India's unluckiest actress worked in over 450 films in 18 years, still never became superstar, died at only 35 due to..., her name is..

The glamour of the film industry is such that if a person ever gets lost in it, they either end up winning or losing it all. Every year, hundreds of people across India come to the city of dreams, Mumbai, to make it big in the film world. While some succeed in achieving the desired fame, others are forced to live a life of anonymity. Today, we will tell you about a yesteryear actress who worked in over 450 films in 18 years, sharing the screen with some of the biggest stars, but her destiny was such that despite all the success, she never got recognition as a superstar. We are talking about none other than Vadlapati Vijayalakshmi, who was popularly known by her screen name, Silk Smitha. 

In her career spanning 18 years, Silk Smitha worked mainly in Telugu and Tamil cinema, in addition to some Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi films. Silk Smitha, born in 1960, was married off at a very young age, but because of her husband and in-laws' mistreatment, she soon ran away. Silk Smitha started her career as a touch-up artist for the actress Aparna, but her luck changed after she got her first major role in the Tamil film Vandichakkaram in 1979. Malayalam director Antony Eastman was the one who gave her the name Smitha, but after Vandichakkaram, she adopted Silk, her character's name in the film, as her film name. 

Silk Smitha worked in at least 450 films in her career and shared the screen with some of the biggest Indian superstars such as Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Chiranjeevi, and Shivaji Ganesan. Some of her famous films include Sadma, Vandichakkaram, Thanga Magan, and Jeet Hamari. Despite her acting skills, Silk Smitha gained the most fame for her dance numbers and bold performances. But it was this bold and glamorous image that also prevented her from ever being recognised as an actress. 

Despite all the success, Silk Smitha's personal life was also fraught with difficulties. She reportedly led a lonely life despite enjoying unending stardom. Silk Smitha lived her life with dignity but died tragically at only age 35. 

In September 1996, after a Kannada film shoot, Silk Smitha contacted one of her friends to discuss a serious issue. Later in the morning, however, Silk Smitha was found dead by hanging in her hotel room. 

Months after her death, it was reported that Silk Smitha had excess alcohol in her body at the time of her death. Police also recovered a suicide note from her, which could never be interpreted. To this date, Silk Smitha's tragic death remains a mystery.