Not a Porn Star|Dec. 25, 2020|India|126 Min.|PG
Genre: Bollywood;Drama;Romance
Description: The 2020 film *Shakeela* is a biopic that delves into the life of the South Indian adult film star who dominated the industry for over two decades. Known for her bold and controversial roles, Shakeela’s journey is portrayed with both inspiration and drama.
The story begins with Shakeela (played by Kajol Chugh) as a young girl growing up in a small South Indian village. Despite financial struggles and her mother’s constant complaints, Shakeela finds happiness in fishing trips with her father and participating in school plays. However, her life takes a drastic turn after her father’s sudden death. Forced to relocate to Cochin with her mother, who was once a junior artist, Shakeela becomes the primary caregiver for her siblings and must find work to support the family. This marks the start of her transformation from an innocent girl to one of the most talked-about actresses in South Indian cinema.
Directed by Indrajit Lankesh, the film had the potential to be a gripping tale of resilience and ambition. It explores themes of hardship, fleeting success, and powerful adversaries, but falls short in execution. The narrative lacks depth, and the performances by accomplished actors like Richa Chadha and Pankaj Tripathi, who play Shakeela and her rival Salim respectively, feel underdeveloped. Their on-screen confrontation could have been more impactful, and Shakeela’s fluctuating emotions toward Salim lack consistency. Additionally, the decision to narrate her life story through a narco-test seems unnecessary and unconvincing.
Overall, *Shakeela* offers a glimpse into the rise and fall of a remarkable figure but misses the opportunity to fully capture the complexity of her life.
Cast director: Indrajit Lankesh
Cast actor: Richa Chadha, Pankaj Tripathi, Rajeev Ravindranathan, Sheeva Rana, Ester Noronha, Rajeev Pillai, Kajol Chugh, Vicky Kadian, Saurabh Soni
Original name: शकीला