The Dirty Picture

The Dirty Picture is a 2011 Indian Hindi-language musical drama film inspired by the life of Silk Smitha, an Indian actress noted for her erotic roles. The filmmakers have clarified that the story is not officially or literally based on Smitha alone, but on many of her contemporaries such as Disco Shanti. It also resembles the personal lives of other women in popular culture, including actress and sex symbol Marilyn Monroe. The film was directed by Milan Luthria and co-produced by Shobha Kapoor and Ekta Kapoor, after Ekta came up with the idea and asked screenwriter Rajat Aroraa to pen a story based on it.

Produced on a budget of ₹18 crore (US$2.1 million), The Dirty Picture was released worldwide on 2 December 2011 (the anniversary of Smitha's birth), in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil versions. Vidya Balan, Emraan Hashmi, Naseeruddin Shah and Tusshar Kapoor star in lead roles. Upon release, it was a critical and commercial success, with Balan's performance receiving widespread critical acclaim and numerous accolades; she was called "the hero of the film". In addition, the film has received high praise for portraying women as powerful, contributing something unique to a typically male-dominated society. The film's soundtrack, composed by Vishal–Shekhar with lyrics written by Rajat Aroraa, also became a commercial success with the song "Ooh La La" become one of the chartbusters of the year.

The Dirty Picture grossed ₹117 crore (US$14 million) at the box office, with Box Office India declaring it a "hit" after its fourth week. Balan won the National Film Award for Best Actress at the 59th National Film Awards for her performance in the film. At the 57th Filmfare Awards, The Dirty Picture received 6 nominations, including Best Film, Best Director (Luthria) and Best Supporting Actor (Shah), and won 3 awards, including Best Actress (Balan). Additionally, at the 17th Screen Awards, it received 10 nominations and won 6 awards, including Best Film, Best Director (Luthria) and Best Actress (Balan).