Shalini Kumar

Shalini (formerly known as Baby Shalini; born 20 November 1979) is a former Indian actress and child artist who worked in Tamil and Malayalam films. During the 80s, Shalini was a child artist in Malayalam and Tamil films.

After a brief hiatus from acting, Shalini made a comeback in 1997 through Malayalam and Tamil language films as a lead heroine. She retired from films soon after marrying Tamil actor Ajith Kumar in April 2000.

Early life Shalini is a Pentecostal Christian. She was born to Babu and Alice on 20 November 1979. Her father, a Muslim originally from Kollam in Kerala, migrated to Madras with an ambition of becoming an actor and the family settled there. Alice is a Christian, whose parents are from Kerala. Shalini is the middle child. Her younger sister Shamili and her elder brother Richard are also film actors. Shalini attended Fatima Matriculation Higher Secondary School (K.G to 8th), and Adarsh Vidyalaya, Chennai (9th to 10th). She completed college at Annamalai University.

Career Shalini started her career as a child artist. She also played the lead character in the TV serial Amloo telecast in the late 1980s on Doordarshan. Her iconic hairstyle, a short bob with a front fringe, was popularly known as the “Baby Shalini hair cut”.

Shalini and her siblings, Shamili and Richard Rishi, acted as child artists in the 1990 Telugu language blockbuster film Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari.

Shalini soon went to study, and she returned to acting with Aniyathipravu, which was a blockbuster. In her next film Kaliyoonjal (1997), she co-starred with Mammootty and Dileep and it released to mixed reviews. After the success of the Malayalam Aniyathipravu, Fazil remade it in Tamil as Kadhalukku Mariyadhai (1997) with Vijay. 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. Like the Malayalam version, Kadhalukku Mariyadhai was also a blockbuster, and Shalini's performance was also praised, with Indolink.com recommending the film and stating that "Shalini returns in this film with a good performance".

For the movie Amarkkalam (1999) with Ajith Kumar, Saran initially approached Shalini, who was studying at the time and she refused, however, 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 Kadhalukku Mariyadhai prompted Fazil to make another film with the lead pair, Vijay and Shalini, in Kannukkul Nilavu (2000). She acted with R. Madhavan in the romantic drama Alai Payuthey (2000) directed by Mani Ratnam. She was last seen in the romantic comedy film Piriyadha Varam Vendum (2001) with Prashanth.

Personal life In 1999, during the shoot of Saran's Amarkkalam, Shalini began to date her co-star Ajith Kumar, who proposed to Shalini. They got married on 24 April 2000 at Chennai. Ajith Kumar is a practicing Hindu. After their marriage, Shalini retired as an actress following the completion of two of her unfinished projects. The couple have two children; a daughter Anoushka (born January 3, 2008) and a son Aadvik (born March 2, 2015).

Filmography As a child artist

As a lead actress Year Film Role Language Notes 1997 Aniyathipraavu Mini Malayalam Kaliyoonjal Ammu Kadhalukku Mariyadhai Mini Tamil Remake of Aniyathipraavu 1998 Nakshatratharattu Hema Malayalam Kaikudunna Nilavu Veni Sundarakilladi Devayani 1999 Prem Poojari Hema Amarkkalam Mohana Tamil Also playback singer Niram Sona Malayalam 2000 Kannukkul Nilavu Hema Tamil Alai Payuthey Shakti Tamil Nadu State Film Award Special Prize for Best Actress Nominated, Filmfare Award for Best Actress - Tamil 2001 Piriyadha Varam Vendum Nithiyakalyani Remake of Niram