Shakeela

C. Shakeela, known mononymously as Shakeela, is an Indian actress and politician who has predominantly acted in Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu 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 was known as Shakeela tharangam (the wave of Shakeela).