Shakila

Shakila was an Indian actress. She was born on January 1, 1935. Her place of birth is Afghanistan. Shakila is notably known for her work in the movies Aar Paar(1954), C.I.D.(1956), and China Town (1962). She was named Badshah Begum Badshah Begum is a Pakistani historical and politi >> Read More... by her parents. She had two younger sisters Noor Jehan Noor Jehan is a singer of two countries India and >> Read More... and Nasreen. Shakila’s birth country is Afghanistan. Her ancestors belonged to the royal families of Afghanistan and Iran. She lost her grandfather and mother in family disputes over the throne. They were killed. After this tragedy, her father and his sister Feroza Begum brought the three of them to Mumbai, India. Soon, her father too died, and her aunt also lost her fiancé in an accident. Feroza Begum decided to remain unmarried and nourish her three nieces. The family was on good terms with Kardar and Mehboob khan.

Shakila used to accompany her aunt to the movie showings, and there, she got offered by ‘Kardar’ to act in the movie ‘Daastan’ in 1949. She debuted as a child artist with this film and took the name Shakila thereon. The same year, she went on an act in the movie ‘ Duniya Click to look into! >> Read More... ,’ which featured the famous actor & singer Suraiya. She then acted in numerous films in supporting roles including Gumasta (1951), Rajrani Damyanti (1952), Aagosh, Raj Mahal, Shahenshah (1953). But the film that got her immense fame and popularity was the 1954 Guru Dutt Born on 9th July 1925, Guru Dutt was an Indian act >> Read More... ’s film Aar Paar. She played a strong character in the movie, the other woman in the life of Guru Dutt, who was a cabaret dancer, a complex and resentful person. The best songs of the movie Aar Paar featured Shakila, and the film was a massive hit.

Shakila’s sister Noor also acted in Aar Paar. Later, Noor married the co-star, famous comedian Johnny Walker Johnny Walker is a comedian of Bollywood. His orig >> Read More... and quit acting. Nasreen, too quit acting and became a homemaker. Impressed with Shakila’s acting skills, Guru Dutt offered her Raj Khosla’s film C.I.D. in 1956. C.I.D. was Waheeda Rahman’s debut film, and she outshined Shakila in this movie. Once, Shakila’s aunt, managing her acting career, demanded Rs. 10,000 for a film to divert the producer from casting her. The reason was, her aunt did not want Shakila to be type cast in fantasy films. But the producer agreed to pay the large sum, and Shakila went on to act in the hit film titled “Alibaba and Chalees Chor.” The consequences of working in this film earned her the title “Arbi Chehra,” as then on, she mainly worked in B-grade mythological and fantasy movies.

She worked in Lalpari (1954), Veer Rajputani (1955), Roop Kumari (1956), Agra Road (1957), Al-Hilal (1958), etc. Throughout her fourteen-year of career, she acted in more than fifty films with well-known directors and actors. Later, she got married and moved to Germany, quitting her acting career. In 1963, she came back to Mumbai and remarried Y M Elias. They went on to live abroad with their daughter, named Meenaz. Meenaz’s suicide in 1991 shook Shakila. Shakila died of cardiac arrest on September 20, 2017, at the age of 82, in Mumbai, India.

Shakila Family Tree (Infographic Family Tree)