<span class=normal>Silk Smitha (December 2, 1960 -September 23, 1996) <br><br><br><p class=clear>&nbsp;</p>Bold and beautiful Silk Smitha who was born as Vijaylakshmi Vadlapati ruled the South Indian industry with her mass sex appeal. Silk is a perfect story of a small town girl making it big in the glamour world. She was known as a symbol of sensuality after doing certain semi-nude scenes and redefined the term item numbers. <br><br><br><p class=clear>&nbsp;</p>However, her downfall started when she took a shift as a producer. Financial crisis, heartbreaks and alcoholism led Smitha to commit suicide in 1996. She was found dead in her Chennai apartment where she poisoned herself. </span>