Malayalam actor Rajeev Pillai has been cast opposite Richa Chadha in the biopic of the adult star Shakeela, directed by Indrajit Lankesh.
Rajeev Pillai, a model turned actor, will be seen portraying the role of a young man with whom Shakeela falls in love with. The Fukrey actress has started shooting for the film which captures the early life and career of the Southern star.
The actor made his debut in the 2011 crime thriller City Of Gods starring Prithviraj Sukumaran. As reported earlier, the film is being shot in Tirthahalli, a small town in Karnataka.
Chadha, who recently returned from Melbourne attending the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, is also shooting for Inside Edge 2, the sequel of the Amazon Prime web-series. She had also recently met Shakeela in Bengaluru to prepare for the role.
Actor Pankaj Tripathi will also be a part of the film, in the role of a south film actor from the 90s. Talking about it, Tripathi in an official press statement had said, “I am delighted to be a part of this biopic. It talks about the life of Shakeela that people need to hear and my character is someone who is her friend and also an actor. It is amazing all the stories, anecdotes and incidents that have happened in her life. Glad I could be part of this film.”
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Partly based on the actor’s biography, the film will also showcase the unknown side of Shakeela. “She was used by her parents to stave off poverty, and ultimately, they abandoned her when her career began to fail,” Lankesh said.
Talking about the film, Shakeela told Silverscreen, “Man or woman, I am just glad that they are showing my life to others. I am not who they (the audience) think I am. I am a person too. Fate decided that someone else had to direct it. I am happy with the choice. Indrajith (Lankesh) is a sensitive director. I am confident that he will treat my story with respect.”