Several actresses became synonymous with this era, often carrying the entire weight of a film’s marketing on their shoulders.

By the mid-2000s, the "Shakeela Wave" began to recede as the Malayalam mainstream industry (A-list cinema) underwent a "New Wave" transformation, focusing on realistic storytelling and high production values. Many of the actresses from the B-grade era transitioned into character roles in mainstream films or retired from the industry.

Today, these films are viewed through a lens of nostalgia and cinematic history, representing a time when independent, low-budget filmmaking dominated the regional box office.

Perhaps the most famous name in this genre, Shakeela became a phenomenon. At the height of her career, her films were known to release in hundreds of theaters simultaneously, often rivaling the box office collections of superstars.