3 min readHyderabadFeb 15, 2026 05:30 PM IST
In 1990, a four-year-old girl with expressive eyes melted hearts across India with her portrayal of a mentally challenged child in Mani Ratnam’s Anjali. Baby Shamlee’s performance earned her the National Film Award for Best Child Artist, making her one of the youngest recipients ever. Today, at 39, she remains largely absent from the spotlight that once shone so brightly on her.
Shamlee began her journey at just two years old. Her breakthrough came with the Mani Ratnam film Anjali, but her talent had already been recognized in Malayalam cinema through Malootty (1990), which earned her a Kerala State Film Award. She went on to became the most sought-after child artist in South Indian cinema throughout the 1990s.
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That is not all. Shamlee dominated all four South Indian film industries, appearing in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada films. Her performances in Jagadekaveerudu Athilokasundari (1990) alongside Chiranjeevi and her sister Shalini, and as a teenager in Fazil’s Harikrishnans opposite Malayalam legends Mammootty and Mohanlal, showcased her remarkable range. In Kannada cinema, she worked with stalwarts like Vishnuvardhan and Ambareesh, winning the Karnataka State Film Award for Best Female Child Actor for Mathe Haditu Kogile.
The transition from child star to adult actress has claimed many careers in Indian cinema, and Shamlee‘s proved no exception. After years of being South India’s most bankable child artist, she faced the daunting challenge of reinventing herself as a leading lady.
In 2009, Shamlee attempted to transition from child star to leading lady with the Telugu film Oye! opposite Siddarth. Despite earning a CineMAA Award for Best Female Debut, the film’s mixed box office response proved disheartening. The criticism stung.
Between 2010 and 2015, Shamlee made a surprising choice: she moved to Singapore to study and work, turning down numerous film offers.
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She attempted a Tamil comeback with Veera Sivaji (2016) opposite Vikram Prabhu, but the film failed to revive her career. The actress also appeared in the Malayalam film Valleem Thetti Pulleem Thetti the same year, which received equally poor reviews.
Since 2018, Shamlee has found her passion in a different medium. She earned an undergraduate degree in Visual Communication and a diploma in Film Studies from the prestigious Lasalle College of Arts.
Her artistic training didn’t stop there. Shamlee underwent creative training at Paris College of Arts, studied Chinese ink painting in Singapore, and specialized in glass painting at Accademia Riaci in Florence, Italy.
Today, Shamlee is an exhibiting artist. In 2023 alone, she held a solo show titled “SHE” at Focus Art Gallery in Chennai, participated in the World Art Dubai international exhibition at the World Trade Centre, and showcased her work at the prestigious Chitrakala Parishad in Bengaluru as part of the “Power Binary” exhibition.
On her bio, she describes herself simply: “I, SHAMLEE am an actor and artist by profession from India.” She regularly shares her artwork with fans who still remember the little girl from Anjali.
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