Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; March 30, 2018)

Ever since news of Richa Chadha slipping into the role of adult star Shakeela hit headlines, parallels were inevitably drawn between her and Vidya Balan. The latter's portrayal of adult actor Silk Smitha in The Dirty Picture (2011) had won her several accolades, and Chadha says comparisons with Balan are only welcome.

"Comparisons with Vidya do not matter to me. We are different individuals, and follow our own trajectory. The Dirty Picture was a successful film, and it changed the life of Vidya and those associated with it. If people are comparing my film with hers, it is good."

mid-day was the first to report that the actor would feature in the biopic, helmed by Indrajit Lankesh. It will trace the journey of Shakeela's growth to fame from her teenage years. She forayed into the industry at 16 and went on to act in several adult films across languages. Even though Chadha is unable to reveal details about the project since she has signed a non-disclosure agreement, she says, "I have read the script and it is certainly interesting."

Richa Chadha has reportedly hired a Malayalam tutor to help her learn the language, and will work on gaining weight to fit the character. A source says, "Richa is expected to start filming the biopic by June end."