Vidya Balan’s display prowess wants no support: Vidya Balan’s performance prowess needs no corroboration. But when you learn that she will be playing a character loosely based on the South sex-symbol Silk Smitha (who featured in string of soft-porn films in the 80s and early 90s), it certainly generates a lot of curiosity. While a formulaic filmmaker would have thought of casting someone like today’s sex-symbol Mallika Sherawat to portray the character of a yesteryear sex-symbol, director Milan Luthria chooses Vidya Balan for the role in his film A Dirty Picture . “I wanted the casting to arouse interest. At the same time I wanted a process of discovery to happen with the film and lend a new dimension to Vidya Balan”, says Milan.

While Vidya Balan has largely restricted herself to the girl-next-door image, she displayed a hint of her sensual side in Ishqiya . Will she take it a step further in A Dirty Picture ? “Everything from sex, sleaze and exposure will essentially be a part of the character”, assures Milan clarifying in the same breath, “But I am not an exploitative filmmaker. I want to capture the dramatic and moving side of the story. For that I wanted an ambassador who would not only add sex-appeal to the character but also bring a certain element of emotion and class”.