This star became lead heroine at 14, was launched by Hema Malini’s mom, did 16 films in a year, is now going viral for..

Written By Riya Sharma | Updated: Jun 29, 2024, 07:06 AM IST

Shobana childhood pic

This star, who was launched by Hema Malini's mother, is now winning hearts with her performance in Kalki 2898 AD.

From Sridevi to Rekha, there are several actresses who gained fame at a very young age and later went on to rule the box office. One such actress, who became lead heroine at 14, is now going viral for her comeback to film after a long hiatus. 

The actress we are talking about was launched by Hema Malini and later became a star in the south industry. She is none other than Shobana. Shobana Chandrakumar Pillai is an Indian actress and Bharatanatyam dancer, who predominantly works in Malayalam films along with Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, and Kannada. 

Shobana was introduced to films by Hema Malini's mother, Jaya Chakravarthy, who spotted her while she was with her aunt, dancer-actress Padmini. The actress started working at a young age and at the age of 14, she became a lead heroine in the Malayalam film industry and made her debut with the film April 18. In her career spanning over 40 years, the actress has worked in over 230 films in various languages.

She worked with superstars like Nandamuri Balakrishna, Venkatesh, Chiranjeevi, Akkineni Nagarjuna, Mohan Babu, Rajendra Prasad, and many more. In 1985, from Aviduthe Pole Ivideyum to Upaharam, Shobana did sixteen movies in a single year. 

Shobana won her first National Film Award for Best Actress in 1993 for her performance in AM Fazil's Manichitrathazhu. Her second National Award for Best Actress came in 2001 for her role in the Indian English language film Mitr, My Friend. The actress focused on  Bharatanatyam after she took a break from films in 2020. 

However, now she has made a smashing comeback to films with India’s most expensive movie Kalki 2898 AD. The actress’ look from the movie is going viral on social media and fans can’t stop praising her for per performance. 

Helmed by Nag Ashwin, Kalki 2898 AD also stars Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Deepika Padukone, and Disha Patani in key roles. The film broke several box office records on its opening day. Made in Rs 600 crore, the film is the most expensive ever made in India.

The DNA app is now available for download on the Google Play Store. Please download the app and share your feedback with us.