Shakeela starred in close to hundred soft porn films in Malayalam during the nineties that started collecting more money at the Kerala box office than films of superstars Mammootty and Mohan Lal. She later graduated to doing character roles in Tamil in films like 'Boss Engira Baskaran' and 'Sakalakala Vallavan' among others. Currently a biopic is being made with Richa Chaddha portraying Shakeela.

Shakeela has raked up a controversy in Kerala after she stated in an interview that she fell in love with popular producer Maniyampilla Raju and gave a love letter to him. "While shooting for Mohan Lal's 'Chotta Mumbai', my mom fell ill and had to undergo an operation immediately. I approached Maniyanpilla Raju for help. Though I had to shoot for many portions in the film, the producer gave me the entire salary beforehand. I started liking him immensely and I fell in love with him. I wrote a love letter to him but he didn't respond to it."

Maniyampilla Raju has clarified that he did give Shakeela her salary in advance to facilitate her mother's operation in 2007 but denied knowledge of any romantic overtures from the actress's side and has confirmed he never recieved any love letter.