On the topic of Sex Symbols of South Indian Cinema, right from the late 1980s, the term “item songs” became quite popular in Telugu and Tamil films and were utilized as a one-of-a-kind attraction to sell tickets. Originally, it only used to be a select set of “non-actors” who used to be open to showcase their glamor on-screen, but as times changed, mainstream actors became more comfortable and now, almost every actor is open to performing in an item song. From Silk Smitha to Rambha and Pooja Hegde, there are quite a few Sex Symbols who managed to make an impact, and we managed to narrow them down to 9. So, here we go!
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Also Check: 25 Best Item Songs from Hindi & Telugu Films!
Shanthi Kumari, iconically known as ‘Disco’ Shanthi, is a south Indian actress popular for her item numbers. Appearing in over 900 films across different languages, ‘Disco’ Shanthi earned a name for herself and was widely regarded as a sex symbols of the south. She has shaken legs with several South Indian Superstars, including Rajinikanth and Chiranjeevi.
Apart from being a lead dancer in films, she also appeared in several movies as a character artist and had proven herself from being more than a disco dancer. The 2011 Bollywood film, The Dirty Picture, which was based on her counterpart ‘Silk’ Smitha, was also based on ‘Disco’ Shanthi’s role in the film industry and other similar actresses in mainstream culture.
One of the most iconic Sex Symbols of the South Indian film industry, Silk Smitha earned more than any of her male counterparts solely because of the aura and the appeal she maintained. In the 1970s, Smitha began as a touch-up (make-up) artist for a B-grade film actor but was determined to become an actor. Eventually, she debuted in the 1979 Malayalam film, Inaye Thedi, but her part as a bar dancer for the song, Vaa Machan in the Tamil movie Vandi Chakkaram, grabbed everyone’s attention.
Her voluptuous body and the most beautiful and expressive eyes landed her many roles as a vamp, an antagonist, and a dancer. And it is well-known that films that had pre-release problems were sold instantly by the simple addition of her song. After being abused, harassed, and sexually exploited, Smitha was found dead in her Chennai apartment Chennai on 23 September 1996 at just 36. She was one of the few actors who had the most expressive eyes that could easily convey emotions. The Dirty Picture starring Vidya Balan was based on her life.
A sensation back in the 90s, Rambha is best-known for her innocent, girl-next-door roles back in the day, but she did create a dedicated fan following with her thunder thighs, which makes her a deserving contender in this Sex Symbols list. Throughout her career, Rambha acted in many Indian films across eight languages, including an English movie, while appearing alongside most of India’s leading actors and established herself as one of the top actresses in North and South India in the late ’90s till early 2000s.
Despite appearing in several consequential characters, she garnered attention for her glamourous figure and roles, which were insignificant to the story and purely depicted as the lead actor’s love interest. She was amongst the few actresses in the ’90s who never shied away to act in sensuous scenes with revealing dresses, which helped her gain fan following in her primetime.
Next on the list of Sex Symbols, if Nayanthara is considered a modern-day ‘Lady Superstar’, Khushboo is the OG Lady Superstar who dominated the South Indian Cinema Industry. She is an actress with exceptional and astonishing acting skills and had the caliber to attract people with her prodigious talent.
Apart from her remarkable acting skills, she had (still having) tremendous brand value for her name. There are over a hundred products associated with her name, including the world-famous ‘Khushboo’ Idly. After her peak performance on the silver screen, she debuted in the television industry with several soap operas, talk shows, and reality shows.
One particular show, ‘Jackpot’, which aired on Jaya TV, was famous for not the actual program but was popular amongst the ladies of Tamil Nadu because of the different styles of blouses and sarees that Khushboo wore. That was the amount of craze and popularity which Khushboo enjoyed. But, if you think that this is the extent of her recognition, you have mistaken. She is the first actress for whom her fans built a temple. Yes, you read that right. Khusboo set the bar high for the upcoming actresses, and no other actresses have been able to enjoy fanfare pan India.
Shriya Saran made her debut in the industry with Ishtam, a 2001 Telugu film through which she won critical acclaim for her acting ability and also be able to mesmerize the viewers with her charming looks. Subsequently, she quickly rose to fame with her stand-out performances in Santhosham and Nuvve Nuvve, was the talk-of-the-town, and immediately became the go-to actress for playing significant roles in romantic and family dramas.
Contrary to what everyone expected from her, it was during the mid-2000s when Shriya began showcasing the sexy side of her looks through sensual songs and item numbers. Her ability to hypnotize with her facial expressions, physique, and dance moves made the audience go ga-ga when they saw their favorite cutesy actress set the screen on fire in movies like Naa Alludu, Subhash Chandra Bose, and more.
Furthermore, she successfully branched into doing special appearance dance numbers in movies like Devadasu, Munna, Tulasi, Puli, etc., and continued to entice her fans till the late 2000s. It is that time she became one of the Sex Symbols. Although Shriya is now prioritizing more character-heavy roles, she’s carved a decent legacy for herself as one of the alluring glam queens back in the 2000s.
During the same period when Shriya began performing in dance numbers, Ileana D’Cruz commenced her film career with Devadasu and managed to grab everyone’s attention through her sensual looks. In movies like Pokiri, Rakhi, Munna, Aata, and Saleem, filmmakers made sure that she at least had all the spotlight in romantic dance numbers that mostly involved her lying by the beach, drenched in wet clothes and conventional zoom-in shots of her waist and hips.
After branching out to doing Bollywood films, Ileana said in interviews that she was on the verge of committing suicide because she suffered from body dysmorphic disorder. But, she overcame those hurdles once she began to accept herself. Now, maybe at the final phase of her acting career, Ileana D’Cruz will forever be remembered and played a vital role in filling in the glamour quotient in the late 2000s.
Next on the topic of Sex Symbols, much similar to Shriya and Ileana, Kajal Aggarwal was also cast in several roles, principally as the protagonist’s love interest and an added attraction in expose-heavy romantic numbers. From Pourudu to Brindavanam and Dhada, her experience to entice through her eyes and showcase her voluptuous body made her stand out from the rest and sustain herself in the industry.
The Chandamama song from Businessman opposite Mahesh Babu, Ra Rakumara in the box-office failure, Govindudu Andarivadele, Choolenge Asama in Temper starring Jr. NTR, and her special appearance in Janata Garage for Pakka Local were a few of her career highlights. Now married, Kajal still manages to find opportunities as the female lead, but her skin-show-heavy days are long gone.
The latest sensation, however, on the topic of Sex Symbols is Pooja Hegde. Debuted in the Tamil film, Mugamoodi and introduced to the Telugu audience as a girl-next-door in Mukunda and Oka Laila Kosam, Pooja also tried her luck in Hindi movies opposite Hrithik Roshan in Mohenjo Daro, but the film failed miserably at the box office.
However, when she returned to Tollywood, she successfully managed to stir up some attention by sporting a swimsuit in Duvvada Jagannadham. And attract everyone with her appealing looks in Rangasthalam, in which she made an appearance for the song, Jigelu Rani. Even though Pooja openly stated that South Indian Industry has an obsession with navels and midriffs, her charming personality continues to be an attraction in all her films.
A Collaborative Effort by Nirmal Raj & Surya Komal
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