Actor Shakeela posted a video on her YouTube channel revealing that she had to undergo neck surgery costing ₹3 lakh. She had serious health complications following what she described as an addiction to mobile gaming and watching videos on her phone. The actor posted a video in which she also resorted to self-trolling, but advised parents to keep children away from phones.
Shakeela explains surgery due to phone addiction
Shakeela posted a vlog on her YouTube in which she’s seen at Medway Hospital in Chennai, and after being brought home, she mentioned that Dr Balamurugan had performed her surgery. The actor was advised to wear a neck collar till she’s recovered. The actor addressed the camera, saying she would spend long hours lying on her side playing games and watching videos. She also revealed that the surgery to correct the damage from that cost her ₹3 lakh.
Shakila revealed that she requires assistance post-surgery to even get out of bed or eat. “A phone is a very useful object, but do not use it more than necessary,” she said, adding, “I used to lie sideways in my bed and play games on my phone for up to four hours straight. I would only get up to have some tea or coffee. After drinking my tea, I’d come back and resume the same game. Following that, I would spend hours watching reels on YouTube and Instagram. Improper posture and excessive use of my phone affected the main veins in my neck, eventually leading me to the operating table.”
She warned parents against giving mobile phones to children, saying, “Use the phone only for essential things. Avoid watching unnecessary videos, even mine, and watch only useful ones. Otherwise, you will lose ₹3 lakh and have to endure unbearable pain as well.” Shakeela revealed details of her issue in the video, claiming that a titanium screw had to be used after a discharge from her neck caused pain.
About Shakeela’s career and fame
C Shakeela Begum was born in Chennai. Her mother, Chand Beegam, hails from Nellore in Andhra Pradesh, while her father, Chandbasha, was from Tamil Nadu. She dropped out of school before completing her secondary education and, due to financial constraints, tried her hand at modelling and film.
In 1995, she debuted with the Tamil film Playgirls, which also starred Silk Smitha. But it was the 2000 Malayalam film Kinnara Thumbikal that skyrocketed her career. At one point, Shakeela was so famous that her adult films were dubbed into all Indian languages and even into Nepalese, Chinese, and Sinhala.
In 2002, Shakeela announced that she would no longer do such films and began accepting mainstream roles. She has starred in films featuring Mohanlal, Vijay, Mahesh Babu, and others since then. Life came full circle for the actor in 2023, when Netflix roped her in for a promotional video titled Shakeela’s Driving School to promote the web series, Sex Education.