Santosh was born on 12 July 1996 to Telugu film director Sobhan.[2] His uncle Chittajalu Lakshmipati was a comedian in Telugu films and his younger brother is actor Sangeeth Shobhan.[3]
In 2015, Santosh made his debut as a lead in Ram Mohan P.'s Thanu Nenu, alongside Avika Gor. Suresh Kavirayani of Deccan Chronicle called him a "surprise element" while The Hindu's Y. Sunitha Chowdhary wrote that he showed a "lot of ease" and reminded her of actor Srinivas Avasarala.[6] Following Thanu Nenu, Santosh took a break from films.[7] Santosh returned to cinema in 2018 with Paper Boy.[8] The following year, he appeared in TV series The Grill.[9]
In 2021, Santosh a played a young adult who suffers from small penis syndrome in Ek Mini Katha. Ram Venkat Srikar of Cinema Express appreciated his performance, writing, "Santosh Shoban’s reticent performance entwined with the deadpan dialogue delivery brilliantly complements the smutty humour."[10] Later that year, Santosh starred in Maruthi-directed Manchi Rojulochaie, alongside Mehreen Pirzada. In his review of the film, Murali Krishna CH of The New Indian Express stated: "Santosh Sobhan gives a decent performance, but he has to work on his expressions."[11]