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In the spotlight
"I knew I had done a good job in the movie, but I never thought it would fetch me the National Award,’’ says Shobhana, who shared the honours for best actress this year along with Tabu, for her film "Mitr — My Friend’’. "Frankly, though I knew that I had done a good job in the movie, I never even dreamt that I would be able to walk away with the National Award. I am happy that the jury, headed by the eminent filmmaker K. S. Sethumadhavan, thought that I deserved the honour this year,’’an elated Shobhana says. Shobhana feels that the
recognition has rejuvenated her as an actress. "The National Award
has prodded me to work in films which offer roles of substance’’,
she maintains. |
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A classical dance exponent and frontrunner in Malayalam cinema, Shobhana has come a long way from her debut film April 18 to win the award for "Mitr...’’, where she plays a traditional Indian housewife, soaked in culture, living in the land of liberty. Her inability to cope with the American culture and protect her daughter from its influence, and her struggle to pour some life into her stagnating marriage fails miserably. She then turns to the Internet and makes a friend online. How this changes her life 180 degrees, is what the film is about. Directed by actress friend Revathy Menon, Shobhana says that she accepted the offer because Revathy is a friend and the role excited her. "I am thankful to her for having had the faith in me when she offered me the role’’. The actress says that she could really identify with the character she was playing. "As an actress you rarely get to portray a role which is so volatile, since most of the times one gets an opportunity to work only in hero-oriented films, in which you end up only as a glamour girl without any significant contribution to the film as such.’’ "I am ready to act, provided I get meaty roles. At this stage of my career, I am keen on working in only roles of substance. I do not want to strut around in films in which I have mediocre roles,’’ she adds. Having acted in around 300 films till date with the best leading men, including Kamal Haasan, Rajanikant, Mohanlal and Mamootty, for Shobhana, acting in films is not the be all and end all of her life. "I am busy with my dance performances the world over. Recently, I performed a jugalbandhi on the stage with the celebrated Zakir Hussain. It was a wonderful experience.’’ "It has been a great advantage having a celebrity aunt like Padmini as far as getting access to producers is concerned. But, at the end of the day, if you are not talented, no one will be ready to back you. You have got to come up on your own steam,’’ she feels. The actress longs to play
a role of a dancer in dance-oriented musical film. "I am yet to
work in a dance-centric film, and hope to get an opportunity to play a
role like the one played by Rekha in Umrao Jaan or Meena Kumari
in Pakeezah’’, Shobhana trails off. |
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