First look of Richa Chadha’s 'Shakeela' out. But who is Shakeela?
The adult movie star was pushed into prostitution by her own mother.
The first look of Richa Chadha’s upcoming movie, Shakeela, has been garnering praise since it was released on November 20.
But not many Hindi movie fans who have been admiring the poster — which shows Chadha standing in front of a banner with slurs and insults scribbled on it — are familiar with the story of Shakeela, who ruled the Malyalam film industry in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and who will appear in a cameo in Chadha’s movie.
So who is Shakeela?
Much like Silk Smitha, Shakeela rose to the heights of success in the film industries down south, through her sensual roles in adult films.
It is said that at one point, the biggest names in the Malyalam film industry would avoid releasing their movies around the time Shakeela’s films were released.
However, behind the silver screen lies a story of exploitation — a teenage girl, pushed into prostitution by her own mother, who ultimately joined the film industry to support her large family.
Today, Shakeela, 45, lives in Chennai with her adopted transgender daughter. While she was one of the highest paid actors in the Malayalam film industry at one time, she lives modestly — her elder sister, Shakeela says, took away all her money.
Shakeela was born in Nellore in Andhra Pradesh in a family of seven siblings. In her autobiography, she says of her early life: “I think my mother did not like me since my childhood. She often ignored me and cursed me. But one day, she appreciated my beauty. This was soon after my sixteenth birthday.”
Her mother then forced her to sleep with several men for money. This was the time that Silk Smitha was ruling the screens, and Shakeela, inspired, started looking for work in the movie industry.
Initially, several producers made her work for free, and she agreed, so she could become a recognised face. Shakeela’s big break came in the 1995 movie Play Girls, in which she played Smitha’s younger sister, Linda. Linda watches her sister Mary and brother-in-law make love, then seduces a boy who runs errands for the family, and is sent off to hostel by Mary.
This was the movie in which Shakeela was noticed, and went on to act in scores of such films.
She has played almost every male fantasy trope — the older woman seducing young men, the evil temptress who robs, even kills her victims, the sexy teacher.
Shakeela later said she never consented to nudity, and often didn’t even know body doubles were being used for nude shots.
However, her ‘sexy’ image, which had fired up her career, later became a roadblock.
Protests were held over the release of her movies.
She also found it impossible to break out of that mould. In her autobiography, she says: “My cinema was nothing but the erotic display of my body. No one might have seen the woman in me and the actress in me.”
More recently, she said, “I played a nun in a film and it’s been stuck for 15 years as people won’t let it release. How can Shakeela play a nun… There was a time when I didn’t get work for two-three years. I was told if we cast you in our films, then it will become a blue film.”
Even during her heyday, several films would remain stuck with the censor board for months. Shakeela says this was a ploy by “bigger names” in the industry to make sure their movies didn’t clash with hers. "Banning my films was more of a business decision, than a moral one,” she said in an interview.
Even on the personal front, Shakeela had to battle disappointments. At one point, she wanted to give up her career for marriage, but her mother and sister Noorjahan didn’t allow her to quit working.
Once she was past the peak of her popularity, Shakeela started playing supporting roles in projects with an ensemble cast.
However, after almost a decade, in February this year, her new project, Seelavathi, What The F***, was announced.
From playing minor roles to lead roles to supporting roles in movies again, Shakeela is now the subject of a movie.
Here’s wishing her all the best.