First poster of Shakeela is homage to Silk Smitha, says Richa Chadha

While her film is based on the life and times of South Indian B-film actress Shakeela, the first poster of the Richa Chadha-starrer of the same name pays homage to another actress, the late Silk Smitha.

The first poster of Shakeela (2019), directed by Indrajit Lankesh, was revealed by the makers earlier this week. Featuring Chadha as the actress Shakeela, dressed in gold, the poster was certainly outlandish in its appeal. 

Not without reason, as Chadha has revealed that the poster was a sort of homage to the late Silk Smitha.

Smitha proved to be the inspiration for another popular hit, The Dirty Picture (2011), starring Vidya Balan. The popular actress committed suicide on 23 September 1996.

Speaking of the idea for the homage, Chadha said, "Silk Smitha was an iconic name in the 1990s. She created a genre in cinema which didn’t exist and empowered women with her unapologetic choices. Her films also made a lot of money at the box office.

"Unfortunately, she had a tragic, untimely death and her demise lead to the rise of Shakeela's popularity. When we as a team brainstormed on references for the shoot, we came across an iconic poster of Silk’s film and wanted to do a homage to her. Because hadn’t it been for Silk, Shakeela wouldn’t have gained such phenomenal popularity." 

Shakeela: Not A Porn Star is set for release in 2019.