1. Shobana is a recipient of two National Film Awards, one Kerala State Film Awards and two Filmfare Awards South.
15 Facts About Shobana
1. 2.
In 2011, Shobana received the Kalaimamani by Tamil Nadu Government.
3.
Shobana established herself as one of the leading and finest South Indian actresses of her time.
4.
Shobana has earned two National Film Award for Best Actress for her performances in the Malayalam film Manichitrathazhu and the English film Mitr, My Friend.
5.
Shobana emerged as an independent performer and choreographer in her twenties and currently runs a dance school, Kalarpana, in Chennai.
6.
Shobana received honorary doctorates from Vinayaka Mission's Research Foundation in 2018, Dr MGR Educational and Research Institute in 2019 and Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit in 2022.
7.
Shobana was awarded Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian award, in 2025.
8.
Shobana Chandrakumar Pillai was born on March 21,1970, into a Nair family in Kerala to Chandrakumar Pillai and Anandam Chandrakumar Pillai.
9.
Shobana starred in the Telugu film Bhakta Dhruva Markendaya in 1982, an acclaimed all children film made in both Tamil and Telugu.
10.
From Aviduthe Pole Ivideyum to Upaharam, Shobana did sixteen movies in a single year, 1985.
11.
Shobana won her first National Film Award for Best Actress in 1993 for her performance in AM Fazil's Manichitrathazhu.
12.
Shobana started her own dance school, "Kalipinya" in 1989 and got it registered in 1992.
13.
Shobana has worked on collaborative ventures with the likes of tabla maestro Zakir Hussain, Vikku Vinayakram and Mandolin Srinivas.
14.
In 1994, Shobana founded a school for classical dance Bharatanatyam in Chennai named Kalarpana.
15.
Shobana remains unmarried and in 2011, adopted a daughter, becoming a single mother.