Shakeela Begum

Shakeela was born in Kodambakkam, Madras, India, into a Muslim family, and her original name is Shakeela Begum.

In her early films, Shakeela appeared in some controversial scenes without a top, and these scenes were crucial in making her famous. Because of this, her name became linked with soft-porn movies in India, and they were often called “Shakeela films.” but her role as Dakshayani in R.J. Prasad’s Kinnara Thumbikal (2000) made her the talk of the town.

Apart from acting in popular films like Thirunelliyile Penkutty (2001), Driving School (2002), Miss Suvarna (2002), Nijam (2003), Jai (2004), and Boss Engira Baskaran (2010), she has also been a participant and guest on several television programs.

Shakeela took part as a contestant on shows like Bigg Boss Kannada (2013) and Cooku with Comali (2019). She achieved the title of winner on the reality TV series Start Music (Season 2) in 2021, which aired on Star Vijay. Additionally, Shakeela has acted in movies like Pottu (2019) and Kanni Raasi (2020).

She had the opportunity to act in Chennai Express (2013) alongside Sathyaraj, but she didn’t get a chance to meet Shah Rukh Khan or Rohit Shetty. She turned down the role because of disagreements over her salary.

A biographical film about Shakeela was released on December 25, 2020, featuring the main character portrayed by Richa Chadha.

In March 2021, Shakeela became a member of the Indian National Congress party.