Donning the greasepaint again-SHOBHANA

Donning the greasepaint again


Shobhana will make her second innings in Malayalam cinema in a Mammootty starrer and fans expect a lot, reports KK Moidu


Padmashri Shobhana, the leading heroine of Malayalam films in the 90's, will be staging a comeback Mammootty's heroine in Shyama Prasad's Ore Kadal.
Born Shobhana Chandrakumar on March 21, 1966 in Kerala to late Chandrakumar and Dr Anandam Chandrakumar, she is the niece of the famous Travancore Sisters - Lalita, Padmini and Ragini - famous for their classical dancing skills. Shobhana's entry into filmdom happened after she was spotted by Hema Malini's mother, Jaya Chakravarthy. She was then with her aunt, dancer-actress Padmini, the most famous of the Travancore sisters. Shobhana, who was just five then, appeared as a child artiste in Amar Prem and Chemparathy etc.
As a heroine she made her Malayalam film debut in director-actor Balachandra Menon's April 18 in 1984. Although just 18 then, she handled the role of an honest police officer's wife with ease. Not surprisingly she bagged the Film Critics and Nana Gallop Poll Best new face awards for her role in April 18. The same year she acted in the superhit triangular love story Kanamarayathu, starring Mammootty and Rehman. Because of her brilliant performances and fabulous dancing skills, she was repeatedly paired as the leading lady opposite superstars Mammootty and Mohanlal.
The pairing with Mammootty created super hits like Ithiripoove Chuvanna Poove, Ee Sabdham Ennathe Sabdham, Yaathra, Kalikkalam, Pappayude Swantham Appoos, Mazhayethum Munpe, Hitler, Vallyettan etc. Even with Mohanlal she gave box-office hits like TP Balagopalan MA, Nadodikkattu, Vellanakalude Naadu, Pavithram, Minnaram, Maya Mayooram, Manichithrathazhu, Thenmavin Kombathu etc, Shobhana also played Suresh Gopi's heroine in Innale, Sindoora Rekha, Commissioner etc. and in Aramana Veedum Anjoorekkarum, Meleparambil Aanveedu. Minnaminunginum Minnukettu, Kankettu, Superman etc., she was Jayaram's heroine.
She was paired with Mukesh in Kalyana Kacheri, Manathe Vellitheru etc, and in Kumkumacheppu her hero was Manoj K. Jayan. In a Malayalam film career spanning over two decades, she has acted with many heroes but her screen appearances with the superstars was usually a guarantee of success.
A gifted Bharathanatyam dancer, Shobhana completed her training at the Chidambaram Academy in Chennai. She was trained by well-known Bharathanatyam dancers Chitra Visweswaran and Dr Padma Subramaniam.
In spite of having acted in around 200 films in various languages, her dancing skills were rarely utilised, particularly in Malayalam films, where she largely played a housewife or the hero's love interest as village or modern girl. Fazil is among the few directors, who gave her a chance to demonstrate her dancing skills in Manichithrathazhu.
However, Shobhana got umpteen opportunities to stage dance performances in India and abroad. She performed at the World Malayalee Convention in the US. Her dance tours took her all over the US, Europe, South-East Asia and Australia. In Kuala Lumpur she danced before Malaysia's king and queen.
Shobhana has participated in several music and dance festivals in India, including the famous Surya festival in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, between 1994 and 1997.
Even though her movies ran to packed houses, she has focused her attention on her first love, that is dancing. She went into a semi-retirement from Malayalam cinema to pursue this love, while contemporaries quit the industry for wedlock or because roles thad dried up or in search of more lucrative offers in other languages.
In 1994 Shobhana founded Kalarpana, a dance school in Chennai as a symbol of her commitment to classical arts. Kalarpana's aim is to raise funds by organising annual festivals in the country with famous artists from India and abroad. The funds generated were used for the benefit of financially weak but talented artistes, the physically challenged and for environment protection. As an initial step in 1994 an evening of classical music and dance titled Bharatam was organised.
She gave a classical dance recital at a spectacular function at the Gachchbowli Stadium in Hyderabad in honour of Telugu megastar Chiranjeevi, who was awarded the Padma Bhushan. The function was noteworthy because it had luminaries from Southern films as well as Bollywood, including Amitabh Bachchan. Shobhana has acted as Chiranjeevi's heroine in Rowdy Alludu and Rudraveena. The actress-dancer was also part of the Mani Ratnam stage show, Netru, Indru, Naalai.
The Government of India bestowed on her the honour of Padma Shri for her contributions to Bharathanatyam and cinema. She won the State and National Awards for best actress for her performance in Manichithrathazhu and Mitr My Friend', directed by famous actress Revathy - her second national award.
In Ore Kadal, directed by Shyamaprasad, Mammootty will play the title role of an economist. The film will be produced by Vindhyan under the banner of Rasika Entertainment. The film will see Shyamaprasad, known for serious and meaningful films like Agnisakshi and Akale working with Mammootty for the first time.
Ore Kadal is based on a Bengali novel and is scripted by Shyamaprasad himself. Besides Mammootty and Shobhana, the other lead stars in the movie are Narein (Sunil) and Meera Jasmine. Narein and Meera Jasmine were paired earlier in the superhit Achuvinte Amma. After the runaway success of Classmates and Chithiram Pesuthadi in Tamil, Narein has become popular and he is doing an important role in Ore Kadal. Meera Jasmine has never appeared in a Mammootty film before. Azhagappan handles the cinematography.
Shobhana's second innings could contribute a lot to Malayalam cinema, particularly if directors give her roles that tap her dancing talent. Most of the top heroines today are below 25 years and the reigning superstars are either touching 50 or much over that age. Shobhana though above 40, is still unmarried, making her the ideal choice for a mature heroine's role.