Shakila (actress)

Shakila (1 January 1935 – 20 September 2017) was an Indian actress, best known for her roles in Guru Dutt's films, Aar Paar (1954) and C.I.D. (1956).

Family
Shakila married Y. M. Elias in 1963. Her sister Noor (short for Noorjehan), married Johnny Walker and their son is actor Nasirr Khan. Her other sister, Nasreen, also married and became a housewife.

She quit the film industry and moved to London with her husband. After her marriage ended, she came back to Mumbai and remarried an Afghan man who was the Consul General in India. They had a daughter Meenaz together, and they went to live abroad. In 1991, she suffered a terrible blow when their daughter jumped to her death. She then moved back to Mumbai and stayed close to her sisters and friends. She declined all film and television offers and refused to make an acting comeback, since she wanted fans to remember her as a young, beautiful heroine. She died of a massive heart attack at the age of 82 on 20 September 2017 in Mumbai, India. She is buried at Mahim cemetery in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Career
Shakila's aunt was fond of movies and took the sisters to movie showings. Their family was on friendly terms with Kardar and Mehboob Khan. In fact, it was Kardar who offered her the chance to act in Dastaan (1949). She took the name Shakila and made her debut as a child artiste in the film, which starred Suraiya. She quickly acted in another film with Suraiya titled Duniya (1949). After working in secondary roles including in Gumasta (1951), Sindbad the Sailor (1952), Rajrani Damyanti (1952), Aagosh (1953), Shahenshah (1953), Raj Mahal (1953), Armaan (1953), people finally noticed her in Guru Dutt's Aar-Paar (1954). In it, she played the other woman in Guru Dutt's life, the cabaret dancer, who is disdained by society and is a complex and embittered person. Aar-Paar was a superhit film and its best songs were picturized on Shakila. Her sister Noor also appeared in the film.

Dutt was impressed with Shakila's performance to repeat her in Raj Khosla's C.I.D. (1956), but she was eclipsed by Dutt's protégé Waheeda Rehman who made her debut in that film. Shakila's aunt was managing her career and she didn't want Shakila to be typecast in fantasy films, so she quoted a large sum of Rs. 10000 for Alibaba and Forty Thieves (1954) thinking it would dissuade the producer from casting her, but he agreed and she acted in the film. It became a hit. As a consequence, Shakila was reduced to B-grade mythological and fantasy films and she earned the title "Arbi Chehra" (Arabian Princess). She acted in Lalpari (1954), Veer Rajputani (1955), Roop Kumari (1956), Agra Road (1957), and Al-Hilal (1958). She played an ethereal fairy in "Hatim Tai" (1956), which is an A-grade colour hit film, based on an Arabian Nights tale. She created some stir in 1957, when her film opposite Kishore Kumar, Begunah, was banned after 10 days of its release. The film was a copy of Hollywood's Knock on Wood (1954) starring Danny Kaye and the producers of that film went to court and won the case to stop the screening of Begunah. As a consequence, all the negatives of this film were destroyed. In 1958, she starred opposite Sunil Dutt in suspense/thriller Post Box. 999. In the latter part of her career, Shakti Samanta cast her in China Town (1962) opposite Shammi Kapoor, and the film's songs became a rage.

During the course of her fourteen-year career, she appeared in more than 50 films with well-known actors and directors.

Filmography
• 1949 Duniya

• 1950 Dastan

• 1953 Armaan

• 1953 Madmust

• 1953 Shahenshah

• 1953 Aaghosh

• 1954 Aar Paar - Dancer

• 1954 Daan

• 1954 Gul Bahar

• 1954 Halla Gulla

• 1954 Khushboo

• 1954 Laila

• 1954 Lal Pari

• 1954 Ali Baba 40 Chor - Marjina

• 1954 Noor Mahal

• 1955 Mast Qalandar

• 1955 Ratna Manjari

• 1956 C.I.D. - Rekha

• 1956 Caravan

• 1956 Hatim Tai

• 1956 Jhansi Ki Rani  - Kashi

• 1956 Malika

• 1956 Paisa Hi Paisa

• 1956 Roop Kumari

• 1957 Begunah

• 1957 Naag Padmini

• 1957 Paristan

• 1957 Agra Road

• 1958 Al Hilal

• 1958 Chaubees Ghante

• 1958 Post Box 999 - Neelima

• 1959 Forty Days

• 1959 Guest House - Neela

• 1959 Kali Topi Lal Rumal - Champa

• 1959 School Master

• 1960 Abdulla

• 1960 Baraat

• 1960 Dr. Shaitan

• 1960 Gambler

• 1960 Shriman Satyawadi - Geeta

• 1961 Reshmi Rumal - Rekha Rai

• 1962 Baghdad Ki Raaten

• 1962 China Town - Rita D. Rai

• 1962 Naqli Nawab - Shabnam

• 1962 Tower House - Sabita

• 1962 Neeli Aankhen

• 1963 Kahin Pyaar Na Ho Jaaye - Bimla

• 1963 Mulzim - Asha

• 1963 Ustadon Ke Ustad - Neeta