Shoba: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|Indian actress}}

| caption            = Shobha from the film ''[[Moodu Pani]]'' (1980)<ref>https://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/balu-mahendra-19392014/article5684322.ece/photo/3/</ref>

| death_date        = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1980|05|01|1962|09|23}}<ref name="birth">{{Cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=JYkxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Z6QFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1250,542528&dq=shobha+balu+mahendra&hl=en |title=Top Indian actress found hanged |date=2 May 1980 |work=[[The Gazette (Montreal)]] |agency=[[United Press International]] |page=10}}</ref>

| death_place        = [[Chennai]], [[Tamil Nadu]],India

| death_cause        = [[Suicide]]

| spouse            = {{marriage|[[Balu Mahendra]]|1978|May 1, 1980|end=d.}}

| parents            = K. P. Menon (Father)<br />[[Prema (Malayalam actress)|Prema]] (Mother)

'''Mahalakshmi Menon''', best known by her stagename '''Shobha''' (23 September 1962 – 1 May 1980), was an [[India]]n actress best known for her work in [[Malayalam cinema|Malayalam]] and [[Tamil cinema|Tamil]] films. At the age of 17, she won the [[National Film Award for Best Actress]] for her role in the 1979 Tamil film ''[[Pasi (film)|Pasi]]''. She also received three [[Kerala State Film Awards]]: for Best Actress (1978), Best Supporting Actress (1977) and Best Child Artist (1971); and two [[Filmfare Awards South]] for Best Actress in [[Kannada cinema|Kannada]] (1978) and Tamil (1979) films. Considered one of the finest talents to have emerged in the Indian film world, her promising career was unexpectedly cut short as she committed suicide in 1980, due to unknown reasons. Her popularity resulted in considerable public scrutiny of the events that led to her death and also various conspiracy theories. The 1983 Malayalam film ''[[Lekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback]]'' is supposedly based on her life and death.

Shoba was born on 23 September 1962 to K. P. Menon and [[Prema Menon]].<ref>https://english.manoramaonline.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2020/05/09/actress-shobha-filmy-life-story-still-remain-endearing.html</ref> Her mother was an actress in the Malayalam film industry during the 1950s.{{citation needed|date = September 2015}}

In 1966, Shoba made her screen debut in [[Tamil language|Tamil]] [[Thriller (genre)|Thriller]] film ''Thattungal Thirakkappadum'' directed by actor [[J. P. Chandrababu]]. In the film she was credited as Baby Mahalakshmi where she played the role of Lakshmi opposite actress [[Savitri (actress)|Savitri]], [[K. R. Vijaya]], [[R. S. Manohar]] and Chandrababu himself.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.southside.in/24/The-ageony-and-ecstasy-of-being-Chandrababu/ |title=The agony and ecstasy of being – Chandrababu |publisher=Southside |year=2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080619234218/http://www.southside.in/24/The-ageony-and-ecstasy-of-being-Chandrababu/ |archive-date=19 June 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/fr/2009/10/02/stories/2009100250670400.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091106120522/http://www.hindu.com/fr/2009/10/02/stories/2009100250670400.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=6 November 2009 |title=A voice that mesmerised  |work= [[The Hindu]] | date=2 October 2009 |author=Randor Guy |author-link=Randor Guy |access-date=5 March 2012 }}</ref> The following year she made her debut in [[Malayalam cinema]] through ''[[Udhyogastha]]'' by [[P. Venu]] where she was named as Baby Shoba. Touted as the first "multi-starrer", with five top actors, in Malayalam cinema, the film had [[Sathyan (actor)|Sathyan]], [[Prem Nazir]], [[K. P. Ummer]], [[Padmini (actress)|Padmini]], [[Sharada (actress)|Sharada]], [[Sheela]] and [[Rajasree]] in the lead along with Shobha.<ref>{{cite news |author=Special Correspondent |title=Film director P. Venu dead |url=http://www.hindu.com/2011/05/26/stories/2011052661790400.htm | date=26 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110808081738/http://www.hindu.com/2011/05/26/stories/2011052661790400.htm |archive-date=8 August 2011 |work=[[The Hindu]] |url-status=dead |access-date=20 September 2015}}</ref> The film was a big hit and gained Shoba recognition as a child actor in [[Cinema of South India|South Indian cinema]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://entertainment.oneindia.in/malayalam/news/2011/p-venu-died-heart-attack-260511-aid0062.html |title=P Venu dies of heart attack in Chennai |publisher=[[Oneindia.in]] | date=26 May 2011 |access-date=5 March 2012 }}</ref>

In 1978 she was cast as a heroine in ''[[Uthrada Rathri]]'', a film directed by [[Balachandra Menon]]. She received the Kerala government's Best Actress award for the 1978 films ''[[Bandhanam]]'' and ''[[Ente Neelakaasham]]''. The same year she earned the Best Actress award by Filmfare for the Kannada-language film ''Aparichita''. In 1979 she was recipient of the National Award for Best Actress for the Tamil film ''[[Pasi (film)|Pasi]]'', which was produced by Lalitha, the eldest of the [[Travancore sisters]]. She also received the Filmfare Best Actress award for ''Pasi'' and received the Second Best Actress award from the Kerala government in 1977 for the film ''[[Ormakal Marikkumo]]''.

Shobha committed suicide at the age of 17.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/fr/2002/05/03/stories/2002050300330300.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030704154904/http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/fr/2002/05/03/stories/2002050300330300.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 July 2003 |title=It's a heavy price to pay |work=[[The Hindu]] |date=3 May 2002 |author=S. R. Ashok Kumar  |access-date=11 January 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movie-news/jan-07-01/04-01-07-actress.html |title=A story on suicides and actresses |publisher=Behindwoods.com | date=4 January 2007 |access-date=11 January 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.mid-day.com/entertainment/2002/apr/23474.htm |title=Why South Indian heroines are embracing death |publisher= [[Mid-Day]] | date=20 April 2002 |access-date=11 January 2012 }}</ref> She was married to [[Balu Mahendra]]. In an interview to [[Anu Haasan]] in [[Koffee with Anu]], [[Balu Mahendra]] has said that the tragedy of how Shoba was suddenly snatched away from his life by destiny, as quickly as she came, formed the plot for his next movie ''[[Moondram Pirai]]''. The 1983 Malayalam film ''[[Lekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback]]'' directed by [[K. G. George]] is loosely based on her life and death.<ref name=TOILekhayudeBased>http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/kannada/movies/news/Balu-Mahendra-passes-away/articleshow/30334092.cms</ref>

* ''[[Lillyppookkal]]'' (1979)

;[[National Film Awards]]<ref>{{cite news|last1=S. R.|first1=Ashok Kumar|title=It's a heavy price to pay|url=http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/fr/2002/05/03/stories/2002050300330300.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030210201146/http://thehindu.com/thehindu/fr/2002/05/03/stories/2002050300330300.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 February 2003|access-date=23 August 2015|work=[[The Hindu]]|date=3 May 2002}}</ref>

{{Reflist||refs=http://imprintsonindianfilmscreen.blogspot.in/2011/08/sobha.html}}

* [http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/sindooracheppu-1971/article5848402.ece Sindooracheppu (1971)]

* [http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/naturalism-was-his-signature/article5687161.ece Naturalism was his signature]

* [http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/kokila-was-balus-first-as-director/article5687412.ece Kokila was Balu’s first as director]

* [http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/balu-mahendra-19392014/article5684322.ece#im-image-7 Balu Mahendra (1939–2014)]

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140302203734/http://malayalamcinemahistory.com/pr/Shobha/ShobhaPhotos.htm Shobha]

* [http://imprintsonindianfilmscreen.blogspot.in/2011/08/sobha.html Sobha]

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20030704154904/http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/fr/2002/05/03/stories/2002050300330300.htm It's a heavy price to pay]

* {{IMDb name|1685564|Shobha}}