Shobhana Samarth (17 November 1916 â€" 9 February 2000) was an Indian
film actress, director and producer who began her career in the early
days of talkie movies in the Hindi film industry, and continued in
lead roles into the 1950s. She started in Marathi cinema. Her first
Hindi film Nigahen Nafrat, was released in 1935. She is best
remembered for her portrayal of Sita in Ram Rajya (1943). In 1997, she
was honoured with the Filmfare Special Award for her contribution to
arts.Samarth later produced and directed a pair of movies that
launched the careers of her daughters, Nutan and Tanuja.Shobhana was
born on 17 November 1916 in Bombay, British India, as Saroj Shilotri.
An only child, her father Prabhakar Shilotri was a "pioneer banker"
having started the Shilotri Bank in Bombay. Her mother Rattan Bai, in
1936, acted in the film Frontiers of Freedom, in Marathi (Swarajyachya
Seemewar). Shobhna studied initially in Cathedral School, Bombay, for
one year. In 1928, her father suffered financial losses and the
business went into liquidation. The family then shifted to Bangalore
in 1931, where Shobhana attended Baldwin Girls High School. To earn a
living, her father gave private tuitions, while her mother taught in a
Marathi school. In December that year, her father died of a heart
attack and the mother and daughter returned to Bombay to stay with her
maternal uncle. Shobhana studied in a convent school, but was unable
to complete her matriculation as she had joined films by then. Her
uncle was opposed to her joining films, and she and her mother moved
out of his home (ironically his daughter and Shobhana's cousin Nalini
Jaywant herself became an actress). Shobhana taught privately to make
money. She met her future husband Kumarsen Samarth during this time,
who had just returned from Germany and was keen on directing films.
They got engaged and she started work on her first film.
film actress, director and producer who began her career in the early
days of talkie movies in the Hindi film industry, and continued in
lead roles into the 1950s. She started in Marathi cinema. Her first
Hindi film Nigahen Nafrat, was released in 1935. She is best
remembered for her portrayal of Sita in Ram Rajya (1943). In 1997, she
was honoured with the Filmfare Special Award for her contribution to
arts.Samarth later produced and directed a pair of movies that
launched the careers of her daughters, Nutan and Tanuja.Shobhana was
born on 17 November 1916 in Bombay, British India, as Saroj Shilotri.
An only child, her father Prabhakar Shilotri was a "pioneer banker"
having started the Shilotri Bank in Bombay. Her mother Rattan Bai, in
1936, acted in the film Frontiers of Freedom, in Marathi (Swarajyachya
Seemewar). Shobhna studied initially in Cathedral School, Bombay, for
one year. In 1928, her father suffered financial losses and the
business went into liquidation. The family then shifted to Bangalore
in 1931, where Shobhana attended Baldwin Girls High School. To earn a
living, her father gave private tuitions, while her mother taught in a
Marathi school. In December that year, her father died of a heart
attack and the mother and daughter returned to Bombay to stay with her
maternal uncle. Shobhana studied in a convent school, but was unable
to complete her matriculation as she had joined films by then. Her
uncle was opposed to her joining films, and she and her mother moved
out of his home (ironically his daughter and Shobhana's cousin Nalini
Jaywant herself became an actress). Shobhana taught privately to make
money. She met her future husband Kumarsen Samarth during this time,
who had just returned from Germany and was keen on directing films.
They got engaged and she started work on her first film.
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