Shanta Hublikar

Born as Rajamma in Adargunchi, a village in Hubballi in Karnataka, Shanta came to Kolhapur to work in films when she was 18.^[3]

Shanta married to Bapusahep Gite, a business man from Poona (now Pune) in 1939. She was fluent in Kannada, Marathi and Hindi.

In 1934, she first did a minor role in the film Bhedi Rajkumar/Thaksen Rajputra. Her first major role was in Kanhopatra (1937). Soon she was hired by Prabhat Film Company and cast her in Marthi-Hindi bilingual Majha Mulga/Mera Ladka in 1938 ^[4] Shanta impressed V. Shantaram by her singing and acting which led to cast her in his path-breaking movie Aadmi/Manoos in Hindi and Marathi respectively. Shanta played the role of a prostitute which was a bold step in those days.^[5] Shanta became popular as a singer too.

After Aadmi's success, Shanta went on to appear in many movies including her only Kannada film Jeevana Nataka in 1942.^{[citation needed]}

Shanta has written an autobiography in Marathi, "Kashala Udyachi Baat" published by Srividya Publications.^[6]

Noted writer A.N.Prahlada Rao, has written a book 'Shanta Hublikar' in Kannada, published by Rashtrottahana Parishat.^{[citation needed]}

After husband's death in 1977, Shanta became alone, spent her last days in an old age home in Pune and died on 17 July 1992.^[7]

She had also lived in Shraddhanand Mahila Ashram Vasai west in the late 1980s.