Shobana was introduced to films by Hema Malini's mother, Jaya Chakravarthy, who spotted her while she was with her aunt, dancer-actress Padmini.

She is an accomplished Bharatanatyam dancer. She is renowned for her fine dedication to the classical art form. She is known to possess an exquisite understanding of the Abhinaya, a clarity of line and a strong rhythmic command of the idiom. In 1994, Shobana founded Kalarpana, a dance school in Chennai, with the objective of committing herself to the propagation of the classical arts.

Won the National Award for Best Actress from her roles in Manichithrathazhu (1993) and Mitr, My Friend (2002).

Niece of the famous Travancore sisters Lalitha, Padmini and Ragini, all of whom who were renowned for their skill in classical Indian dance. Also the first-cousin once removed of actress Sukumari, and is distantly related to actor Vineeth.

A leading actress of South Indian film, Shobhana divides her time between acting and dancing. Having acted in all the four South Indian languages, she feels most comfortable working with Malayalam film directors and actors.