Shakeela Movie Review

Shakeela Movie Review : An underwhelming portrayal of an inspiring real story

Shakeela Movie Poster

Shakeela is an 2020 Bollywood Hindi film, director is Indrajit Lankesh. A biopic based on the life of adult star Shakeela, who ruled the South Indian film industry for over two decades. The film Stars Richa Chadha in the lead role, also stars Pankaj Tripathi and Malayalam actor, Rajeev Pillai. The film is presented and producer is Sammys Magic Cinema Motion Picture Production and distributer is UFO. It is slated for a Christmas release.The film was to be theatrically released on 25 December 2020.

Critic's Rating : 2.5/5

Avg. Users' Rating : 2.6/5

Shakeela Movie Review :

Shakeela (Kajol Chugh) is just another teenage girl growing up in a lush green hamlet of South India. Despite their abject poverty and her mother’s constant bickering, she finds joy in the fun-filled fishing trips with her father and taking part in school plays. But all of that changes with her father’s untimely demise. Shakeela’s mother, who was once a junior artiste, brings all her children to Kerala’s buzzing metropolis Cochin. Being the eldest, Shakeela not only has to take care of her younger siblings but also earn a living. And thus, begins her journey from an innocent young girl to one of the most controversial south Indian actresses, whose sudden rise to fame was just as dramatic as her fall.

Writer-director Indrajit Lankesh chooses a story that has all the trappings of a riveting tale of a powerful protagonist. Desperate times, challenging circumstances, spurts of success and an antagonist, who wields all the clout to defeat any opponent. But the way Lankesh tells Shakeela’s (Richa Chadha) story and derives performances from able stars like Richa Chadha and Pankaj Tripathi is underwhelming, to say the least. The two extremely talented actors are locked in a face-off but it could have been stronger and their pursuit more believable. Having ‘Shakeela’ yo-yo between being a fan-girl and a fierce opponent of the southern superstar Salim (Tripathi) doesn’t come across convincingly at all. Just like why would she narrate her story to a script writer by taking a narco-test when she is the one who approached him to write her biopic in the first place?

The writing commits to show us the significant flashpoints in Shakeela’s professional life, but fails to give us a wholesome glimpse into her personal life. There, it simply scratches the surface and never fully delves into her interpersonal relationships, despite claiming that Shakeela’s onscreen avatar was born out of her need to feed her family than her own ambitions. Use of montages to convey important life events and plot twists often conveyed through caricature news anchors, don’t always make us root for her either. Caricature and stereotypes are rather one too many – from a lazy and poorly enacted scene involving the iconic Silk Smitha to showing most south producers, financers and audiences as either lecherous or starry-eyed buffoons.

On the plus side, we have some meet cute moments from young Shakeela’s school days played by a very likeable Kajol Chugh. She balances her character’s strength and vulnerability with seasoned excellence. Richa Chadha fits her part really well, looking every bit as voluptuous, vulnerable and resolute as Shakeela. But we’re not sure if it’s the writing or her own style that her portrayal seems a bit too restrained, to the point of being underwhelming. Interestingly, Richa completely ignores the need to put up any south-like accent despite her character and the story being totally rooted in the southern ecosystem. Pankaj Tripathi, on the other hand, seems to have had the most fun playing a typically toxic south superstar of the nineties, whose superstardom overshadowed his creepy character and highly questionable acting skills. 

The music is average and easily forgettable. The era of nineties and early 2000s is depicted through modest production values, but the film shows some of the most scenic and hitherto unexplored beautifully misty locations of southern India. Despite the film’s overtly racy subject, ‘Shakeela’ manages to put out (no pun intended), a decently aesthetic product.

Overall, ‘Shakeela’ is an honest attempt that tells a much lesser known story of a fallen star, but more conviction and stronger writing, could have propelled this not-so-dirty picture to newer highs.

Shakeela Movie Review By Pratik Borade :

Shakeela Movie Review By Sonup :

Shakeela Movie Trailer :

• Directer : Indrajit Lankesh
• Writer : Sunil Kumar Agrawal,Rohan A. Bajaj 
• Producer : Sundeep Malani,Sahil Nanwani,Sammy Nanwani
• Starring : Pankaj Tripathi,Richa Chadha,Rajeev Ravindranathan,Vicky Kadian,Rajeev Pillai,Saurabh Soni,Kajol,Chugh 
• Music Director : Veer Samarth,Meet Bros
• Choreographers : Vishnu Deva
• Film Editing : Ballu Saluja
• Assistant Director : Sunil Kumar Agrawal
• Visual Effects : Raghuraman
• Production Company : Sammy's Magic Cinema,Yodha Entertainment
• Genres : Biography,Drama
• Release date :  25 December 2020
• Country : India
• Language : Hindi

Story Of The Film :

18 year old Shakeela who came from very poor background and took whatever work came her way.Shakeela's name was enough to gain attention of her fans to make her show houseful.in late 90s and early 2000 Shakeela ruled the south softcore films her seductress expressions and body exposure would make her fans go crazy.After there was ban on the softcore films she started taking up comedy and supporting roles in well-known films.

Star Cast Of The Film :

• Pankaj Tripathi
• Richa Chadha
• Rajeev Ravindranathan as a Hack Director
• Vicky Kadian
• Rajeev Pillai
• Saurabh Soni as a Reporter
• Kajol Chughas a Young Shakeela

Songs / Music :

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