South Indian actress Shobana, who hails from a family of acclaimed dancers, was seen as a promising young talent at the start of her career. Shobana Chandrakumar Pillai is the daughter of the brother of actresses Lalitha, Padmini, and Ragini, famously known as the Thiruvananthapuram Sisters. Although her mother was brought up abroad, Shobana herself was thoroughly immersed in both Malayalam and Tamil cultures. She spent her childhood in Chennai.
Shobana made her silver screen debut as a leading actress in the 1984 Malayalam film, April 18, directed by Balachandra Menon. In the early stages of her career, she appeared in films under the name Meera.
Now aged 55, Shobana remains unmarried and has frequently faced questions about her decision not to marry. However, she is not someone who enjoys discussing her private life.
Over the years, she has acted opposite many leading men who were thought to be her ideal on-screen partners, yet rumours surrounding her personal life have never affected her.
After many years, reports of Shobana’s ‘marriage news’ have resurfaced on social media. The supposed groom was said to be her paternal aunt’s son, Premanand. This story first appeared in 1987. Premanand is the son of Padmini, one of the famous Lalitha-Padmini-Ragini trio. He made his acting debut in the film Udayam Padinjar, directed by Madhu, where he was credited as Premanand Ramachandran.
Shobana also acted in a film starring Madhu, Srividya, and Prem Nazir, which was released in 1986. The marriage rumours surfaced the following year. According to a report in Chitrabhoomi, Premanand, who had settled in the United States with his mother, was to marry Shobana in March, after which she would retire completely from films. In the pre-internet era, film magazines were the primary source of cinema news and gossip. The Chitrabhoomi report about Shobana’s marriage was shared by Rahul Hubble Sanal.
With Shobana’s ‘marriage news’ resurfacing online, social media users have once again begun investigating what became of Premanand. Last year, some of his childhood photographs circulated online, showing him with his parents. Questions about his current whereabouts also emerged. He is the only son of Padmini and, according to available information, is now married and has a son named Naveen. He has worked for Warner Bros. and has also been a journalist and photographer.
Shobana has continued to remain active in the film industry. During her brief hiatus from Malayalam cinema, she established herself as a celebrated classical dancer. A few months ago, she appeared in the Malayalam film Thudarum, opposite Mohanlal, her frequent on-screen partner over the years.
