Shobhna Samarth

Shobhna Samarth (Hindi/Marathi: शोभना समर्थ) (17 November 1916– 9 February 2000) was an actress who began in the early days of sound 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.

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. They had four children. Eventually the couple parted amicably and Shobhana became linked to actor Motilal (Moti Lal).[2] Two of her daughters, Nutan and Tanuja, also became actresses when they grew up. Shobhana produced their debut films. Another daughter, Chatura, is an artist. Nutan's son Mohnish Behl is also a character actor, and Tanuja's daughter Kajol is also an actress and is married to actor Ajay Devgan. Other members of the dynasty include granddaughter Tanisha and Shomu Mukherjee. (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.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shobhna_Samarth