Sheela

Sheela Ravichandran (born 22 March 1945[1]) is an Indian actress and director who appears predominantly in Malayalam cinema. Paired with Prem Nazir, they hold the Guinness World Record for acting in the largest number of films (130) together as heroine and hero.[2][3] Sheela is a four-time winner of Kerala State Film Award. She came back to acting in 2003 through Manassinakkare after a long period of 22 years. In 2005, she won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the Malayalam film Akale. In 2019, Sheela was honoured with the J C Daniel Award, the Kerala government's highest honour for outstanding contribution to Malayalam cinema. She was also one of the highest paid actresses, reportedly paid more than her male counterparts, of her time.[4]

For other uses, see Sheela (disambiguation).

Sheela
Sheela in 2017
Born (1945-03-22) 22 March 1945
Kanimangalam, Thrissur
NationalityIndian
Occupations
  • Actress
  • writer
  • film director
  • novelist
  • painter
  • television host
Years active
  • 1962–1981
  • 2003–present
Spouse
  • Xavier
    ​
    (div. 1970)​
ChildrenGeorge Vishnu

Early life and family

Sheela was born in a Syrian Christian family to Railway officer Kanimangalam Antony and Gracy at Thrissur, Kingdom of Cochin (now Kerala). She was brought up in Ooty.[5] Her early name was Celine. Since her father was working with the railways, she was brought up in different places before finally settling down at Chennai. As a result, she had her primary education at various places, including Trivandrum, Thrissur, Ooty, Tiruchirappalli, Salem, Edappally and St. Francis Anglo-Indian Girls School, Coimbatore.[1]

She was initially married to Mr.Xavier, a reporter, which ended in a divorce.[6]

Film career

Sheela was introduced to theatre at the age of 13 by Tamil actor S. S. Rajendran, he offered her a job in S.S.R Nataka Mandram. She was introduced into the film industry at the age of 17 by MGR in the Tamil film Paasam (1962). M. G. Ramachandran, the hero of the film, added the suffix "Devi" to her name, thus he renamed her "Sheela Devi". She would continue to act in Tamil films with that name. Later, she reverted her name to Sheela, her original name.[7] The same year, she made her Malayalam debut through Bhagyajathakam. The next two decades saw her act in more than 475 films in various languages such as Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, and Urdu. Her popular films are Chemmeen, Kallichellamma, Velutha Kathreena Akale, Oru Penninte Kadha, Sarsaiya, Yakshaganam, Kutti Kuppayam, Sthanarthy Saramma, Kadathunattu Makkan, Kannapan Unni, Jwala, Vazhve Mayam, etc. In Kannapanunni, she plays the role of a powerful yet humane princess forced to marry a poor woodcutter. In Kadathanattu Makkam, she plays the role of a princess who is cheated by her sisters-in-law and false allegations of being in love with a boatman are leveled against her. She and the boatman are both given the death sentence.

In the 1970s and 1980s, she directed two films Yakshaganom and Shikarangal. She wrote the story and screenplay for Shikharangaland Yakshagaanam, which was also remade in Tamil. Sheela wrote the story and screenplay for Mammooty starrer Onnu Chiriku. Besides films, she has directed a tele-film titled Ninaivukale Neengividu, co-starring Jayabharathi. Her other films include Vishnu Vijayam and Eeta. She retired from the film industry in the 1983 and settled at Ootacamund, Tamil Nadu.[8] After a long sabbatical, she returned to acting, playing a role in Sathyan Anthikkad's Manassinakkare (2003). The same year, she acted in the Tamil film Chandramukhi.

Sheela, along with Prem Nazir, holds the Guinness World Record for acting in the largest number of films (130) together. In 2005, she won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress and Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Actress for her role in the Malayalam film Akale. She received the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress thrice in her film career in 1969, 1971, and 1976. She has won awards such as Kerala State Film Awards, the Lux award, and the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement award. Sheela made an exhibition of her paintings at hotel Le- Meridian in Ernakulam and 93 paintings were sold, most of which were bought by Snehatheeram Baby Mathew and Ravi Pillai. The amount collected from these paintings was donated as a flood relief fund for the people in Chennai.

Awards
National Film Awards
Kerala State Film Awards[10]
Filmfare Awards South[11]

South Indian International Movie Awards

Other Awards

Filmography

Malayalam

Tamil

Telugu

Story, screenplay, and direction

Television

Malayalam
Shows as host
  • Jeevitham Sakshi (Kairali TV)[13] as presenter
  • Sthree (Asianet News) as presenter
Serials
  • Velutha Kathrina (Kairali TV) as Kathreena
  • Kanalpoovu (Kairali TV) as Pulikattil Kathreena/Eliyamma
  • Aliyans (Kaumudy TV) as herself
As judge
  • Oru Chiri Oru Chiri Bumper Chiri (Mazhavil Manorama)
  • Malayali Veetamma (Flowers TV)
  • Smile Plz (Asianet Plus)
  • Ugram Ujjwalam (Mazhavil Manorama)
  • Comedy Stars season 2 (Asianet)
  • Comedy Festival (Mazhavil Manorama)
  • Red Carpet (Amrita TV) - Mentor
  • Star Magic (Flowers TV) - Mentor
  • Comedy masters ( Amrita TV)
  • Katturumbu 2 ( Flowers TV)
Other shows as guest
  • Flowers Oru Kodi
  • Bhava Nayika
  • Ningalkkum Aakaam Kodeeshwaran
  • JB Junction
  • Onnum Onnum Moonnu
  • Laughing Villa
  • Close Encounter
  • Nammude Swantham Karuthammayude Onam
  • Badayi Bunglavu
  • Comedy Super Nite
  • Portrait of an actress
  • Nere Chovve
  • Ithihasa Nayikakkoppam
  • Cinema Rendezvous
  • Thara Raja Thara Rani
  • Lime Light
  • Hello Europe
  • Star Chat
  • Merry Sheela
  • Varikalkkidayil
  • Puraskara Niravil Nithya Haritha Nayika
  • Media One Online
  • Mathrubhumi Online
  • Cinema Diary
  • DD Interview
  • Aashwasaganga
  • I Me Myself
  • Europe Malayali Journal
  • Sheelayude Varthamanam

Tamil
Serials
  • Neenivayukale Neengi Vidu (Story, Screenplay, Direction; Doordarshan)
  • Aayiram Janmangal starring Rajnikanth (written by Sheela)
  • Rusi Kanda Poonai starring Saritha (written by Sheela)
Other Programmes
  • Natchathira Sangamam

Theatre
  • Kuttavum Shikshyum

References
  1. നിത്യഹരിത നായിക ഷീലയ്‌ക്ക് 70 വയസ്‌ [Evergreen heroine Sheila is 70 years old]. Mangalam Publications (in Malayalam). Archived from the original on 8 July 2017. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  2. "Records Application Search Longest Screen Partnership". Guinness World Records. 6 April 2018. Archived from the original on 9 July 2023. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  3. "Comeback queen". The Hindu. 27 May 2005. Archived from the original on 26 June 2007. Retrieved 26 May 2007.
  4. "Actress Sheela wins prestigious J C Daniel Award". Business Standard India. Press Trust of India. 4 June 2019. Archived from the original on 19 July 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  5. "മലയാളത്തിന്റെ അഭിനയസൗന്ദര്യം". Mathrubhumi. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
  6. "Sheela". Archived from the original on 12 May 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  7. "Comedy Super Nite with Sheela – Full Episode#58". Flowerstv. Archived from the original on 14 December 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  8. "നിത്യഹരിത നായിക ഷീലയ്‌ക്ക് 70 വയസ്‌". Mangalam Publications. Archived from the original on 8 July 2017. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
  9. "Doing Malayalam proud". The Hindu. 22 July 2005. Archived from the original on 16 February 2006. Retrieved 26 May 2007.
  10. "STATE FILM AWARDS". prd.kerala.gov. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
  11. "The Times of India Directory and Year Book Including Who's who". 22 August 1979 – via Google Books.
  12. "Gautham Vasudev Menon's Malayalam Film Anuragam To Be Released On This Date". News18. 26 April 2023. Archived from the original on 30 April 2023. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  13. "Actress Sheela to be a TV anchor". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 21 December 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
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