Shamili


Shamili, also known as Baby Shamili, born on 10 July 1987, is an Indian actress who has worked in Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada and Telugu films. She is probably best known for her critically acclaimed performance as the mentally challenged child Anjali in the 1990 film Anjali, that fetched her the National Film Award for Best Child Artist, and as a child trapped inside a bore-well in the film Malootty, that got her a Kerala State Film Award for Best Child Artist. Shamili got Karnataka State Film Award for Best Child Actor for her performance in her Kannada debut Mathe Hadithu Kogile.

Early life

Shamili hails from a family of actors, being the younger sister of actor Richard Rishi and actress Shalini. She was born to Babu and Alice. 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.

Career

Shamili started acting at the age of two in Tamil Cinema. Her breakthrough in Tamil came with Mani Ratnam's Anjali, in which she portrayed a mentally challenged child, which earned her the National Film Award for Best Child Artist. In 1990, she acted in Bharathan's Malootty, a film based on Jessica McClure. Her performance won her critical appreciation and the Kerala State Film Award for Best Child Artist. She also acted as a teenager in Fazil's Harikrishnans as Mammooty and Mohanlal's sibling. In Kannada she has acted with well-known actors such as Vishnuvardhan, Ambareesh, Sithara, Shruti, Srinath, Geetha, Meghna, Vinaya Prasad, Sunil, Sathyapriya, Bhavya, Lakshmi and Abhijith. In Kannada, she acted in Dakshayini, Kadambari, Karulina Kudi, Bhairavi, Chinna Nee Naguthiru, Bhuvaneshwari, Mathe Haditu Kogile, Hoovu Hannu and Jagadeshwari.
She played her first female lead role in Anand Ranga's directorial debut Oye! alongside Siddarth, though the film's mixed response at the box office prompted her to embark on yet another sabbatical. Between 2010 and 2015, Shamili studied and worked in Singapore and turned down numerous opportunities to return to acting. She later returned to Chennai, and work on the production of Veera Shivaji alongside Vikram Prabhu in 2016.

Filmography

As Child Artist

YearMovieRoleLanguageNotes
1989RajanadaiShamuTamil
1989MagaduTelugu
1990AnjaliAnjaliTamilNational Film Award for Best Child Artist
Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Child Artist
1990MaloottyMaloottyMalayalamKerala State Film Award for Best Child Artist
1990Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka SundariBujjiTelugu
1990Mathe Haditu KogilePallaviKannadaKarnataka State Film Award for Best Child Artist
1990DurgaDurga,MallikaTamil
1991Thai PoosamVelayuthamTamil
1991Sendhoora DeviSindhu,
Nandu		Tamil
1991Pookkalam VaravayiGeethuMalayalam
1991Anbu SangiliGeethuTamil
1991KillerSnehaTelugu
1991Keechu RaalluJyotiTelugu
1991BhairaviKannada
1991KilukkampettiChikkumolMalayalam
1991ShwetaagniKannada
1991Vaasalile Oru VennilaAmmuTamil
1992Police LockupKannada
1992SivasankariTamil
1992Devar Veettu PonnuSangari,
Savithri		Tamil
1992Naga BalaTelugu
1992NaniTelugu
1992Parvathalu PanakaluMahalakshmiTelugu
1992Sukravaram MahalakshmiTelugu
1993JokerAppleTelugu
1993KadambariKannada
1993Chinna KannammaSaranyaTamil
1993SambhaviKannada
1993Nippu RavvaEngineer's daughterTelugu
1993Thanga PappaAbhiramiTamil
1993DakshayiniKannada
1993SivarathiriTamil
1994Makkala SakshiKannada
1994Hoovu HannuKannada
1994Chinna Nee NaguthiruKannada
1994Doragariki Donga Pellam Baby VaniTelugu
1995NirnayamParukkuttyMalayalam
1995Karulina KudiKannada
1995Anga RakshakuduTelugu
1996Sabse Bada MawaliHindi
1996LalanamAmmuMalayalam
1998HarikrishnansAmmaluMalayalam
1998JagadeeshwariJagadeeshwariKannada
1998Thaayin ManikodiRosieTamil
2000Kandukondain KandukondainKamalaTamil

As Actress