Shankar Nagarakatte (9 November 1954 – 30 September 1990) was an Indian actor, screenwriter, director, and producer known for his work in Kannada-language films and television. A popular cultural icon of Karnataka, Nag is often referred to as Karate King.[1][2] He directed the teleserial Malgudi Days, based on novelist R. K. Narayan's short stories and acted in some episodes as well. He won two National Film Awards, four Karnataka State Film Awards and two Filmfare Award South.
Shankar Nagarkatte was born on 9 November 1954 in Honnavar, then a part of North Canara (now Uttara Kannada), in Bombay State (now in Karnataka).[7] His parents were Anandi and Sadanand Nagarkatte. Born into a Konkani-speaking Brahmin family,[8] his family settled in Shirali, a village near Bhatkal in Uttara Kannada of Karnataka State. He had an elder sister, Shyamala, and an elder brother, actor Anant Nag. After completing formal education, Nag moved to Bombay. 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 brother Anant Nag had already established himself as a popular actor.
In 1978 Nag made his debut with Girish Karnad's epic film Ondanondu 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.
Acting and directing
Following the modest success[9] of Ondanondu Kaladalli and the critical accolades he garnered,[10] Nag started appearing in mainstream films. Seetharamu, Auto Raja and Preethi 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 include Nyaya Ellide, Nyaya Gedditu, Gedda Maga, Sangliyana, S. P. Sangliyana Part 2 and C.B.I. Shankar. He formed a popular pair[11] with top actress Bhavya who acted with him in 11 films.
In 1987, Nag directed the Doordarshan series Malgudi Days, which was based on a collection of short stories by R.K. Narayan. The series featured Vishnuvardhan and Anant Nag, with music by was composed by L. Vaidyanathan.[15] The series was shot in Agumbe, 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 the Parichaya 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 was Anju Mallige by Girish Karnad. He continued with productions like Barrister, Sandhya Chhaya. He was later joined by T. N. Narasimhan, who wrote and co-directed Nodi Swamy Navirodu Hige which had, apart from himself, his wife Arundhati Nag and Ramesh Bhat in the cast.
Social work
Shankar Nag's bronze statue at Indiranagar, Bengaluru
Shankar Nag, was multi-faceted person, involved in various aspects of Karnataka's Infrastructure. He is credited with pioneering efforts in initiating
Rope Way/Cable Car to heighten the tourist experience at Nandi Hills[19]
Nag died in a car collision at Anagodu village on the outskirts of Davanagere town on 30 September 1990 during the pre-production work for his film Jokumaraswamy.[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 for Nigooda Rahasya. Nag's last release was Bhargava's Prana Snehitha, which had been completed fully but was delayed.
Legacy
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]
^RAY, BIBEKANANDA (5 April 2017). Conscience of The Race. Publications Division Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. ISBN9788123026619. Archived from the original on 11 October 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2019 – via Google Books.
