Vidya understood the beauty of the character perfectly. Director Milan Luthria

The year 2010 ended on a good note for director Milan Luthria whose Once Upon A Time In Mumbai hit the high notes at the box-office. This year, he’s hoping to top that with his film

The Dirty Picture that is based on late sex siren Silk Smitha’s life. And Milan, who’s known to have a knack for exploring the darker side of life, has no qualms in admitting that this one’s full of sexual content. “The film is high on sex, but if you’re looking for sleaze, you’ll be disappointed,” he says, adding that it’s also where the real challenge lay for him as a director.

“Sex sells, but that’s not what I am selling in this film. My film is a story about this bold woman who meets with a tragic end. It’s difficult to maintain a balance in showing sex and titillation without diluting the depth of the story, which is not sexual but an emotional one,” explains Luthria.

“I’m putting my reputation as a director at stake with this film and I have no intentions of letting the balance tilt in favour of cheap entertainment,” he adds.

Talking about his choice of actress Vidya Balan to play the lead role, Milan says that she understood the beauty of the character perfectly.

“Sexuality need not come from lewd actions, it can be conveyed through one’s eyes and expressions alone and Vidya’s eyes do all the talking. She’s also very comfortable and unapologetic about being sexy. But at no pint can she ever be vulgar. Vidya will shock everyone in this film,” says the director.

The inspiration for this film, reveals Luhtria, came from some works he had read about the South star. “It was explosive material,” he shares. But he points out that they have been used as sketchy references and that the film does take cinematic liberties.

Milan also adds that he plans he plans to turn producer soon. He says, “I begin my second phase this year, where I hope to make more films. Turning producer is also on the cards.”