| Shobhna Samarth | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1915 |
| Died | 9 February 2000 |
| Nationality | indian |
| Occupation | actress, film director |
Shobhna Samarth (Marathi: शोभना समर्थ) (ca. 1915 – 9 February 2000) was a Marathi actress who began her career in the early days of talkie movies in the Indian 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).[1]
She later produced and directed a pair of movies that launched the careers of her daughters, Nutan and Tanuja.
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A member of a prominent film industry family, which has been in Bollywood since the 1940s, Shobhna was born as Saroj Shilotri to banker P.S. Shilotri and his wife, Rattan Bai.
She was married to director and cinematographer Kumarsen Samarth from Vile Parle(E), Mumbai. They had four daughters. Eventually the couple parted amicably and Shobhana became linked to actor Motilal.[2] Two of her daughters, Nutan and Tanuja, also became actresses. Shobhana produced their debut films. Another daughter, Chatura, is an artist, and her daughter Reshma, who is married, currently lives in St. Louis, MO. Chatura acted in only 1 Bollywood movie, and Reshma never entered into movies. Nutan's son Mohnish Behl is also an actor as are Tanuja's daughters Kajol & Tanisha Mukherjee. Kajol is married to actor Ajay Devgan. Other members of the dynasty include Shomu Mukherjee who married Tanuja. (See [Mukherjee-Samarth family (film)).
She and daughter Nutan were estranged for more than two decades but reconciled three years before Nutan's death from cancer in February 1991. At her own death from cancer in 2000, Shobhna had seven granddaughters, one grandson, three great-granddaughters, and two great-grandsons.
Samarth won a Filmfare Special Award in 1996.[3]
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