shoba

{{Infobox person

| name = Shobha

| image = Shoba actress.jpg

| caption = Shobha from the film Moodu Pani (1980){{Cite news |title=Balu Mahendra (1939-2014) |date=2021-11-22 |newspaper=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema//article60649382.ece/photo/3/ |url-access=limited |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220412212159/https://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema//article60649382.ece/photo/3/ |archive-date=2022-04-12 |url-status=live}}

| birth_name = Mahalakshmi Menon

| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1962|09|23}}

| birth_place =

| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1980|05|01|1962|09|23}}{{Cite news |title=Top Indian actress found hanged |newspaper=Montreal Gazette |date=2 May 1980 |page=10 |agency=United Press International |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=JYkxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Z6QFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1250,542528&dq=shobha+balu+mahendra&hl=en |via=Google News Archive}}

| death_place = Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

| death_cause = Suicide by hanging

| resting_place =

| resting_place_coordinates =

| other_names = Shoba Mahendra, Urvashi Shoba, Baby Mahalakshmi, Baby Shoba

| occupation = Actress

| years_active = 1965–1980

| spouse = {{marriage|Balu Mahendra|1978}}

| mother = Prema

}}

Mahalakshmi Menon, best known by her stagename Shobha (23 September 1962 – 1 May 1980), was an Indian actress best known for her work in Malayalam and 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. 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 (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, for unknown reasons. Her popularity resulted in considerable public scrutiny of the events that led to her death and also various conspiracy theories.{{Cite news |title=Remembering Shoba, the brilliant actor who left us too soon |first=CV |last=Aravind |date=9 May 2020 |work=The News Minute |url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/remembering-shoba-brilliant-actor-who-left-us-too-soon-124228 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008114700/https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/remembering-shoba-brilliant-actor-who-left-us-too-soon-124228 |archive-date=2021-10-08 |url-status=live}} The 1983 Malayalam film Lekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback is supposedly based on her life and death.

Born to Malayali parents in Madras, she started her career in the Tamil film industry, making her debut as a child artist in Thattungal Thirakkappadum (1966). Her first film as the main lead actress was in the 1978 Malayalam film Uthrada Rathri.

Early life

Shoba was born on 23 September 1962, to K. P. Menon and Prema Menon{{snd}}an actress credited by the mononym Prema, in the Malayalam film industry, from 1954 to 1981.{{Cite web |title=Actress Shobha and her intriguingly filmy life story still remain endearing |first=Subash |last=Babu |date=2020-05-10 |newspaper=Malayala Manorama |url=https://english.manoramaonline.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2020/05/09/actress-shobha-filmy-life-story-still-remain-endearing.html |access-date=2022-04-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200529134452/https://english.manoramaonline.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2020/05/09/actress-shobha-filmy-life-story-still-remain-endearing.html |archive-date=2020-05-29 |url-status=dead}}

Career

In 1966, Shoba made her screen debut in Tamil 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, K. R. Vijaya, R. S. Manohar and Chandrababu himself.{{cite web |title=The agony and ecstasy of being – Chandrababu |website=Southside.in |year=2007 |url=http://www.southside.in/24/The-ageony-and-ecstasy-of-being-Chandrababu/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20080619234218/http://www.southside.in/24/The-ageony-and-ecstasy-of-being-Chandrababu/ |archive-date=2008-06-19 |url-status=dead}}{{Failed verification|date=April 2022}}{{cite news |title=A voice that mesmerised |first=Randor |last=Guy |author-link=Randor Guy |work=The Hindu |date=2 October 2009 |url=http://www.hindu.com/fr/2009/10/02/stories/2009100250670400.htm |access-date=5 March 2012 |url-access=limited |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091106120522/http://www.hindu.com/fr/2009/10/02/stories/2009100250670400.htm |archive-date=6 November 2009 |url-status=dead}} The following year she made her debut in Malayalam cinema in P. Venu's Udhyogastha, where she was credited as Baby Shoba. The film has been touted as the first "multi-starrer" of Malayalam cinema, with such top actors as Sathyan, Prem Nazir, K. P. Ummer, Padmini, Sharada, Sheela and Rajasree;{{cite news |title=Film director P. Venu dead |date=26 May 2011 |work=The Hindu |url=http://www.hindu.com/2011/05/26/stories/2011052661790400.htm |access-date=20 September 2015 |url-access=limited |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110808081738/http://www.hindu.com/2011/05/26/stories/2011052661790400.htm |archive-date=8 August 2011 |url-status=dead}} the huge hit, in a film targeted to all ages, brought Shoba wide attention as a child actor.{{Citation needed|date=December 2022}}

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 cinema film Aparichita. In 1979 she received the National Award for Best Actress for the Tamil 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.

Death

Shobha is alleged to have committed suicide by hanging at the age of 17.{{cite news |title=It's a heavy price to pay |first=S. R. Ashok |last= Kumar |date=3 May 2002 |newspaper=The Hindu |url=http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/fr/2002/05/03/stories/2002050300330300.htm |access-date=11 January 2012 |url-access=limited |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}}{{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 }} She was married to Balu Mahendra. The 1983 Malayalam film Lekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback directed by K. G. George is loosely based on her life and death.{{Cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/kannada/movies/news/Balu-Mahendra-passes-away/articleshow/30334092.cms|title = Veteran director Balu Mahendra no more|website = The Times of India| last1=Joy | first1=Prathibha }}

Filmography

=Malayalam films=

Year	Title	Role
class="wikitable sortable"
1965	Jeevithayaathra
rowspan=2 \| 1966	Karuna
Penmakkal
rowspan=3 \| 1967	Ollathumathi
Udhyogastha
Pareeksha
rowspan=3 \| 1968	Kadal
Adhyapika
Aparadhini
rowspan=2 \| 1969	Kuruthikkalam
Veettumrugam
rowspan=4 \| 1971	Avalalpam Vaikippoyi
Yogamullaval
Sindooracheppu	Ammalu
Makane Ninakku Vendi	Young Sophia
rowspan=3 \| 1972	Taxi Car	Baby Shobha
Gandharavakshetram	Young Lakshmi
Aradimanninte Janmi	Minikutty
rowspan=2 \| 1973	Udayam	Young Geetha
Bhadradeepam	Lekha
rowspan=2 \| 1974	Ayalathe Sundari	Shobha
Night Duty	Ammini
1975	Ayodhya	Shanthi
rowspan=2 \| 1976	Chottanikkara Amma
Amrithavaahini	Rani
rowspan=4 \| 1977	Dweepu
Ormakal Marikkumo	Ammini/Parvathi
Nurayum Pathayum
Rajaparambara
rowspan=7 \| 1978	Pad–aram	Shoba
Randu Penkuttikal
Vayanadan Thamban
Uthrada Rathri
Oolkatal	Reena
Ekakini
Bandhanam	Thankam
rowspan=3 \| 1979	Lillyppookkal
Ishtapraaneshwari	Rema
Ente Neelakaasham	Malathy
rowspan=5 \| 1980	Shalini Ente Koottukari	Shalini
Daaliya Pookkal
Soorya Daaham
Yovvanam Daham
Manju Moodal Manju

=Tamil films=

Year	Title	Role	class="unsortable" \| Notes
class="wikitable sortable"
1965	Naanal		Child artist
1966	Thattungal Thirakkappadum		Child artist
1969	Iru Kodugal	Shoba	Child artist
1971	Punnagai
1974	Vairam	Usha
rowspan=4 \| 1978	Achchani
Nizhal Nijamagiradhu	Thilagam
Oru Veedu Oru Ulagam	Gowri
Mullum Malarum	Valli
rowspan=7 \| 1979	Veetuku Veedu Vasappadi
Oru Vidukadhai Oru Thodarkadhai	Kamala Typist
Enippadigal	Chella Kannu
Chakkalathi	Panchali
Agal Vilakku	Navaneetham
Azhiyatha Kolangal	Indumathi
Pasi	Kuppamma
rowspan=4 \| 1980	Veli Thandiya Velladu
Ponnagaram	Bhavani	Released posthumously
Samanthipoo	Sakthi	Released posthumously
Moodu Pani	Rekha	Released posthumously
rowspan=3 \| 1981	Mayil		Released posthumously
Vaadagai Veedu		Released posthumously
Anbulla Athan		Released posthumously

=Kannada films=

Year	Title	Role	class="unsortable" \| Notes
class="wikitable sortable"
1977	Kokila	Kokila
1978	Aparichita	Kusuma
1982	Amara Madhura Prema		Released posthumously

=Telugu films=

Year	Title	Role
class="wikitable sortable"
1977	Tharam Marindi	Chenna
1978	Manavoori Pandavulu	Sundari

Awards

;National Film Awards

1979 – National Film Award for Best Actress for Pasi

;Filmfare Awards South

1978 – Filmfare Best Kannada Actress Award for Aparichita
1979 – Filmfare Best Tamil Actress Award for Pasi

;Kerala State Film Award{{cite web |title=State Film Awards |url=http://www.prd.kerala.gov.in/stateawares.htm |publisher=Kerala State Chalachitra Academy |access-date=26 September 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303232254/http://www.prd.kerala.gov.in/stateawares.htm |archive-date=3 March 2016 }}