One of her films, Layanam (1989), has earned cult status in the Indian adult film industry and was dubbed in numerous languages, including Hindi as Reshma Ki Jawani (2002), acquiring cult status. Her acting prowess did not go completely unnoticed, and in her rare non-sexual roles she impressed critics and audiences, such as her portrayal of a wife hurt by her role in her husband's rape of their maid (which she passively allowed by not preventing him from entering the maid's bathroom and standing "guard" during the shameful act, to prevent embarrassment to their family) and when she poignantly admitted her mistake in her confrontation of her husband in Alaigal Oivathillai (1981). A vast majority of her movies are considered "softcore" by Indian standards and a common theme is her playing a freakishly strong agent in skimpy bikinis and beating up huge thugs. Some film critics, historians and journalists have referred to her as a "soft porn" actress.
Her item numbers in films like Amaran, Halli Meshtru (in Kannada) were also celebrated at the box office. Her dance numbers and bold performances in films like Moondru Mugam made her the ultimate symbol of sensuality in South Indian cinema. Smitha went on to star in Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada and a few Hindi films.
After it became a big hit, she could not escape typecasting, severely limiting her range throughout her career. After garnering much notice and acclaim with her first major role in the Tamil film Vandichakkaram, in 1979, Smitha assumed the screen name "Silk", after her character's name in the movie. He took her under his wing his wife taught her English and arranged for her to learn dancing, though soon, due to her marked sex appeal, she switched to roles of cabaret dancers and vamps and inevitably found herself typecast. She got her big break in Tamil by director Vinu Chakravarthy. She got her first movie as a heroine by Malayalam director Anthony Eastman in his film "Inaye Thedi", though the movie got released very much later. Smitha started as a touch-up artist for an actress and soon got a break in small character roles. Her husband and in-laws treated her poorly and she soon ran away. Her striking looks burdened her with uninvited attention, and her family married her off at a very young age. She left school after fourth standard (when she was about 10 years of age) due to the family's financial constraints. Smitha was born in a Telugu family, to Ramallu and Sarasamma in Kovvali village, Denduluru Mandal, Eluru.
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