Shalini is a former Indian actress who predominantly worked in Malayalam films. She debuted at the age of three as a child artist in the Malayalam filmEnte Mamattikkuttiyammakku, which was produced by Navodaya Studio. She also acted in Kannada film as child artist with legendary actor Dr. Vishnuvardhan in the film Ee Jeeva Ninagagi. This film was released in 1986. In the Telugu filmJagadeka Veerudu Atiloka Sundari, she acted along with her sister Shamili. She continued to appear in many films as a child actor, credited as Baby Shalini. After a break of several years, she returned to the industry by appearing in her first lead role in Aniyathi Pravu, which went on to become a blockbuster. She later appeared in highly successful films in Malayalam and Tamil such as Kaliyoonjal, Kadhalukku Mariyadhai, Amarkalam, Niram, Kannukkul Nilavu, Alaipayuthey and Piriyadha Varam Vendum. Shalini is married to Ajith Kumar. She won the Tamil Nadu State Film Special Award for Best Actress for her role in Alaipayuthey.
Early and personal life
Shalini was born to Babu and Alice on 20 November 1979. Her father is from Kollam and her mother from Thiruvalla city. Her father migrated to Madras, with an ambition of becoming an actor and the family settled there. Later, he fulfilled his ambition through his children. She attended Fatima Mat Hr Sec School, Adarsh Vidyalaya, Chennai and Church Park Convent, Chennai. She is the middle child. Her younger sister Shamili and her elder brother Richard, are also actors in the film industry. Shalini has stated that she enjoys badminton and has played in a few state-level tournaments. In 1999, during the shoot of Saran's Amarkalam, Shalini began to date her co-star Ajith Kumar. As Shalini has said in many interviews, her friends have been a big backbone in her life. Some names she has mentioned are Shanthi, Hema, and Visalakshi. Ajith proposed to Shalini in June 1999, and following consultations with her family, she agreed. After their marriage, Shalini retired as an actress, following the completion of two unfinished projects. The couple have two children.
Career
Shalini started her career as a child artist in Ente Mamattikkuttiyammakku and she acted in all the films under the direction of Fazil. She also played the lead character in the TV serialAmloo telecast in the late 1980s on Doordarshan. She went to study, and she returned to acting with Aniyathipravu, which was a blockbuster. Initially, Fazil was keen on casting a débutante in the lead female role, but Shalini insisted that she should also star in the Tamil version. Her performance was praised especially, with Indolink.com recommending the film and citing that "Shalini returns in this film with a good performance". In the next filmKaliyoonjal, she co-starred with Mammootty and Dileep and it released with to mixed reviews. Shalini acted in first Tamil film as heroine; Kadhalukku Mariyadhai. After the success of the Malayalam Aniyathipravu, Fazil remade it into the Tamil film. It was a Blockbuster. For Amarkalam, Saran initially approached Shalini, who was studying at the time and she refused, but after a three-month pursuit, he finally got her to sign on as well. She was offered a role in Padayappa, which she rejected. The success of the film prompted the director to make another film with the lead pair in 2000; Kannukkul Nilavu, which received positive reviews and was a success at the box office. Under Mani Ratnam's direction, she acted in the film Alaipayuthey. The performance of Shalini was praised and she won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award Special Prize. In 2001, she acted in her last film Piriyadha Varam Vendum, which was successful.
