Actor Vidya Balan has confessed that her character in the film Dirty Picture required her to shed all her inhibitions, and she described the role to be her toughest till date. Speaking during the film’s promotion here on Friday, Balan said that after essaying graceful roles in films like Parineeta and Paa, she said it was not a cakewalk for her to portray the character of Silk Smitha.

Dirty Picture is a story based on the life of the controversial south Indian actress Vijayalaxmi, who was popularly known as Silk Smitha. “I think it was extremely challenging and it’s probably my toughest role to date, because on the one hand, is this woman who is absolutely brazen about her sexuality, she is volatile, and on the other, she is child like. So, to be able to maintain that balance and to translate that on screen is the tough part, but I have enjoyed playing Silk because it has been very liberating for me in more ways than one,” said Balan.

She denied any similarity with Silk Smitha, stating that the only common thread between them is the fact that the character essays the role of a dancing star in the 80s. “I am playing Silk in the Dirty Picture and Silk is a dancing star in the 80s, since the film is based in the 80s and she is someone who wears her heart, her mind, her sexuality, everything on her sleeve. She is a lot of fun, she is very brazen and I think her brazenness, her attitude was the large part of the reason that she went on to become a huge star, and here, may I add before anyone asks me, that this is not based on the life of Silk Smitha, the heroine of the The Dirty Picture is a dancing star of the 80s and we all know that Silk Smitha was a huge dancing star of the 80s,” added Balan.

The story of the film is based on the life of Vijayalaxmi, who entertained the people at large with her performances in various movies. However, the controversial actress, who was considered a sex symbol died in mysterious circumstances. Reports claim that she had committed suicide. The music of the film is composed by Vishal-Shekhar and Rajat Aroraa has written the lyrics. Directed by Milan Luthria and produced by Shobha Kapoor and Ekta Kapoor, the film is slated to hit the screens on December 02, 2011, on the birth anniversary of Smitha.