1999–05: Early releases In 1999, while working at
Paradise Island Resort, a crew from
Television Maldives noticed him and offered him a role in a video single. Afterwards, he returned to the resort and focused on his career there until he was spotted by director
Amjad Ibrahim, who cast him in the comedy-drama film
Qurbaani, starring opposite
Mariyam Nisha and
Hussain Sobah. Encouraged by his growing interest in the industry, he resigned from his position at the resort and joined the Motion Pictures studio. The plot intertwined two love triangles set years apart—the first half depicting friendships on a college campus, and the second following a widower's daughter trying to reunite her father with his past love. The film was an unofficial remake of
Karan Johar's romantic drama film
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998). That same year, he starred in
Ainbehge Loabi Firiehge Vaajib (2000), directed by
Amjad Ibrahim, featuring
Jamsheedha Ahmed,
Arifa Ibrahim and
Niuma Mohamed. The film revolves around a woman who has been mistreated by her step-mother and forced into a marriage she disapproves. The film revolved around a woman mistreated by her stepmother and forced into a marriage she disapproves of. In
Aaah (2001), directed by Ibrahim, he starred alongside
Sheela Najeeb,
Jamsheedha Ahmed,
Mohamed Shavin and Ibrahim Giyas. Additionally, he played Dr. Ahmed Shifan, a man longing for his unrequited love, in
Fathimath Nahula's drama film
Naaummeedhu (2001), a film about a happily married couple whose life is turned upside down when they inadvertently invite a seductive woman into their lives. In 2002, he appeared in four films. He then collaborated with
Amjad Ibrahim on two projects: the horror film
Sandhuravirey (2002), which told the story of a female jinn seeking a human's love, and the drama
Kahvalhah Dhaandhen (2002), opposite
Sheela Najeeb and Kausar. He then played a single father who sacrifices his love for the sake of his handicapped friend in Mohamed Rasheed's
Hithu Vindhu (2002), alongside
Mariyam Nazima and
Ali Seezan. , 2003 In 2003, he worked with
Amjad Ibrahim on the romantic horror film
Dhonkamana (2003), which depicted a relationship between a young man (played by him) and an older woman (played by
Fauziyya Hassan). Despite negative reviews, the film was praised for addressing a relationship with a significant age gap. The film received widespread acclaim and was the highest-grossing Maldivian film of the year. Upon release, the film received mainly positive reviews from critics. In the former, he portrayed a drug abuser struggling to cope after losing his love interest, while in the latter, he played an obedient son who discovers the truth about his father in adulthood. In 2004, Shafeeu reprised his role as Dhiyash in
Sandhuravirey 2 (2004), the sequel to
Sandhuravirey (2002). The film received praise for its sound effects and was commercially successful. The following year, he starred in
Zuleykha (2005), a romantic drama directed by
Fathimath Nahula, which was both critically acclaimed and commercially successful. The film was both a critical and commercial success and was considered "one of the few acceptable horror films the Maldivian film industry has ever produced". It was later released as a 15-episode television series, incorporating several scenes that had been edited out of the theatrical version. His performance as an aspiring author who becomes enthralled by an evil spirit earned him a
Gaumee Film Award nomination for Best Actor. His portrayal of a conflicted husband struggling to balance his affection for his two wives won him his second
Gaumee Film Award as the Best Actor. He also starred in all four instalments of the series, portraying an evil master and introducing the character of Kudafoolhu, a jinn who manipulates and misleads people. Featuring an ensemble cast—including
Niuma Mohamed,
Sheela Najeeb,
Mohamed Manik,
Ahmed Nimal,
Fauziyya Hassan,
Ravee Farooq,
Zeenath Abbas and Ahmed Lais Asimt—who were at the time the biggest names in Maldivian cinema. The film was Maldivian official entry at 2009 SAARC Film Festivals and had the distinction of being the festival's opening film. Originally released as a television series, it received a positive response. He then took on a more controversial role in
Ahmed Nimal's family drama
E Dharifulhu (2009), portraying a seemingly tender husband who rapes his wife's younger sister. He next starred in
Moomin Fuad's suspense thriller
Happy Birthday (2009), which follows a simple man who receives a call on his birthday informing him that his wife and son have been kidnapped for ransom. He played the role of Asif, a straightforward man who endures an unfortunate birthday. His performance earned him the
Best Actor award at both the
6th Gaumee Film Awards and
1st Maldives Film Awards. That same year, Shafeeu wrote, directed and starred in the drama film
Hiyy Rohvaanulaa (2009), alongside
Niuma Mohamed,
Abdulla Muaz and
Nadhiya Hassan. The story follows a blind man who regains his sight but pretends to still be blind to uncover his wife's affair with another man. A romantic drama co-starring
Sheela Najeeb,
Fathimath Fareela and
Mohamed Faisal, the film explored themes of unrequited love and became a commercial success.
2010–12: Expansion into film production Shafeeu's first release of 2010 was the
Ali Shifau-directed family drama
Dhin Veynuge Hithaamaigaa where he played the role of Nashid, a character victimized due to family vengeance by his cousin. The film explores themes of discrimination against islanders, family revenge, and fatherhood responsibilities. The plot revolves around a
mariage blanc, a husband's murder by his wife and her secret lover, and supernatural vengeance. Directed by Shafeeu himself, he played Shahin, a father who discovers that his daughter has been sexually assaulted by her step-uncle. He received a nomination for the Best Actor at the
2nd Maldives Film Awards and a nomination for
Best Editing at the
6th Gaumee Film Awards. He then starred in
Niuma (2010), the directorial debut of
Niuma Mohamed, alongside an ensemble cast including Mohamed,
Sheela Najeeb,
Mohamed Manik,
Ahmed Nimal,
Aminath Rasheedha and
Abdulla Muaz. He played a brother who ultimately supports his sister after she endures sexual abuse by their father and brother. It was a major box office success, screening over thirty houseful shows and becoming the highest-grossing Maldivian film of the year. He received a nomination for
Best Choreography for the song "Hiyy Dhevijjey" at the
6th Gaumee Film Awards. Shafeeu's final release of 2010 was the drama
Heyonuvaane (2010), which he directed and starred in alongside
Sheela Najeeb and
Fathimath Fareela. The film revolves around a man who suffers domestic abuse. Ahmed Naif from
Sun commended his acting but criticized his direction, stating, "The use of flashbacks and character introduction was weak. Neither the order of scenes nor the transitions were noteworthy". Shafeeu began 2011 with
Amjad Ibrahim's suspense thriller film
Hafaraaiy, starring alongside
Ali Shameel,
Mariyam Shakeela,
Amira Ismail and
Fathimath Fareela. He then directed and starred in the family drama
E Bappa (2011), which featured an ensemble cast including
Koyya Hassan Manik,
Mohamed Manik,
Sheela Najeeb,
Amira Ismail,
Lufshan Shakeeb,
Mariyam Shakeela and
Fathimath Fareela. The film, centered on themes of fatherhood and familial responsibilities, received negative reviews for its stereotypical approach and underperformed at the box office. Shafeeu's final release of 2011 was
Insaaf, an action drama that he directed and starred in as a
police officer named Aiman. The film portrays conflicts between two districts of an island. Upon release, it received mixed to positive reviews. Ahmed Nadheem from
Haveeru noted, "Shafeeu clearly invested effort in developing the characters, but he neglected his own. He has demonstrated his acting ability in other films, but this was not his best performance. His work behind the camera was as underwhelming as his acting in the film". Marketed as the first Maldivian film released in 3D, the film saw Sahfeeu portray Jinaa, seeking revenge on humans for the murder of its wife. Upon release, the film received generally negative reviews. Ahmed Nadheem of
Haveeru Daily commented, "Hearing the name Jinaa, one expects the influence of
Reeko Moosa Manik, but Shafeeu pales in comparison. The following year, he starred opposite
Fathimath Azifa in the suspense thriller
24 Gadi Iru (2014) wwhich he co-directed with Mohamed Rasheed. The film explores a romantic relationship between a girl diagnosed with a mental illness and her psychiatrist. Although production began in 2010, the film was released four years later. In 2016, Shafeeu appeared as Mifu, a member of a group of friends trapped in a haunted house, in
Fathimath Nahula's horror film
4426. The film received mostly positive reviews, with Ahmed Nadheem of
Avas describing it as a "masterpiece" praising Shafeeu's performance as "good". The film was declared the highest-grossing Maldivian film of the year. That same year, he starred alongside
Niuma Mohamed in
Ibrahim Wisan's debut direction
Vee Beyvafa (2016), which was shot in 2011. The film received negative reviews, with Ahmed Adhushan of
Mihaaru calling it "a step backward" for Maldivian cinema. His final release of the year was
Baiveriyaa (2016), a comedy film that he wrote, edited, and directed. The film follows an aspiring actress who runs away from her family to pursue a career in the industry, leading to a series of misunderstandings and suspicions. praising the comic timing and highlighting the heated exchanges between Shafeeu and Sheela Najeeb as standout moments. The film emerged as one of the highest-grossing Maldivian films of the year. Shafeeu's first release of 2017 was the romantic comedy
Naughty 40, which he directed and starred in alongside
Mohamed Manik,
Ahmed Saeed and
Ali Seezan,
Fathimath Azifa and
Ali Azim. The film revolves around three friends, Ashwanee, Ahsan and Ajwad (Played by Shafeeu, Saeed and Manik respectively) who, despite being in their forties, maintain a youthful outlook on life. The film achieved both critical and commercial success, becoming one of the highest-grossing Maldivian films of the year. He next appeared alongside
Fathimath Azifa and
Jadhulla Ismail in
Neydhen Vakivaakah, directed by Mohamed Aboobakuru. Unlike his previous release, this film was a critical and commercial failure.
2018–23: Experiment with different genres ceremony, 2019 2018 was a slow year for the Maldivian film industry, largely due to the
2018 Maldivian presidential election. As a result, Shafeeu had only one film release that year: the suspense thriller
Dhevansoora (2018), which he wrote and directed. The film marked his thirtieth directorial project and featured an ensemble cast of twenty-one actors. The film received positive reviews from critics and was regarded as a "norm-breaker" in Maldivian cinema. Ismail Nail Rasheed from Raajje.mv wrote, "Shafeeu had to portray three different roles in the film, and he lived in each character to its fullest". The film fetched him four awards at the
9th Gaumee Film Awards including
Best Director,
Best Actor,
Best Editing and
Best Screenplay. The series follows a happy and close-knit family that is shattered by a tragic incident leading to an irreparable loss. The series, along with his performance as a caring husband and responsible father who is mistakenly stabbed and murdered, was well received by audiences and critics. In 2019, Shafeeu's first release was the psychological horror thriller
Nivairoalhi, directed by
Moomin Fuad, which marked
Niuma Mohamed's final onscreen film appearance. Starring alongside Mohamed and
Ahmed Asim, he film received mostly positive reviews. Commending Shafeeu's performance as a businessman and the husband of a woman suffering from depression, Maaha wrote, "The less said about Shafeeu's performance, the better. His performance is on par with the standards he himself has created". He then directed and starred in
Nafrathuvumun (2019), alongside
Mariyam Azza,
Ali Azim and
Ahmed Easa. Mariyam Waheedha from
Miadhu praised Shafeeu's "simple yet convincing" performance as a supportive friend. His next project was
Dhauvath (2019), a romantic horror film that follows a newlywed couple on their honeymoon as they experience paranormal activities caused by black magic. Waheedha praised the film for its exploration of witchcraft and black magic while effectively delivering a moral message and drawing strong performances from the cast. However, Ifraz Ali from
Dho? ranked it among the worst five films of the year, pointing out its resemblance to Turkey's
Sijjin film series. In 2022, he starred in
Ahmed Nimal's suspense thriller
Hehes, portraying an atoll councilor caught between his wife and ex-girlfriend. The following year, he wrote and directed the comedy film
Jokaru, which follows a trio of thugs in pursuit of a suitcase, leading to a series of comical misadventures. While Aminath Luba from
The Press while described it as a "laugh riot," she criticized the film's "lagging" first half and excessive humor, which she considered a drawback. The same year, he released the horror film
Kalhaki, in which he played the role of Sharif, one of the friends who embark on a holiday getaway, only to find their trip turning into a horrifying nightmare as bizarre events unfold. The film received mixed to positive reviews from critics. He also released the suspense thriller web series
Hayyaru, where he played a desperate husband forced into a blackmail scheme to settle his debts.
2024–present: Further releases In 2024, Shafeeu wrote and directed the romantic horror film
Saaya, starring alongside
Ibrahim Jihad and
Aminath Rashfa. The story follows a newlywed couple whose honeymoon on an uninhabited island is disrupted by a vengeful spirit. The film received mixed to positive reviews from critics. Ahmed Nadheem from
Mihaaru highlighted Shafeeu's overall contribution as the film's strength, though he pointed out plot inconsistencies, overdramatic dialogues, and overacting by some cast members as drawbacks. He then collaborated with
Hussain Munawwar for the family drama
Kamanaa (2024), starring
Mariyam Azza and
Aminath Rashfa alongside him. The film follows a happily married couple whose relationship is shattered when the husband undergoes a drastic transformation, while the wife fights to protect herself and her unborn child. The film received mainly positive response from critics and audiences. The film had a remarkable theatrical run, screening thirty-seven houseful shows and becoming one of the most commercially successful films in Maldivian cinema history. ==Media image==