In her first look as Shakeela, Richa Chadha, dressed in a Kerala Kasavu saree, looks demure — an image far removed from that of her muse. Directed by Indrajit Lankesh, the biopic will apparently offer an honest insight into the reticent, almost shy woman behind the sex siren of the '90s, reports the Mid-Day.

Having kicked off the first schedule in Karnataka, Chadha says, ‘The story traces Shakeela's journey from her younger days to her becoming a popular figure in the South. To create distinct looks as the story moves forward, is challenging. As an actor, it's gratifying to grow with the character on celluloid. I wish to do complete justice to Shakeela with this film.’

Makeup artiste Tanuja Dabir, and hair experts Kunj Shah and Ashis Bogi have been entrusted the responsibility of recreating Shakeela's looks. Having gone through the star's old films and pictures for reference, Dabir says her one-point brief was to capture ‘Shakeela's sweet innocence’.

‘My agenda wasn't to make Richa look exactly like Shakeela. I wanted to capture the essence of Shakeela. She had a sweet innocence that was in sharp contrast to the roles she portrayed. The idea is to bring that out. To her, [being part of adult] movies was just a job. She was a simple person at heart. It is through her plain look that we will convey the contrast between what she was in real life and what she did on screen. Richa has to retain her innocent appeal,’ says Dabir.

At 16, Shakeela forayed into the industry and went on to act in several adult films, rising to prominence in the '90s. Dabir explains that the makeup will be reminiscent of the times, while staying true to their muse. ‘Although the makeup is era-specific, her look is not sexy; that oomph is natural.’