Actress attributes major neck operation to prolonged mobile gaming and reel-watching, warns parents about children's screen time.
South Indian actress Shakeela has revealed in a video posted on her YouTube channel that she underwent a major neck surgery costing around INR 3 lakh, which she says was necessitated by health complications linked to excessive phone use, mobile gaming, and watching videos while lying in an improper posture. The update was shared as a vlog from Medway Hospital in Chennai, where she was later seen recovering at home wearing a neck collar. Shakeela did not specify the exact date of the surgery in her video, though the disclosure came ahead of reports published on August 13, 2026.
According to multiple entertainment outlets, Shakeela explained that she had spent long periods lying on her side while using her phone for games and videos, a habit she believes directly damaged the main veins in her neck and ultimately forced her into the operating room. She described the pain as severe before the procedure was carried out, and reports quote her as saying that improper posture and excessive phone use were the primary causes behind her condition.
The Surgery and Its Reported Cost
Shakeela said the neck surgery cost approximately INR 3 lakh, a figure repeated consistently across the reports covering her video update. She revealed the financial burden of the procedure alongside the physical toll it took on her, framing the entire episode as a cautionary account rather than a routine health update.
Reports from outlets including Mid-Day identify Dr. Balamurugan as the surgeon who performed the procedure at Medway Hospital in Chennai. While this detail appears in more than one account, it has not been independently verified beyond the entertainment coverage citing her video, and should be treated as reported rather than officially confirmed. One secondary report additionally mentions that the treatment involved a titanium screw and that Shakeela required assistance during her recovery, though this specific detail appears in only one source and remains unconfirmed elsewhere.
Following the operation, Shakeela was seen at home wearing a neck brace, a visual detail corroborated across several reports describing her recovery phase. She did not offer a detailed prognosis or timeline for full recovery in the material reviewed, and no formal statement from the hospital or the surgeon accompanies the reports.
Her Warning About Mobile Phone Use
Central to Shakeela's video message was a direct appeal to parents and viewers about the risks of unchecked phone use. She urged parents not to casually hand mobile phones or electronic devices to children, cautioning that habitual screen exposure could lead to serious physical consequences similar to what she experienced.
She also advised her audience more broadly to avoid watching unnecessary videos on their phones, a warning repeated across coverage of her statement. Several reports frame her account as blending a personal health disclosure with a public health message aimed at both children and adults who spend extended hours on mobile screens, particularly while lying down in awkward positions.
The consistency of this message across outlets suggests it was a deliberate emphasis in her original video, rather than an incidental remark. Her explanation links the physical strain of her neck condition to a specific behavior: extended phone use while reclining sideways, a posture she said contributed to nerve-related complications requiring surgical intervention.
Shakeela's Career Background
Shakeela is widely known across South Indian cinema, with reports describing her extensive work in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada films. One report notes she was born in Chennai to parents originally from Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, and that she entered the film industry following early financial hardship, though these biographical details stem from entertainment write-ups rather than an official statement.
Her breakout is credited to the 2000 Malayalan film Kinnara Thumbikal, after which she went on to work alongside prominent actors including Mohanlal, Vijay, and Mahesh Babu, according to one of the reports reviewed. She has also built a substantial following through her YouTube channel, the same platform she used to share this health update with fans.
The disclosure marks a departure from typical entertainment coverage of Shakeela, shifting focus toward a personal health scare and the broader issue of smartphone-related physical strain. Her account, while not independently verified through medical records, has resonated across multiple regional media outlets given her public profile and the specificity of the financial and medical details she shared.
