Veteran Actress Shakeela Undergoes ₹3 Lakh Neck Surgery, Warns Against Excessive Phone Use

Shakeela, a TV and film actress, recently underwent neck surgery; it’s a procedure that she attributes to her smartphone addiction while recovering at home. This unexpected medical intervention has brought to light the serious consequences of excessive smartphone use, particularly in terms of posture and neck health.

Shakeela explained how she would frequently spend hours lying sideways in bed, playing games on her mobile phone and how she could easily do so for four to five hours a day, often stopping to drink tea or coffee. If she had to take a break then she would go back to her phone because it was not only a gaming device but also an entertainment site for her and she would watch YouTube videos and Instagram reels. Shakeela says she believes that the longer time she spent on her phone and her awkward neck position led to her neck surgery.

The cost of the surgery was prohibitive; Shakeela estimated ₹3 lakh for it to be done. The surgery was extremely painful for her and she felt very weak after surgery, she said. She needed assistance when she moved around and ate. To give her audience a glimpse of her experience, she gave video updates of her hospital stay and recovery. She’s a cautionary tale and I’m really happy to share this and to be more aware of my smartphone usage.

Shakeela’s warning is especially aimed at parents regarding children’s use of smartphones and other electronic technologies. For her to be effective it has to be balanced: though phones can be a lot and useful when we need them (and they are, too), too much phone use can be dangerous to health and well-being. Parents should be very careful about screen time and encourage good habits when their children use them.

Although the medical issues she described are based on her own experiences and have not been independently confirmed in medical reports, Shakeela’s concerns highlight the growing recognition of the negative effects of smartphone overuse and poor posture on our necks. Long periods of looking down at a device or in a poor neck position can probably put more strain on the neck and surrounding structures in general. There are individual medical conditions and what is the case for one person may not be the case for others.

Shakeela has been in many film industries of the region (Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada). In the early 2000s she was well known in the Malayalam film industry. Films with which she has worked include Chotta Mumbai and Teja Bhai & Family, which further solidified her position in the industry.

Shakeela’s story, as she recovers in the comfort of her home, is a lesson that teenagers and young adults can take from the experience and think about their screen time usage and the risk of getting into trouble. Her message is simple but strong: even though smartphones can be great tools for communication and entertainment, sitting in an unhealthy position while gaming, scrolling, and watching videos can have real-world consequences. And so as a younger generation, we need to follow her advice to the letter and put our health first in the digital age.