After debuting at 16, she played Mohanlal’s mother, wife and lover on screen; but her love life was tragic, marked by two failed marriages

While her career was soaring, Shanthi took a hiatus from the industry in the mid-1980s following her marriage to actor Sreenath. However, when she made a comeback in 1991, it was almost as if she had never stepped away from the limelight, as she kept receiving offers one after the other, thanks to her immense talent. In the same year, she appeared opposite both Mohanlal and Mammootty. In renowned director Kamal’s Vishnulokam, she played Mohanlal’s love interest, and both the movie and her performance received much acclaim.

The year 1994 saw Shanthi Krishna working alongside Mohanlal in two different movies, taking on two different kinds of characters. While she portrayed the role of Mohanlal’s mother in Sathyan Anthikkad’s Pingami, she played his wife in director Mohan’s Pakshe. As usual, her performances were met with much praise from audiences.

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However, Shanthi’s love life wasn’t as successful as her movie career, and her relationship with Sreenath ended in divorce after 12 years. As she got busy with movies again, she gave marriage another try in 1998. She tied the knot with US-based industrialist Bajore Sadasivan and eventually moved to the States, where they had two children. However, this marriage also ended in divorce, and the couple separated in 2016.

She once also opened up about her failed marriages. “At that age, one has many romanticised ideas about marriage and love. My family questioned whether I was making the right choice, but I was stubborn. Some people learn from others’ experiences, while some need to go through their own to understand. I fall into the latter category,” she told Galatta Pink regarding her relationship with Sreenath.

Reflecting on her second marriage, Shanthi Krishna said, “Over time, I lost myself completely. I became like a puppet, simply following orders, unable to think for myself. It was a difficult phase. I had no personal income and was entirely dependent on someone else. I lost my own identity. I desperately wanted it (the marriage) to work. But now, looking back, I question myself—why did I tolerate everything? I was like a puppet.”