Richa Chadda starrer 'Shakeela' biopic likely to get OTT release

Richa Chadda starrer Shakeela biopic has been in the news for years now. In the film, the actor plays the titular role based on the life of South star. Directed by Indrajit Lankesh, the film will be exploring the life of the controversial Shakeela, who was a massive adult star. The film will also critique the male-dominated star system of the southern industry in the 90s. Now as per latest reports, the biopic is eyeing for an OTT release.

Talking about the same, someone close to the development of the film stated, "The film already had a digital exhibitor and thus, they are the first party to approach. The chances of theatres opening soon look bleak. Keeping that in mind, the producers have initiated discussions with OTT platforms."

As per reports, Shakeela biopic was looking at launching their theatrical trailer in March-end, while the release was slated for July.

Earlier, Richa spoke at length about gaining weight for the biopic. Talking about the same, she had stated, "Yes, when I first met Shakeela, she said, ‘Tu bahut dubli hai, kuchh nahin hai’ referring to her bosom. So, I decided to put on weight and gained around five-and-a-half kilos. Now, there are rolls of fat on my back. However, I couldn’t go into it wholeheartedly. I tried eating chips, cutlets, fries and papad for a month. Usse pet nikal aaya, and now I am trying to get rid of it."

The actor further said, "Usually, you read about actors undergoing a physical transformation, but that’s not the only thing, there are so many other aspects that go into playing the character."