About Shobhaa De
Born 1948. Shobhaa De is an Indian journalist, writer, socialite, model, novelist and fashion model.
Shobha De (née Rajadhyaksha, formerly Kilachand; born 7 January 1948) is an Indian novelist and columnist. She is best known for her depiction of socialites and sex in her works of fiction, for which she has been referred to as the "Jackie Collins of India."
Early life and education Shobhaa De was born on 7 January 1948 in the Satara district of Maharashtra and was brought up in Bombay (now Mumbai), in a Marathi family. Her father was a district court judge, and her mother was a homemaker. She studied at the Queen Mary School, Mumbai. She then graduated in Psychology from St. Xavier's College, Mumbai.
Career At age 17, she began her career as a model, At age 20, she began her career as a journalist, writing "agony aunt" advice columns and features for society magazines.
In the 1980s, she contributed to the Sunday magazine section of The Times of India. She has since been a regular columnist for several newspapers. In 1992, Mark Fineman of the Los Angeles Times described her as "India's hottest-selling English-language novelist," and how her second novel, Starry Nights (1991), had "a drawing of a nude woman on the front cover," and according to De, "they said it was the first time they’d broken through the ‘F’ barrier, the first time they’d run the F-word without asterisks."
De has also participated in several literary festivals, including the Bangalore Literature Festival,
Personal life De has been married twice, and is a mother of six children with six grandchildren.
After graduation, Shobha married Sudhir Vrajlal Kilachand of the Kilachand Marwari business family, with whom she has a son and a daughter.
Books Srilaaji – Diary of a Marwari Matriarch, Simon & Schuster (2020) Small Betrayals − Hay House India, New Delhi, 2014 Shobhaa: Never a Dull De − Hay House India, New Delhi, 2013 Shethji −2012 Speedpost – Penguin, New Delhi. 1999. Surviving Men – Penguin, New Delhi, 1998 Selective Memory – Penguin, New Delhi. 1998. Second Thoughts – Penguin, New Delhi. 1996. Small betrayals – UBS Publishers' Distributors, 1995 Shooting from the hip – UBS, Delhi, 1994. Sultry Days – Penguin, New Delhi. 1994. Sisters – Penguin, New Delhi. 1992. Starry Nights – 1989, India, Penguin, New Delhi , Pub date ? ? 1989, paperback Socialite Evenings – 1989, India, Penguin, New Delhi , Pub date ? ?
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Important facts
People in Shobhaa De's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
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Frequently asked questions
Who is Shobhaa De?
Indian journalist and novelist (born 1948)
When was Shobhaa De born?
Shobhaa De was born on 7 January 1948 in Mumbai.
What is Shobhaa De's occupation?
Shobhaa De is a journalist, writer, socialite, model, novelist and fashion model.
What nationality is Shobhaa De?
Shobhaa De is Indian.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Shobhaa De. https://biography.guide/shobhaa-de/
MLA: "Shobhaa De." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/shobhaa-de/.
Chicago: "Shobhaa De." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/shobhaa-de/.
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