 Along with Monisha Unni, Shobhana, Meera Jasmine, Surabhi Lakshmi and Shobha, Sharada is one of six Malayalam actresses who have won the National Film Award for Best Actress.Sharada was born Saraswati Devi in Tenali, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India.Her parents Venkateswar Rao and Satyavathi Devi belonged to a family of agriculturalists.