Thudarum Actress Shobana's Journey: Started Acting At 10, National Award Winner, Single Mother At 55

Shobana Chandrakumar Pillai, popularly known as Shobana is one of the most popular actresses of South Indian cinema. In a career span of over four decades, she has acted in more than 200 films across several languages. Apart from acting, Shobana is a Bharatanatyam dancer and runs a dance school, Kalarpana in Chennai.

Born in Kerala to Chandrakumar Pillai and Anandam Chandrakumar Pillai, Shobana is the niece of renowned actresses, also known as Travancore sisters, Padmini, Lalitha and Ragini. She is one of the most sought-after actresses down South and is loved for her versatility as an actress. In her long-acting career, Shobana has won two National Awards for Best Actress for her performances in Manichitrathazhu and Mitr: My Friend.

Shobana is currently leading the headlines as the actress was recently honoured with the Padma Bhushan. She also reunited with Malayalam superstar, Mohanlal after 15 years for the film, Thudarum. The film which was initially released on April 25, 2025, became a massive hit on the big screen. The film earned Rs. 236 crores worldwide, breaking many records.

While Shobana’s professional life has always garnered attention, her personal life is equally guarded. The actress is still single at the age of 55, and is the mother of a daughter. Let us read on to know more about her.

Shobana began acting at the age of 10

Shobana began her acting career at the age of 10 in 1980 with the film, Mangala Nayagi, for which she also won the Best Child Artist Award. In 1984, she made her debut as a lead actress in the Malayalam film, April 18. Since then, there has been no looking back for her. She has acted with many leading heroes of the South Indian film industry, and films like Idhu Namma Aalu, Paattuku Oru Thalaivan, Ponmana Selvan, Thenmavin Kombathu, Minnaram, Hitler, Thira, and Thalapathi established her as a leading actress.

Shobana chose to remain unmarried and is still single at the age of 55

Despite being one of the most successful actresses, Shobana chose to remain unmarried and is single even at the age of 55. In her busy schedule of acting and dancing, she hardly paid attention to getting married. In a throwback interview, Shobana talked about being single and stated:

“Well, I am not particularly against the institution of marriage in anyways. I haven’t found the time for it amidst my busy schedule. Maybe I haven’t spotted the right guy. And for that matter, I have seen only a few marriages that work. That can also be one of the reasons."

Shobana, the leading Indian actress and dancer, who has motivated millions with her choices in life revealed how marriage cannot define a person’s happiness and continued:

“I am not here to share about my personal life and choices. I don't think only marriage can give happiness and I am saddened to hear everyone thinking that marriage is ultimate in life to feel fulfilled. There are many ways and every individual's life has its own merits and journey. You can't just generalize things.”

Shobana is a single mother

The gorgeous Shobana didn’t let motherhood come in the way of her marital status and adopted a baby girl in 2011. She named her daughter, Anantha Narayani, named after Shobana’s grandmother. Despite her glamorous career, Shobana has kept her daughter away from the media. Shobana has also restricted Narayani’s pictures on any of her social media pages.

Even at the age of 55, Shobana can give any actress a run for her money with her charisma and on-screen presence. She is an inspiration to millions.

Also Read: Meet Sai Pallavi, Holds An MBBS Degree, Doesn't Wear Makeup, Rejected Fairness Ad Worth Rs. 2 Crores

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