Paired with Prem Nazir, they hold the Guinness World Record for acting in the largest number of films (130) together as heroine and hero.

[4] Sheela was born in a Malayali family, to Kanimangalam Antony, a Railway officer and Gracy at Thrissur, Kingdom of Travancore (now Kerala).

As a result, she had her primary education at various places, including Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur, Ooty, Tiruchirappalli, Salem, Edappally and St. Francis Anglo-Indian Girls School, Coimbatore.

Her popular films are Chemmeen, Kallichellamma, Velutha Kathreena Akale, Oru Penninte Kadha, Sarsaiya, Yakshaganam, Kutti Kuppayam, Sthanarthy Saramma, Kadathunattu Makkan, Kannapan Unni, Jwala, Vazhve Mayam, etc.

In Kadathanattu Makkam, she plays the role of a princess who is cheated by her sisters-in-law and false allegations of being in love with a boatman are leveled against her.

[citation needed] In the 1970s and 1980s, she directed and wrote the story as well as screenplay for two films Shikharangal and Yakshaganom", which was also remade in Tamil.

[citation needed] Sheela, along with Prem Nazir, holds the Guinness World Record for acting in the largest number of films (130) together.