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Shakeela Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 14, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth19 or 20 November 1973

Age51 Years (as of 2024)

BirthplaceNellore, Andhra Pradesh or Madras (Chennai), Tamil Nadu, India

ProfessionPolitician, Former Adult Film Actress, Social Worker, Model, Actor

NationalityIndian

Marital statusUnmarried

FamilyFather Chan Basha (deceased); Mother Chan Begum; daughters Sasha and Milla; siblings include Noorjahan, Salim, Sheethal (deceased)

Shakeela Biography

Shakeela is an Indian actress, former softcore film performer and politician whose career spans regional South Indian cinema, reality television and public

Early life and background

Shakeela was born in November 1973 and spent her childhood in southern India. Sources list her birthplace variously as Nellore in Andhra Pradesh or Madras (now Chennai) in Tamil Nadu. She grew up in a large family; her father, Chan Basha, was associated with the Indian National Congress and her mother, Chan Begum, was a homemaker. Shakeela has spoken about leaving school after the tenth grade. She later described difficult early circumstances in which she contributed financially to the household.

Career

Shakeela began working in films in the late 1980s and built a lengthy career across several South Indian film industries. Her earliest screen credits include a 1989 Hindi film and regional debuts in Punjabi and Malayalam in the early 1990s. She appeared in Tamil and Telugu productions through the 1990s and 2000s, moving between genres and film industries as opportunities arose.

Her breakthrough recognition came in the Malayalam B-grade film Kinnara Thumbikal (2000), and she moved into more mainstream roles in the following years. By 2002 she was working in Telugu mainstream cinema, and from 2003 onward she featured in family and comedy films across Tamil, Telugu and Kannada language cinema. She has more than 250 film credits to her name as of 2023; many of those films were later dubbed into other languages including Hindi and Sinhalese.

Shakeela has taken on roles beyond acting. In 2013 she directed a Malayalam film, and that same year she published an autobiography titled Shakeela: Aatmakatha. She has provided a song vocal for a South Indian film and later participated in several television reality shows. Her television appearances include Bigg Boss Kannada Season 2 in 2014, the Tamil reality show Adhu Idhu Yedhu in 2018, Cooku With Comali 2 in 2020 where she finished third, and Start Music season 2 in 2021, which she won. In 2023 she was a contestant on Bigg Boss Telugu Season 7.

In addition to her film and TV work, Shakeela has engaged in social and cultural causes. She served as president of the National Transgender Cultural Fest held in Madurai in 2015. She also launched a YouTube channel in May 2021, posting interviews, vlogs and cooking videos; by September 2023 the channel had accumulated a substantial following.

Public profile

Shakeela’s public image has shifted over time from a performer best known for adult-themed South Indian films to a figure active in mainstream entertainment and political life. In March 2021 she joined the Indian National Congress; she has cited her father’s involvement with the party as an influence and later took a post as secretary of the Tamil Nadu Congress Human Rights Department. Her move into politics followed a period in which she announced she would step away from the adult film industry.

Her career has included moments of controversy and public scrutiny. She has described challenges with industry figures and claimed past attempts to limit the release of some of her films. At the same time, she continued to receive offers for mainstream projects, including an offer she declined for a role in a 2013 Hindi film because of dissatisfaction with the proposed fee.

Personal life and family

Shakeela is unmarried and the adoptive mother of two daughters, Sasha and Milla. Sasha is described as a social activist and fashion designer; Milla, who Shakeela adopted in 2021, is an actor and costume designer and is identified as transgender. Shakeela’s family history includes several siblings; two sisters named Noorjahan and the late Sheethal are mentioned, and she has spoken publicly about financial difficulties that followed problems with family members managing her affairs.

Shakeela is multilingual, able to speak English, Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil, Urdu and other South Indian languages. Publicly noted personal details include her height and physical measurements, and a preference for non-vegetarian food. She has also been open about early hardships and the pressures she faced while entering the film industry.

Latest updates

Shakeela has remained visible in media and public life into the 2020s. She has continued to appear on television, participate in reality series and maintain a digital presence through her YouTube channel. In 2023 she returned to mainstream attention as a contestant on Bigg Boss Telugu Season 7 and continued to be involved with the Indian National Congress at the state level.
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Recent Work

Bigg Boss Telugu Season 7

Contestant on the seventh season of the Telugu reality TV show (2023)

2023
Flowers Oru Kodi

Appeared as a character named Urmila in the Malayalam TV show (2023)

2023
Engada Iruthinga Ivvalavu Naala

Acted in this South Indian film (2021)

2021
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Career Highlights

  1. Rose to fame with the Malayalam film Kinnara Thumbikal (2000)
  2. Directed the Malayalam film Neelakurinji Poothu (2013)
  3. Published autobiography Shakeela: Aatmakatha (2013)
  4. Joined the Indian National Congress (2021)
  5. Over 250 film appearances by 2023
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Shakeela born?

19 or 20 November 1973

What is Shakeela known for?

Politician, Former Adult Film Actress, Social Worker, Model, Actor

What is Shakeela’s marital status?

Unmarried