Filmmaker who trained South Indian film lovers to buy tickets by looking at the director’s name. Director Shankar Shanmukhan brought so many changes and innovations to South Indian cinema. If it’s Shankar’s film, the film will be a success. ‘Gentleman’, ‘Kathalan’, ‘Indian’, ‘Mudavan’, ‘Jeans’, ‘Nayak’, ‘Boys’, ‘Anyan’, ‘Shivaji: The Boss’, ‘Enthiran’, ‘Nanpan’, ‘I’ , ‘Enthiran 2.0’, Shankar created a world of wonder in three decades.
The tag line of a director who does not compromise on the quality of the film belongs to Shankar. A career-turned director, Shankar has already proven with his superstar films that he has the uncanny ability to rope in legendary heroes like Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan and others for his films. Today, that line stretches from Rajamouli to Nelson Dilip Kumar.
The technique that Indian audiences saw in foreign films came to South Indian cinema through Shankar. Only Shankar can beat Shankar who is also the master of Brahmanda films. Shankar came to cinema wanting to become an actor. Shankar, who excelled in mimicry, also acted in some films. But he didn’t become an actor, instead he was confined to side roles, and it was during this time that he hesitated to move from the front of the camera to the back. At that time, he made 17 films with the help of SA Chandrasekhar, the director and actor of superhit films and actor Vijay’s father. It was also a learning curve for Shankar.
Shankar directed his first film ‘Gentleman’ following a different style from the Tamil cinema style. Arjun Sarja played the lead role in this new director’s film, where leading actors hesitated to act. KT Kunjumon, the producer of super hit films, inspired him. The film released on July 30, 1993 was also a turning point in Shankar’s life. He took the novelty and preparations of taking a maiden film for each film.
Shankar insists on having leading figures in literature with him while preparing dialogues. Even the changes brought about in the language and dialogue brought novelty to the Tamil moviegoers through Shankar’s film. Each of Shankar’s miracles is the underpinning of devotion.
Shankar’s fans are waiting for ‘Indian 2’ with Ulakanayakan. It is a sequel to the 1996 Vijay movie Indian. It was also news that Kamal Haasan, who saw the preview of the film, gifted a watch worth lakhs to Shankar. Therefore, there is no shortage of hope, and ‘Game Changer’ with Ram Charan is also in the line-up. Happy birthday to Brahmanda director of South Indian cinema, S Shankar, who is turning 60.
