| Shobana | |
| Birth Name: | Shobana Chandrakumar Pillai |
| Birth Date: | 21 March 1970 |
| Birth Place: | Trivandrum, Kerala, India |
| Children: | 1 |
| Years Active: | 1980–present |
| Relatives: | Travancore sisters (aunts)Parvathy Jayaram (cousin) |
| Family: | Travancore family |
Shobana Chandrakumar Pillai (born 21 March 1970[1] [2]) is an Indian actress and Bharatanatyam dancer. She acts predominantly in Malayalam films along with Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada and English films. She has won two National Film Awards, one Kerala State Film Awards, two Filmfare Awards South with 14 Nominations for Best Actress Category in three different south Indian languages. She was honoured with Kalaimamani by Tamil Nadu State Government in 2011 and numerous other awards.[3] [4] In a career spanning more than 40 years, Shobana has starred in 230 films across several languages.[5]
She won the National Film Award for Best Actress twice for her performances in the Malayalam film Manichitrathazhu (1993) and the English film Mitr, My Friend (2001).[6] [7] [8] [9] [10]
Shobhana is also a Bharatanatyam dancer who received her training under Chitra Visweswaran and Padma Subrahmanyam. She emerged as an independent performer and choreographer in her twenties and currently runs a dance school, Kalarpana, in Chennai.[6] In 2006, the Government of India honoured her with the Padma Shri for her contributions towards the arts.[11] [12]
In 2013, she received Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Fellowship, also known as Kalarathna, for her contributions to the performing arts.[13] She received honorary doctorates from Vinayaka Mission's Research Foundation in 2018,[14] Dr. MGR Educational and Research Institute in 2019[15] and Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit in 2022.[16]
Shobana is the niece of the Travancore sisters – Lalitha, Padmini and Ragini, all of whom were Indian classical dancers and actresses.[17] Shobhana is single. In 2011, she adopted a daughter, becoming a single mother.[18] [19] [20] [21]
Shobana made her debut as a child artist. She had a major role in the Tamil movie Mangala Nayagi in 1980 directed by Krishnan–Panju, starring Srikanth and K. R. Vijaya, which was the remake of the Hindi film Saajan Bina Suhagan, for which she won the Best Child Artiste Award.[22]
She also starred in the Telugu film Bhakta Dhruva Markendaya in 1982, an acclaimed all children film made in both Tamil and Telugu.[23] [24] As an adult, she was introduced to the film industry through the Malayalam film April 18 (1984), by director Balachandra Menon. Her realistic portrayal of a simple girl-next-door appealed to audiences and she went on to work in numerous films. In the same year, she entered the Tamil film industry and acted in Enakkul Oruvan (1984), directed by SP Muthuraman.[7] Enakkul Oruvan didn't perform well at the box office and Shobana's commercial landing was stalled as she went back into Malayalam films. She did come back to act in occasional Tamil films opposite Satyaraj (Mallu Vetti Minor, Vaathiyar Veetu Pillai), Bhagyaraj (Ithu Namma Aalu) and Vijayakanth (Ponmana Selvan, En Kitta Mothathey) in the early 90s – these roles were generally glamorous in which Shobana generally acted as the beautiful, posh and haughty city girl who is eventually charmed by the village boy.[25]
Her other major films include Rudraveena (1988), Meleparambil Aanveedu, Kanamarayathu (1984) Ithiri Poove Chuvanna Poove, Yathra (1985), Anantaram (1987), Nadodikkattu (1987), Vellanakalude Nadu (1988), Idhu Namma Aalu (1988), Siva (1989), Innale (1990), Kalikkalam (1990), Thalapathi (1991), Pappayude Swantham Appoos (1992), Manichitrathazhu (1993), Thenmavin Kombath (1994), Minnaram (1994), Mazhayethum Munpe (1995), Hitler (1996), Agni Sakshi (1999), Dance like a Man (2003), Makalkku (2005), Thira (2013) and Varane Avashyamund (2020). From Aviduthe Pole Ivideyum to Upaharam, Shobana did sixteen movies in a single year, 1985.[26] Shobana also acted in the Tamil period film Kochadaiiyaan (2014).[4]
She has shared the screen space with the ace actors of Tollywood right from Nandamuri Balakrishna, Venkatesh, Chiranjeevi, Akkineni Nagarjuna, Mohan Babu, Rajendra Prasad, and many more. In Rudraveena (1984), alongside Mega Star Chiranjeevi, she played classical dancer Lalitha Sivajyothi, who belongs to a lower caste and is denied entry into the temple. The film gave her recognition in Telugu cinema. In Abhinandana (1988), she paired with Karthik, and essayed his love interest, who aspires to become a classical dancer. In Kokila (1990), she paired with Naresh, and In Alludugaru (1990) she starred opposite Mohan Babu and was a remake of Malayalam film Chithram. 1 April Viduthala and Rowdy Gari Pellam were other Telugu films in 1991.[27]
Shobana won her first National Film Award for Best Actress in 1993 for her performance in AM Fazil's Manichitrathazhu. Her portrayal of Ganga Nakulan and alter-ego Nagavalli in the film was described by critics as "spell binding".[28] She received her second National Film Award for Best Actress in 2001 for her role in the Indian English language film Mitr, My Friend, directed by Revathi.
Following her National Award win in 1993, Shobana became highly selective about her films.[29]
Shobana is a Bharata Natyam dancer.[30] She did her dance training at the Chidambaram academy in Chennai, Tamil Nadu under Chitra Visweswaran. Shobana danced Abhinaya, a pivotal element in Bharata Natyam. She was one among the judges in Jodi No. 1, a reality show for dance aired on Vijay TV.
She started her own dance school, "Kalipinya" in 1989 and got it registered in 1992.[3]
She has worked on collaborative ventures with the likes of tabla maestro Zakir Hussain, Vikku Vinayakram and Mandolin Srinivas. Her recitals abroad include those at the World Malayalee convention, in the United States in 1985 and 1995, in Kuala Lumpur before the King and Queen of Malaysia, numerous cities in the United States, Europe, South East Asia and Australia.[31] Shobana started performing in the Soorya Music & Dance festival organised by Soorya Krishnamoorthy from the year 1994.[32]
In 1994, Shobana founded a school for classical dance Bharatanatyam in Chennai named Kalarpana.[33]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Bhakta Dhruva Markandeya | Sunithi Devi | Children's film | ||
| 1984 | Marchandi Mana Chattalu | Uma | |||
| 1985 | Marana Sasanam | Lalitha | |||
| 1986 | Srimathi Kanuka | Padma | |||
| Vijrumbhana | Shobha | ||||
| Vikram | Radha | ||||
| Dagudu Moothalu | Radha | ||||
| Asthram | Padmini | ||||
| 1987 | Muddula Manavudu | Hemalatha | |||
| Manavadostunnaadu | Roopa | ||||
| Ajeyudu | Rekha | ||||
| Muvva Gopaladu | Krishna veni | ||||
| Trimurtulu | Latha | ||||
| 1988 | Rudraveena | Lalita Shiva Jyoti | |||
| Abhinandana | Rani | ||||
| Praja Pratinidhi | Bharathi | ||||
| 1990 | Paapa Kosam | Swapna | |||
| Nari Nari Naduma Murari | Shobha | ||||
| Kokila | Kokila | ||||
| Shourya chakra | Bharathi | ||||
| Neti Siddhartha | Jyoti | ||||
| Alludugaru | Kalyani | ||||
| 1991 | April 1st Vidudhala | Bhuvaneshwari | |||
| Appula Appa Rao | Subba Laxmi | ||||
| Rowdy Gaari Pellam | Janaki | ||||
| Minor Raja | Santhana Lakshmi | ||||
| Manchi Roju | Padma | ||||
| Rowdy Alludu | Sita | ||||
| Alludu Diddina Kapuram | Sita | ||||
| Keechu Raallu | Monica | ||||
| 1992 | Ahankari | Shobana | |||
| Asadhyulu | Jyoti | ||||
| Champion | Sandhya | ||||
| Hello Darling | Bharathi | ||||
| Sivaratri | Gayatrhi | ||||
| Gangwar | Pavithra | ||||
| 1993 | Rowdy Gaari Teacher | Malli | |||
| Naga Jyoti | Naga rani | ||||
| Kannayya Kittayya | Saroja | ||||
| Nippu Ravva | Guest appearance in a song | ||||
| Rendilla Poojari | Radha | ||||
| Rakshana | Padma | ||||
| 1997 | Surya Putrulu | Ragini | |||
| 2006 | Game | Uma | |||
| 2024 | Kalki 2898 AD | Mariam | Also sung the song "Theme of Shambala" |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Mangala Nayagi | Herself | Child artist | |
| Manmatha Ragangal | Herself | Child artist | ||
| 1984 | Enakkul Oruvan | Kalpana | ||
| 1985 | Marudhani | Marudhani | ||
| 1988 | Oray Thaai Oray Kulam | Easwari | ||
| Kadhal Geetham | Rani | |||
| Idhu Namma Aalu | Banu | |||
| 1989 | Sattathin Thirappu Vizhaa | Radha | ||
| Paattukku Oru Thalaivan | Shanthi | |||
| Siva | Parvathy | |||
| Ponmana Selvan | Parvathy | |||
| Vaathiyaar Veettu Pillai | Geeta | |||
| 1990 | Enkitta Mothathe | Mallika | ||
| Mallu Vetti Minor | Santhana Lakshmi | |||
| Sathya Vaakku | Meena | |||
| 1991 | Mahamayi | Mahamayi | ||
| Thalapathi | Subhalakshmi | |||
| 1993 | Sivarathiri | Gayathri | ||
| 1996 | Thuraimugam | Rukkumani | ||
| 2012 | Podaa Podi | Veena | ||
| 2014 | Kochadaiiyaan | Yaaghavi | ||
| 2025 | Coolie |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Giri Baale | Neelaveni | ||
| 1990 | Shivashankar | Girija |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Swami Vivekananda | Dancer | ||
| 2007 | Apna Asmaan | Padmini Kumar | ||
| 2008 | Mere Baap Pehle Aap | Anuradha Joshi (Annu) |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Mitr, My Friend | Lakshmi | Actress Revathy's directional debut |
| 2003 | Dance Like a Man | Ratna Parekh | |
| 2008 | A Little Dream | Sundar's mother | Documentary film about the journey of former Indian President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam |
| Year | Honour | Honouring body | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Grade A Top | Doordarshan | [35] |
| 2006 | Padma Shri | Government of India | [36] [37] |
| 2011 | Kalaimamani | Tamil Nadu Eyal Isai Nataka Manram, Government of Tamil Nadu | [38] |
| 2012 | Arch of Excellence | All India Achievers Conference | [39] |
| 2013 | Kalarathna | Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy | [40] |
| 2018 | Honorary doctorate (D.Litt) | Vinayaka Mission's Research Foundation | |
| 2019 | Dr. MGR Educational and Research Institute | ||
| 2022 | Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit |
| Year | Awards and nominations | Category | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Filmfare Awards South | Best Actress - Malayalam | Kanamarayathu | |
| 1985 | Yathra | |||
| 1986 | Chilambu | |||
| 1988 | Best Actress - Telugu | Rudraveena | ||
| Best Actress - Tamil | Idhu Namma Aalu | |||
| 1990 | Best Actress - Malayalam | Innale | ||
| Best Actress - Telugu | Alludugaru | |||
| 1991 | Rowdy Gaari Pellam | |||
| 1993 | National Film Awards | Best Actress | Manichitrathazhu | |
| Kerala State Film Awards | Best Actress | |||
| Filmfare Awards South | Best Actress - Malayalam | Manichitrathazhu | ||
| 1994 | Thenmavin Kombath | [41] | ||
| 1996 | Kumkumacheppu | |||
| 1999 | Agnisakshi | |||
| 2002 | National Film Awards | Best Actress | Mitr, My Friend | |
| 2005 | Filmfare Awards South | Best Actress - Malayalam | Makalkku | |
| 2013 | Vanitha Film Awards | Best Actress | Thira | [42] |
| Filmfare Awards South | Best Actress - Malayalam | |||
| 2021 | 10th South Indian International Movie Awards | Best Actress - Malayalam | Varane Avashyamund | |
| 2021-2022 | Filmfare Awards South | Best Actress - Malayalam | [43] |
| Year | Title | Channel | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Penn | DD Podhigai | Tamil | Serial |
| 1999 | Uravugal | Vijay TV | ||
| 2010 | Jodi Number one season 5 | Reality show as Judge | ||
| Super Jodi | Surya TV | Malayalam | ||
| 2015 | D 3 (Grand finale) | Mazhavil Manorama | ||
| 2017 | Midukki | |||
| 2021 | Margazhi Thingal | YouTube | Tamil | Music Video[44] |
| Madhuram Shobhanam | Zee Keralam | Malayalam | ||
| 2023 | Mayamayuram | Serial launch promo | ||
| Subhadram | ||||
| Seethayanam |
