Shobhna Samarth

Shobhna Samarth Biography

Shobhna Samarth was a noted Marathi and Bollywood actress during 1940’s and 1950’s. But she is better known as the mother of great actresses, Nutan and Tanuja and grandmother of super successful actress of today, Kajol, Tanisha (daughters of Tanuja) and Monish Behl (Son of Nutan) are also her grandchildren. She is a prominent branch of leading Samarth family of Bollywood cinema. Her mother was also an actress of yesterdays, Rattan Bai. Shobhna successfully launched both her daughters in film industry. Her elder daughter Nutan debuted big screen as a child artist with Shobhna’s debut movie as a director, Hamari beti. The movie was released in 1950, directed by Shobhna. Shobhna is regarded as one of the prominent figures of Indian film industry. Samarth family got associated with Mukherjee family after Tanuja’s marriage with film maker Shomu Mukherjee.

Shobhna was born as Saroj Shilotri to banker P.S. Shilotri and his wife, actress Rattan Bai. She was married to director and cinematographer Kumarsen Samarth. The couple had 4 daughters of whom Nutan and Tanuja became leading actresses later. Another daughter Chatura, is an artist, and her daughter Reshma has worked in one Bollywood movie. Shobhna was introduced to her distant relative, Samarth by her mother. Though she was not at all interested in marriage at that time, she got attracted to good looks of Samarth and got married, in the condition that he would allow her to work in movies. They led a happy life for 14 years and together have made a few movies. The couple got separated though they were not divorced. Shobhana became linked to actor Motilal.

A few of her movies are Apni Nagariya (1940), Savera (1942), Taramati (1945), Mahasati Ansuya (1943) and Love in Simla (1960). She has also worked in a few Malayalam movies.

Published: N/A

Updated: April 01, 2014