The poster of Shakeela, a biopic on the 1990s Malayalam star, features Richa Chadha posing inside a glass of alcohol. ‘Is saal ka jam Shakeela ke naam’ it says.
Shakeela came into prominence after starring in several B grade films and doing topless scenes during the 1990s, before moving on to comedy films in the early 2000s. The film’s tagline reads ‘Not a porn star’, which indicates that the film’s director, Indrajit Lankesh, attempts to explore the real life of the actress, beyond her adult star image.
Chadha who plays Shakeela in the biopic is seen sporting short hair in the poster. The actress had met Shakeela, now 45 years old, before the shooting began in mid-2018. Shakeela also mentored Chadha on the nuances of the role, the outfits and the look for authenticity.
The makers had earlier released the first look poster of the film in November with Chadha in an outfit made from gold jewellery standing against hate messages inscribed on a wall. It depicted the hate Shakeela received for her daring choices during the course of her career.
The film will be released during summer this year.