Shakeela Teaser: Richa Chadha's Rendition Of The Adult Star Looks Phenomenal

The teaser for Richa Chadha-starrer Shakeela is out today, offering a glimpse into the life of the well-known adult star from the South. As the controversial actress, Chadha is phenomenally believable in the lead, playing her to near perfection. The biopic, "inspired by a true shocking story," is based on events from the life and times of C Shakeela, who rose to exponential fame in the 1990s as one of the most sought-after stars in the South Indian (especially Malayalam) film industry.

Also starring Pankaj Tripathi, Ester Noronha, Rajeev Pillai, and Sheeva Rana, Shakeela will be out in cinemas on Christmas this year, and will reportedly have a multilingual release. The film has been produced by Sammy Nanwani, written and directed by popular Kannada filmmaker Indrajit Lankesh.

About Shakeela

Shakeela, a film star from South India, was renowned for a career that spanned many adult softcore films. Born to a Muslim family, she made her debut with the 1995 film Playgirls, at the age of only 16. Shakeela went on to do over 250 movies in the Southern film industry, grounding her place as one of the most enduring "sex symbols" of the era. Her influence transgressed South India, so much so that softcore films during the 90s and early 2000s were generally dubbed "Shakeela Films." In 2002, she announced her retirement from the genre.

Lankesh, as quoted in WION, said, “The Malayalam film circuit was dominated by male actors when Shakeela entered the scene. She rose in popularity as her films would run for 100 days in every centre in south India. The superstars started feeling threatened. Eventually, due to backlash, her films were censored and she had to return her advances to many producers; she had to go back to her one-room apartment. Through the film, we’ll show what a woman goes through in a male-dominated industry.”

Richa Chadha As Shakeela

A poster for the film was released this November, announcing its Christmas release.

#Shakeela poster is out!!
Film is Releasing in Cinemas, This Christmas!! @RichaChadha @TripathiiPankaj @SheevaRana #Richachadda #pankajtripathi #Sheevarana pic.twitter.com/1oXWLZzlsf

— Filmy Mundaa (@ThakurAruj) November 30, 2020

Talking about the upcoming film, Chadha has said in a statement, "Shakeela’s story is unlike any other, and yet it’s universal. She is very well known down south, and it will be interesting to see how it will be received here. She did rule the roost for many years, providing steady business to cinema halls in times of crisis."

Chadha, who has collaborated with Tripathi on several occasions, also added, "It was also great to reunite with Pankaj ji."

Watch the official teaser here: