Remebering Shoba

molliekutty :) · Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2005 12:07 am Post subject: Remebering Shoba

It was 25 years back that Shoba's suicide news shocked movie goers. She was the youngest actress to get the ‘Urvasi’ award for the Tamil film Pasi. Her co-star Venu Nagavalli remembers this girl.
They both were the lead pair in Ullakadal directed by K G George. Balu Mahendra and Venu used to go everyday in the evening to the temple at Trivandrum beach. Balu used to offer ‘archana’ in the name of Shoba. Balu then was Balu Uncle, the mentor. The film was a hit and it brought Shoba to limelight in Malayalam. Six months later Venu saw Shoba at the sets of Shalini Ente Kottukari, where they both were co artistes. Balu used to visit the set often. Venu noticed that it was not the same Shoba. She had lot of sorrow in her face. One day she had a bitter fight with her parents. The producer intervened and saw that shooting was not disrupted.Shoba sent word through her lady assistant that she wanted to see him. He went over to her room. "Do you know my problems?" she asked. “Yes I heard but I did not want to poke my nose in your personal matter" he replied. Then she told him that she wanted to marry Balu uncle and asked for his opinion. He told her that by doing so, she was wrecking Balu's family and added that if she felt so strongly then she should follow whatever her mind felt. She said that she could not live without Balu. At this note she left. On the last day of the shooting she asked Venu to send across his photos since a Tamil film was being planned with both of them. Before the film got released Shoba had become a memory.
Shoba was born in1962 in Chennai. Her mother Prema was an actress. She dropped out of third standard to become a child artiste.