Richa Chadda is expected to begin shooting for Shakeela, a biopic later this month. Directed by Indrajit Lankesh, the film will trace the life and times of the actor who rose to fame with her appearances in softcore porn films. Chadda, known for her work in Masaan, beat Huma Qureshi and Swara Bhaskar for the lead role.
The actress recently met Shakeela in Bengaluru to prepare for the role.
According to Lankesh, Chaddha is familiarising herself with Malayalam for the film. In addition to this, she will also meet Shakeela so that she can accurately mimic her body language and mannerisms. On rumours that Chadda will be putting on weight to reflect Shakeela’s looks, Lankesh and Chadda’s spokesperson refused to comment.
The Shakeela biopic is expected to address all these. 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.
However, there seem to be contrasting opinions as to Shakeela’s involvement in the film. When contacted, the actor said that she was aware of the biopic, but was not involved with it in any capacity. But the film team insists that she is.
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While Shakeela made her debut in a Tamil film, her breakout role was in Kinnarathumbikal, a film about the relationship between a young man and an older woman. It catapulted Shakeela to stardom.
The film was made on a budget of Rs 12 lakh, but went on to make over Rs 4 crore in profits. For a film made in 2000, the profit margin was huge and thus, it became a trendsetter. Shakeela’s Malayalam debut overshadowed a Mohanlal film at the box office that year. Recently, Shakeela turned director with a bi-lingual about a woman who decides to take revenge against those who harmed her.