Sheelu Abraham on Movie Losses, Pandemic Struggles, and Facing Criticism
Malayalam actress and producer Sheelu Abraham has opened up about the massive financial challenges her family faced during the COVID-19 pandemic and the heavy losses incurred in the film industry. Despite shutting down six hotels and losing around 12.5 crore rupees from two consecutive film flops, Sheelu revealed that her husband’s strong financial planning and secure business base kept their family and businesses afloat.
During the pandemic, the family’s Mumbai-based businesses and hotels were completely shut down, and even rental income from their buildings dried up as tenant companies collapsed. However, they managed to pay regular salaries to their 450 staff members without fail by breaking fixed deposits. Sheelu credited her husband’s business strategy of maintaining a strong financial reserve and avoiding rolling debts for their resilience during these tough times.
Addressing her career in the Malayalam film industry, Sheelu stated that she has mostly received criticism and has been labeled a “privileged actress” since she often works in her own production house. She pointed out that opportunities in cinema are decided by filmmakers rather than the general public, and she is proud of her status as both an actress and a producer. She also shared insights into her new saree business, emphasizing that building customer trust through absolute honesty is her primary goal.
