Chennai: She was the Helen down South at a time when South Indian heroines were slowly emerging out of their saris. Silk Smitha scorched the big screen with her item numbers. Eleven years after her tragic death, she is back on the silver screen.

Her last film before her death in 1996 – Thangathamarai is getting ready for a release this Pongal, and the producer is hoping for a great opening.

"Her height, her body structure and the look she had in her eyes is what endeared her to the audience. So many other actors have their films releasing after their death, they all have fans, but as far as Silk Smitha is concerned all the people are her fans,” says Director and Producer, Thangathamarai, Tirupatiraja.

Smitha made an entry into films through Veenayum Naadamum but it was after the character in Vandichakram that she got 'Silk' pre-fixed to her name. She's done over 200 films in all South Indian languages and even years after she's gone her fan base remains intact.

"She's not just a bomb. She's a good actress too," says a fan.

Another fan adds, “In her Malayalam film Spadikam, she gives Bipasha Basu competition.”

Though she did roles that portrayed her like a sex bomb, she's proved herself to be a reasonable good actress with films like Moondraam Pirai and Alaiygal Oyvathillai. And whatever be the reason, the fact remains that even 11 years after her death, her fans haven't forgotten her.