Shankar Nag filmography explained

Shankar Nag was an Indian film actor, director, screenwriter and producer known for his work in Kannada cinema. He directed seven Kannada films and one Marathi film. He also wrote the story and screenplay of many of these including a few films that he did not direct.^[1] After beginning his acting career in theatre, Nag took to films making his debut in a bit role in the 1978 Marathi anti-superstition drama Sarvasakshi. His Kannada film debut came in the same year with Ondanondu Kaladalli directed by Girish Karnad, in which Nag played the lead, a mercenary named Gandugali. The role that fetched him the Silver Peacock for the Best Actor Award (Male) at the 7th International Film Festival of India.^{[2] [3]} Other than Minchina Ota, he also co-produced two of his directorial ventures — Janma Janmada Anubandha (1980) and Geetha (1981).^[4]

Nag co-wrote the 1979 Marathi film 22 June 1897 with director Nachiket Patwardhan. His directorial debut came in the heist film Minchina Ota (1980), a film that he also wrote and starred in, alongside brother Anant Nag. Anant would go on to become a frequent collaborator. Shankar remade Minchina Ota in Hindi as Lalach (1983). He would go on to direct six other films, all in Kannada, most notably the crime-drama Accident (1985), that highlighted a nexus between the media and the political system.^{[5] [6]} The film won the National Film Award for Best Film on Other Social Issues at the 32nd National Film Awards.^[7] His last film as a director was Ondu Muttina Kathe (1987), based on the John Steinbeck's novella The Pearl, that starred Dr. Rajkumar.^[8] Nag shot to national fame with the television series Malgudi Days (1986–1988) that he directed, based on R. K. Narayan's collection of short stories of the same name.^{[9] [10] [11]}

As an actor, Nag made his first appearance in a commercial film with Seetharamu (1979).^[11] His role as Raja, the auto rikshaw driver in Auto Raja (1980), became widely popular, and continues to hold cut status in Karnataka.^{[12] [13]} The 1980s saw Nag appearing most notably in action thrillers and rogue cop films with plenty of martial arts posturing, earning him the moniker "Karate King". In Sangliyana (1988) and S. P. Sangliyana Part 2 (1990), he played the eponymous lead, based on the real-life cop H. T. Sangliana.^[11] C.B.I. Shankar (1989) is another film in the same genre.^[14] Films such as Muniyana Madari (1981), Karmika Kallanalla (1982), Nodi Swamy Navirodu Hige (1983) and Lorry Driver (1987) saw him portray working-class men.^[15] In the ensemble Hindi film Utsav (1984), he played a thief who falls in love with a courtesan.^[16] Nag last filmed for Sundarakanda (1991) which released after his death by car crash in 1990.^[17]

Film

List of directing and writing credits

Year	Title	Director	Screenwriter	Notes
1979	scope=row	22 June 1897			Marathi film	^[18]
1980	scope=row	Minchina Ota
	scope=row	Janma Janmada Anubandha
1981	scope=row	Geetha
1983	scope=row	Lalach			Hindi film
	scope=row	Hosa Theerpu
	scope=row	Nodi Swamy Navirodu Hige
1984	scope=row	Accident
	scope=row	Makkaliralavva Mane Thumba				^[19]
1985	scope=row	Parameshi Prema Prasanga				^[20]
1987	scope=row	Ondu Muttina Kathe

Acting roles

List of acting credits

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1978	scope=row	Sarvasakshi	Sujatha's husband	Marathi film	^[21]
	scope=row	Ondanondu Kaladalli	Gandugali	Silver Peacock for the Best Actor Award (Male)	^[22]
1979	scope=row	Seetharamu	Ramu		^[23]
	scope=row	Preethi Madu Thamashe Nodu	Ravi		^[24]
	scope=row	Madhu Chandra	Madhu		^[25]
	scope=row	I Love You	Ramesh
1980	scope=row	Minchina Ota	Katte	Also playback singer in song "Belli Moda Hatthuttha"
	scope=row	Auto Raja	Raja
	scope=row	Moogana Sedu	Nagaraju/Ashok Raj
	scope=row	Haddina Kannu	Vikram
	scope=row	Ondu Hennu Aaru Kannu	Vijay
	scope=row	Aarada Gaaya	Mohan
	scope=row	Rusthum Jodi	Shekhar
	scope=row	Janma Janmada Anubandha	Shiva Achari
1981	scope=row	Thayiya Madilalli	Ravi	Cameo
	scope=row	Kula Puthra	Mahesh
	scope=row	Hanabalavo Janabalavo
	scope=row	Geetha	Sanjay
	scope=row	Devara Aata	Anand
	scope=row	Bhaari Bharjari Bete	Tyaga
	scope=row	Muniyana Madari	Muniya
	scope=row	Jeevakke Jeeva	Jaggu "Raja"
1982	scope=row	Archana	Raja	Cameo
	scope=row	Benki Chendu
	scope=row	Karmika Kallanalla	Sudhakar
	scope=row	Nyaya Ellide	Vijay
	scope=row	Dharma Daari Tappithu	Krishna	Cameo
1983	scope=row	Gedda Maga	Arun/Alex Muthanna/John
	scope=row	Nyaya Gedditu	Anand
	scope=row	Chandi Chamundi	Shankar
	scope=row	Keralida Hennu	Suresh Kumar
	scope=row	Swargadalli Maduve		Cameo
	scope=row	Aakrosha	Vijay
	scope=row	Nodi Swamy Navirodu Hige	Mysore Matha		^[26]
1984	scope=row	Nagabekamma Nagabeku	Ramu
	scope=row	Raktha Thilaka	Gopi	Also playback singer in song "Enaguvudu"
	scope=row	Gandu Bherunda	Nayar		^[27]
	scope=row	Thaliya Bhagya	Raja
	scope=row	Benki Birugali	Shankar
	scope=row	Kalinga Sarpa	Kalinga
	scope=row	Indina Bharatha	Arjun
	scope=row	Bedaru Bombe
	scope=row	Shapatha	Ranga
	scope=row	Pavithra Prema	Chandrashekhar
	scope=row	Accident	Ravi
	scope=row	Asha Kirana	Kiran
	scope=row	Makkaliralavva Mane Thumba	Shankar	Cameo
	scope=row	Apoorva Sangama	Harish/Suresh
	scope=row	Utsav	Sajjal	Hindi film
1985	scope=row	Thayi Kanasu	Murthy
	scope=row	Parameshi Prema Prasanga	Parameshi
	scope=row	Manava Danava	H. Mahesh / Tiger
	scope=row	Kiladi Aliya	Kumar
	scope=row	Vajra Mushti	Ajay
	scope=row	Kari Naga
1986	scope=row	Thayiye Nanna Devaru	Shekhar
	scope=row	Na Ninna Preetisuve		Cameo
	scope=row	Agni Parikshe	Raja
	scope=row	Rasthe Raja	Raja
	scope=row	Samsarada Guttu	Ramsagar
1987	scope=row	Thayi	Ravi
	scope=row	Ee Bandha Anubandha	Vijay
	scope=row	Huli Hebbuli	Inspector Ajay
	scope=row	Digvijaya	DCP Chandrashekhar
	scope=row	Lorry Driver	Shankar
	scope=row	Anthima Ghatta	Anil
1988	scope=row	Shakthi	Ramu
	scope=row	Sangliyana	Ram/Inspector Sangliyana	Also playback singer in song "Raja Nanna Raja"
	scope=row	Dharmathma
	scope=row	Mithileya Seetheyaru	Inspector Sharif	Cameo
1989	scope=row	Tarka	Akshay/Harish		^[28]
	scope=row	Mahayuddha
	scope=row	Anthintha Gandu Nanalla	Ajay
	scope=row	C.B.I. Shankar	Sathya / Shankar
	scope=row	Idu Saadhya	A theatre director
	scope=row	Raja Simha	Raja
	scope=row	Jayabheri	Mohan
	scope=row	Narasimha	Sridhar/Narasimha
1990	scope=row	S. P. Sangliyana Part 2	S. P. Sangliyana
	scope=row	Ramarajyadalli Rakshasaru	Inspector Chandrashekhar
	scope=row	Maheshwara	Maheshwara / Parameshwara
	scope=row	Thrinethra	SP Sangliyana	Cameo
	scope=row	Aavesha	Shivappa
	scope=row	Hosa Jeevana	Seetharam		^[29]
	scope=row	Halliya Surasuraru	Shankar
	scope=row	Bhale Chathura	Shekhar
	scope=row	Aata Bombata	Raja
	scope=row	Nigooda Rahasya	Mohan	Posthumous release
1991	scope=row	Nakkala Rajakumari	Sorcerer	Posthumous release
	scope=row	Punda Prachanda	Purushotham	Posthumous release
	scope=row	Nagini	Shankar	Posthumous release
	scope=row	Sundarakanda	Inspector Shetty	Posthumous release
1992	scope=row	Prana Snehitha	Ram	Posthumous release

Notes and References

1. Web site: These 9 Movies Directed By Shankar Nag in the 80s Are Simply An Amazing Feat . MetroSaga . 13 August 2023 . 8 November 2018.
2. Web site: Film flashback: 'Ondanondu Kaladalli', the film that catapulted Shankar Nag to fame . Scroll.in . 16 August 2023 . 30 September 2018.
3. Web site: Remembering Shankar Nag on his 65th birthday . Deccan Herald . 16 August 2023 . en . 9 November 2019.
4. Web site: Shankar Nag : Kannada Actor Age, Movies, Biography, Photos . chiloka.com . 16 August 2023.
5. Web site: Revisiting 'Accident': An '80s Kannada film that's still relevant for its sociopolitics . The News Minute . 17 August 2023 . en . 6 July 2019.
6. Web site: FC . Team . Best Kannada Thrillers From Different Eras Now Available On OTT . Filmcompanion.in . 16 August 2023 . en . 24 September 2020.
7. Web site: 32nd National Film Awards. Directorate of Film Festivals. 16 August 2023.
8. Web site: Ondu Muttina Kathe: ನಾನು ರಾಜ್ಕುಮಾರ್ ಇಮೇಜ್ ಬ್ರೇಕ್ ಮಾಡುವಲ್ಲಿ ಸೋತು ಹೋದೆ ಎಂದಿದ್ದರು ಶಂಕರ್ ನಾಗ್? ಯಾಕೆ? . News18 Kannada . 16 August 2023 . kn . 23 April 2023.
9. Web site: George . Nina C. . How Shankar Nag's Malgudi Days came to life . Deccan Herald . 16 August 2023 . en . 10 May 2020.
10. Web site: The Magic of Malgudi: How Shankar Nag Brought RK Narayan's Masterpiece to Life on Television . News18 . 16 August 2023 . en . 13 May 2022.
11. Web site: Roychoudhury . Amborish . Once Upon a Cinema: The 'Karate King' who also directed Malgudi Days . Firstpost . 16 August 2023 . en . 12 June 2022.
12. Web site: Kulkarni . Tanu . A befitting tribute to 'Auto Raja' . The Hindu . 16 August 2023 . en-IN . 11 July 2014.
13. Web site: Khajane . Muralidhara . The iconic Auto Raja . The Hindu . 16 August 2023 . en-IN . 29 September 2015.
14. Web site: Prasad . S. Shyam . 'SP Sangliyana Part 2': Memories of a super cop . Deccan Herald . 16 August 2023 . en . 19 November 2022.
15. Web site: Shankar Nag Lives On . Readoo India . 16 August 2023 . 1 December 2017.
16. Web site: Scroll Staff . Film, theatre, television – Shankar Nag conquered them all . Scroll.in . 16 August 2023 . 9 November 2015.
17. Web site: A filmy tribute to late Sandalwood star Shankar Nag on his birth anniversary . Asianet News Network Pvt Ltd . 17 August 2023 . en.
18. Web site: PLAN AHEAD : Watch a film . punemirror.com . 13 August 2023 . en . 21 January 2020.
19. Web site: Makkaliralavva Manethumba (1984) Kannada movie: Cast & Crew . chiloka.com . 13 August 2023.
20. Web site: Ramesh Bhat recalls the making of Parameshi Prema Prasanga. Shilpa Sebastian . R.. 5 March 2018. The Hindu. 13 August 2023.
21. Web site: Remembering Shankar Nag: An encyclopedia of talent and a visionary . 16 August 2023 . 30 September 2019.
22. Web site: Canby . Vincent . Vincent Canby . Movie: From India, 'Once Upon a Time' . . 13 August 2023 . en . 17 May 1982.
23. Piousji . 17 June 1979 . Khaas Baat . live . Sunday . 17 . 51 . https://archive.today/20230305152815/https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.99456/page/n257/mode/2up . 5 March 2023 . 13 August 2023.
24. Book: Rajadhyaksha . Ashish . Willemen . Paul . Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema . 10 July 2014 . Routledge . 978-1-135-94318-9 . 157 . en.
25. News: Kumar . S. Shiva . 'The over-exposure kills you' . . 1983.
26. Web site: How Ramesh Bhat Helped Shankar Nag In Making Nodi Swamy Navirodu Hige . News18 . 16 August 2023 . en . 21 June 2022.
27. Web site: Ganesh . K. R. . This diamond is forever . The Hindu . 17 August 2023 . en-IN . 19 January 2006.
28. Web site: 'Manasa Sarovara' to 'Bhinna': How mental health is stereotyped in Kannada cinema . The News Minute . 17 August 2023 . en . 19 February 2021.
29. Web site: Ramayan's Sita aka Dipika Chikhila remembers late co-star Shankar Nag . The Times of India . 17 August 2023 . 13 May 2020.
30. Web site: In Pics: How The Cast Of 'Malgudi Days' Looked In Their First Appearances Vs Later . ScoopWhoop . 16 August 2023 . en . 12 November 2021.