Shankar Nag | |
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| Born | Shankar Nagarakatte (1954-11-09)9 November 1954 |
| Died | 30 September 1990(1990-09-30) (aged 35) Anagodu Village,Davanagere,Karnataka, India |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1977–1990 |
| Works | Full list |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Gayatri (sister-in-law) Padmavati Rao (sister-in-law) |
| Family | Anant Nag (brother) |
Shankar Nagarakatte (9 November 1954 – 30 September 1990) was an Indian actor, screenwriter, director, and producer known for his work inKannada-language films and television. A popular cultural icon ofKarnataka, Nag is often referred to as Karate King.[1][2] He directed the teleserialMalgudi Days, based on novelistR. K. Narayan's short stories and acted in some episodes as well. He won twoNational Film Awards, fourKarnataka State Film Awards and twoFilmfare Award South.
Nag received the inauguralIFFI Best Actor Award (Male): Silver Peacock Award" at the7th International Film Festival of India for his work in the filmOndanondu Kaladalli.[3] He co-wrote22 June 1897, aNational award-winningMarathi film. He is the younger brother of actorAnant Nag.[4][5]Vincent Canby, the chief film critic ofThe New York Times had opined that Shankar's performance inOndanondu Kaladalli had the force and humor of the youngerToshiro Mifune.[6]
Shankar Nagarkatte was born on 9 November 1954 inHonnavar, then a part ofNorth Canara (now Uttara Kannada district), inBombay State (now inKarnataka).[7] His parents were Anandi and Sadanand Nagarkatte. Born into aKonkani speakingBrahmin family,[8] his family settled in Shirali, a village nearBhatkal inUttara Kannada district of Karnataka State. He had an elder sister, Shyamala, and an elder brother, actorAnant Nag. After completing formal education, Nag moved toBombay. There, he was attracted to Marathi theatre and immersed himself in theatrical activities. Incidentally, he met his future wife,Arundhathi during a drama rehearsal. Nag then shifted base to Bangalore where his elder brotherAnant Nag had already established himself as a popular actor.
In 1978 Nag made his debut withGirish Karnad's epic filmOndanondu Kaladalli, where he played a mercenary who earns a position in a rival army to get even with his brother, whom he considers his enemy.
Following the modest success[9] ofOndanondu Kaladalli and the critical accolades he garnered,[10] Nag started appearing in mainstream films.Seetharamu,Auto Raja andPreethi Madu Thamashe Nodu were amongst his early movies. He eventually became known for his action films, and while he had never undergone any martial arts training, he earned the nickname "Karate King". Some of his popular commercial movies as an actor includeNyaya Ellide,Nyaya Gedditu,Gedda Maga,Sangliyana,S. P. Sangliyana Part 2 andC.B.I. Shankar. He formed a popular pair[11] with top actressBhavya who acted with him in 11 films.
Nag made his directorial debut withMinchina Ota, one of the earliest heist movies of Kannada cinema. This won him seven state awards,[12] including that for best film.Janma Janmada Anubandha andGeetha[13] followed. There was no looking back after that. His directorial ventures includeLalach (Hindi remake ofMinchina Ota),Hosa Theerpu (remake ofDushman),Nodi Swamy Navirodu Hige,Ondu Muttina Kathe (loosely based onJohn Steinbeck's novelThe Pearl)[14] and the critically acclaimedAccident, which won many state and national awards.
In 1987, Nag directed theDoordarshan seriesMalgudi Days, which was based on a collection of short stories byR.K. Narayan. The series featuredVishnuvardhan andAnant Nag, with music by was composed byL. Vaidyanathan.[15] The series was shot inAgumbe,Shimoga district, Karnataka. Nag went to direct another teleserial,Swami, in the same year.Malgudi Days has been rated as one of the finest serials ever to be made in the history of Indian television.[16][17]
He anchored theParichaya program on DD1-Kannada, in its starting days.[18] Nag retained an interest in theatre. His brother Anant Nag and he founded Sanket, an amateur theatre group, which still[as of?] produces plays. His first directorial effort in Kannada theatre wasAnju Mallige by Girish Karnad. He continued with productions likeBarrister,Sandhya Chhaya. He was later joined by T. N. Narasimhan, who wrote and co-directedNodi Swamy Navirodu Hige which had, apart from himself, his wifeArundhati Nag andRamesh Bhat in the cast.
Shankar Nag, was multi-faceted person, involved in various aspects of Karnataka's Infrastructure. He is credited with pioneering efforts in initiating
Nag died in a car collision at Anagodu village on the outskirts ofDavanagere town on 30 September 1990 during the pre-production work for his filmJokumaraswamy.[25][26] The last film he did as an actor,Sundarakanda, was released a few days after his death for which Nag's voice was dubbed by Murali.[citation needed]Anant Nag completed the dubbing forNigooda Rahasya. Nag's last release was Bhargava'sPrana Snehitha, which had been completed fully but was delayed.
Many of the films on which he worked went on to win National Film Awards and various state awards. His films highlighted the lifestyle and issues of working-class society. Even after 33 years of his demise, his photographs are still found in the auto rickshaws of Karnataka.[27]
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