Glamourous screen mother

She is one of the youngest and glamourous screen mothers in Kannada cinema. Though she started off as an actress on television, today she is a much-sought after actress on the big screen which ironically makes it difficult for her to accept new roles on television these days. Once a reluctant entrant into showbiz, especially films, today she has won for herself fan-following both as a television and as a cinema actress. Meet young and bubbly Chitra Shenoy, who has truly transformed herself into an extremely media-friendly actress.

Chitra had little inkling that she would become an actress one day. According to Chitra, her parents being government employees, were neither interested nor disinterested in choosing a career for her. Says she, “After finishing my II PUC, my mother’s colleague Chandrakanth invited me to act in the serial ‘Number 55’ which entailed a day’s work and had nothing much for me to do in it. I finished the scene and once the episode was telecast there were a couple of people who called me up. Following my mother’s colleagues’ advice, I did a few serials like Mouna Horata and Sidukabeda Singari with no knowledge of acting. I was not even comfortable wearing those western outfits. I wanted to complete my graduation as I was not very keen to take up acting as a profession. After some time, when offers continued to pour in, I wanted to give acting a thought. I learnt dance for the purpose and I couldn’t cope with the stress of studying and acting together.”

Chitra went to act in a few episodes of the serial Mr Tenant, Kaveri-II (which never saw the light of the day). Her career (and eventually her life) took a turn when she compered a programme with Ramesh Bhat which got recognition from her to-be husband Gurudas Shenoy who offered her a role in one of his serials. “We started going out together. He liked me and I too started liking him. Guru won the hearts of my parents. But, we had to wait till my elder sister got married. I did act in serials like Premada Karanji, Katte, Mukha Mukhi, Mr Brahaspathi and a few telefilms produced by Guru that got telecast on DD. We got married in 1993 and I got into his production team.”

Chitra Shenoy has acted in serials like Pattedhari Prabhakar, Kshamaya Dharitri, Jwalamukhi, Maya Mruga, Itihaasa, Sahana, Mane Mane Kathe, Swathi Muthu, Bhagya and so on. She has acted in Hindi serials too including Girish Karnad’s serial Antaraal, Sridhar Kshirsagar’s serials Piya and Chauraha which were telecast on DD national network. But did Chitra refuse film offers? She says, “I was more comfortable acting in serials because I didn’t quite like the film atmosphere. But, when Shivarudraiah approached me for Chaitrada Chiguru, Guru told me to give this film a try because this film featured a lot of television artistes. I went on to do O Premave and Hrudaya Hrudaya. I won a lot of appreciation for my roles in Chaitrada Chiguru and Hrudaya Hrudaya. I have done more than 80 films in the last four-five years. But, I sincerely liked my roles in Chitte, Balagaluittu Olage Baa, Manasella Neene and Darshan.” 

Today, Chitra handles television productions including their marketing. “I am open to act in serials with good characters. Strangely, I am getting film offers and the television industry is under the presumption that I am busy with films which is why I am not getting roles in television serials.” 

Srikanth Srinivas