Shakeela (born C. Shakeela Begum; 19 November 1973 in Kodambakkam, Madras - now Chennai, Tamil Nadu) is an Indian actress, former model, politician, and social activist who has worked across Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada cinema. Born into a conservative Muslim family, she faced significant hardships growing up and left school in Class 10 without completing her examinations before entering the film industry. She made her debut in the film Playgirls (1995) at age 18, and went on to appear in a range of productions across South Indian language cinemas. Her role in the Malayalam film Kinnarathumbikal (2000) brought her widespread recognition. From 2012 onwards she shifted away from B-grade films toward mainstream and family cinema, appearing in productions across multiple languages. She has appeared in over 250 films in total, including Telugu films like Kobbari Matta. In 2013 she published her autobiography Shakeela: Aatmakatha. She became a member of the Indian National Congress in March 2021 and has served as secretary of the Tamil Nadu Congress Human Rights Department. She has also participated in reality shows including Bigg Boss Kannada Season 2 (2014), Cook With Comali Season 2 (Tamil, 2020), and Adhu Idhu Yedhu (Tamil, 2018). In September 2023, she participated in Bigg Boss Telugu Season 7. She was evicted in Week 2 after 13 days, finishing 18th.

Her extensive career in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada cinema spanning over 250 films from the mid-1990s; her mainstream mainstream breakthrough in Kinnarathumbikal (Malayalam, 2000); her autobiography Shakeela: Aatmakatha (2013); membership of the Indian National Congress.

Frequently Asked