In the realm of Malayalam cinema, where men predominantly held sway, Shakeela’s arrival in the ’90s was akin to a heavy storm. Her rise to stardom disrupted conventional definitions and gender dynamics associated with the term. Primarily appearing in softcore pornographic films during the ’90s and 2000s, Shakeela redefined the concept of a “heroine” in Malayalam cinema by shattering its stereotypes.
Meanwhile, Shakeela recently remarked that the Malayalam film industry, which once made a brand out of her, was scared to cast her now. “Now they say that if they cast me, the film will be perceived differently,” she mentioned during a session titled ‘The Myth of Morality’ at the seventh edition of the Kerala Literature Festival (KLF) in Kozhikode, The News Minute reported.
“In my films, I am the hero, the heroine, and also the story. If I raise a demand before doing the film, they have to get it done. Otherwise, I won’t give my dates. I know that’s not something that happens with many women actors. Many of them receive such low remuneration that they are ashamed to admit it openly,” TNM quoted her as saying.
Despite this, the actor highlighted that she faced financial exploitation, even after the significant success of Kinnarathumbikal (2000). “There were instances where I went for the shoot of a film, and they would make me shoot scenes for another film without letting me know. Due to my language barrier, I often had no clue what was happening. Eventually, I started telling them that I would not shoot in Kerala anymore because here they would be calling all the shots. I decided that I would only shoot in Chennai from now on,” Shakeela said, revealing that about 65-70 bank cheques from filmmakers in Kerala bounced, prompting her to decline cheques altogether.
Addressing the orgasm gap phenomenon, she questioned how many married women could honestly claim to have experienced an orgasm. “Many women don’t even know what an orgasm is. You should not be shy about it,” she remarked while discussing her portrayal of orgasms on-screen.
While acknowledging the merit of forming Internal Committees (IC), she expressed doubts about its practicality in the film industry. “Do you think if somebody goes and files a complaint to the IC, they will continue to get work? No,” the actor noted. She also controversially questioned the #MeToo movement, asking why women had to degrade themselves and disclose harassment experiences publicly when nothing would ultimately result from it. She also asserted that the punishment for rape in India was not stringent enough, making complaints about rape seemingly futile.
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