Shakeela: I don't want sympathy or newfound respect from this film

The press meet of Shakeela, the biopic of the iconic South Indian actor, was held today in Chennai. The team behind the film, actors Ester Noronha and Rajeev Pillai, producer Saravana Prasad, and music composer Veer Samarth, along with Shakeela herself, launched the film’s trailer and songs at the event.

Though lead actors Richa Chadha and Pankaj Tripathi, director Indrajit Lankesh and producer Sammy Nanwani could not attend the event physically, they connected through video messages.

Speaking about her biopic, Shakeela said that she wants people, especially the younger crop, to learn from the mistakes she has committed in her life. “I don't want sympathy or newfound respect from this film. They said that I had to endure a lot of things that were being said about me. But, the truth is that I never cared about people who spoke behind my back, and nobody had the guts to speak to my face,” she added.

Saravana Prasad, the producer of the film spoke about the impact the film had on him. “It's only after watching the film that I decided to get on board this project. So, all credits go to Sammy Nanwani. The film made a huge impact on me and I'm very excited for the release,” he said.

Actor Thambi Ramaiah and celebrity chef Damodaran also attended the event. Thambi Ramaiah said that he believes the audience will receive the film well. “I thought Vijay’s Master would bring in the audience, post the re-opening of theatres. But now, I’m sure that Shakeela will do that even before Master,” he said in a tongue-in-cheek manner.

“Very few people have had the privilege of witnessing their own biopic being made during their lifetime, and that shows how great Shakeela truly is,” he added.

Produced by Sammy's Magic Cinema and Innovative Film Academy, Shakeela will be released in theatres in five languages on December 25.