type caste she was immediately put back in her place by the industry. They only wanted to hire her for one type of role.
Silk Smitha came from a humble back ground born in a poor village. However, she was always attractive and thanks to her looks her family had her married early. However, she received abusive treatment under her husband's family and so she ran away to stay with an aunt. This was of course a disappointment to her family. According to my friend, Silk Smitha actually used acting ti help her family financially. The sad thing is that when both she and her career started to fall apart due to several factors (such as the prison of typecaste) they denied her. Apparently, they were ashamed of her having played the sexual roles she played despite the fact that it filled their pockets. Silk Smitha was found dead in her Chennai apartment on September 23, 1996 from poisoning. Her death is believed to have been a suicide.
Marilyn Monroe's beginning was not glamorous. She never knew who her real father was and her mother was mentally unfit to raise her. Through out her life she was moved from foster home to foster home constantly having to bear the burden of sexual advances by the men she was living with. She had no family and there was an attempt to abandon her by one of her foster families. Eventually, she became a model which led into her acting career, but in order to advance she had to go through some plastic surgery and had to lighten her hair, advised by the industry. Soon her career blew up. She was young, attractive and teasingly scandalous. The people loved her, but the industry really loved her in the role of "sexy dumb blonde." A role, in my personal opinion, she grew to hate. Marilyn would try to break from her prison, as well, but found it difficult. As her personal life declined so did her performance in movies and her career. Marilyn Monroe was found dead on August 5th, 1962 in her Brentwood, LA apartment from a drug overdose. Her death was labeled a suicide.
These are just summaries of the two women's lives and I would recommend you all to do some research for more details. However, even looking at these brief summaries the similarities are obvious. They lived in different time periods, came from different cultures but their lives had the same plot as if written by the same author. I personally would have liked the two to meet. I can't say what would happen, but I believe they would talk both about the glamours of "Hollywood" and the loneliness/abandonment they felt. Their success brought them a lot, but also took much away from them, including their lives.
Perhaps, you're having a hard time connecting Silk Smitha to sexual assault like I stated above. So, as far as documentation goes, Silk Smitha was not a crime of sexual assault. Not directly at least, but the industry pressure placed on her could be looked at as a form of sexual assault. That's just my opinion, but of course you all are entitled to your own. :) If anyone has anything they would like to add or a comment/ correcton they would like to make, don't hesitate. The similarities between these two women honestly amazes me. It's actually like they were the same person!
Now I'm not saying I believe in reincarnation (which is impossible in this case since Silk Smitha was born two years before Marilyn Monroe died), but some times I have to wonder if souls get a chance to do it all over again. Playing out the same events, subconsciously hoping that this time they'll get it right. The idea mesmerizes me, but I'll have to go on dreaming another time. Until the next post! :)
2 comments:
Hi,
I'm also feels the same. When I was reading Marilyn story I felt the connection between Silk and Marilyn.
I feel Silk is the reincarnation of Marilyn. I think Silk birth date was wrong. Around those time, that too in a remote village they would not care about giving correct date of birth. So there is a possibility that she might have born after Marilyn death. As for sexual assault, cinema industry for a women is always not safe. She might have been a regular target for sexual assault than other actress because of her role. Another similarities , both are died on their mid thirties.
Wow crossed my mind a lot of times...Great blog
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