Shakeela

C. Shakeela, known mononymously as Shakeela, is an Indian actress and politician who has predominantly acted in Malayalam cinema, in addition to Tamil, Telugu and Kannada language films. She is a member of Indian National Congress.

Shakeela debuted in the softcore pornographic film Playgirls (1995) at the age of 18. She became a popular figure in Kerala with the release of Malayalam softcore film Kinnara Thumbikal in 2000. This film would go on to pioneer a new wave of low-budget softcore porn films in the state, with Shakeela starring in many of them. In Kerala's hero-centric mainstream industry of her time, Shakeela's emergence as a liberated woman, who displays her sexuality in defiance of social norms led to what became known as Malayalam cinema's Shakeela tharangam (Shakeela wave).