I was the last star to be seen as an outcast, says Shakeela

Chennai

The biopic of Shakeela, the popular adult star of the 90s is all set to hit the screens on December 25. Richa Chadha has reprised Shakeela on screen.

The movie directed by Indrajit Lankesh also stars Pankaj Tripathi. “The Shakeela wave has started once again after 20 years. I think people across generations would watch this biopic as there have been youngsters I met who told me that their fathers were my fans. So I believe they would be intrigued as well,” she smiles.

The story is taken from the actress’ autobiography Shakeela Aatmakatha. She reveals that there are a few fictional scenes in the film.

“If the film had to do its festival rounds, then I am sure it has to be more authentic. This film will rather have a mass appeal and there are scenes of fiction. The makers included them only after I gave them the approval. To an extent the biopic has also shown the dark side of tinseltown,” adds Shakeela.

The biopics of south Indian adult actresses of Silk Smitha and Shakeela were made in the North with Bollywood actresses reprising their roles.

Ask her if filmmakers here do not want to touch upon or celebrate the lives of such people, she replies, “I think people here are too busy to think about us and make a film. Nobody in the adult movie industry thrived like Silk akka and I did. Vidya Balan did a fabulous job of playing Silk. However, people across the nation celebrated that film not because they wanted to see Vidya Balan but they were curious to know the life of Silk Smitha. Likewise, they would be keen to know the unknown side of my life as well,” Shakeela opens up.

She says that cinema and people have evolved so much that no one sees topics of adult movies as taboo or restrain themselves from talking about it. “People have changed a lot. I think this topic was last seen as taboo in early 2000s and ended with me. I was the last star to be seen as an outcast in society,” she explains.

Having forayed into mainstream films in the last decade, Shakeela says that she doesn’t want to be stereotyped. “I played Goundamani’s wife when I was 16 in Jallikattu Kaalai. Now I am 43 and with who am I expected to pair with? Santhanam? No, that would that would be inappropriate. Also, I don’t want to be a glam doll element in a film anymore. They could cast me in neat character roles,” she concludes.