Shankar | |
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Born | Shanker Panicker 22 January 1960 [1] |
Occupations |
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Years active | 1979–present |
Works | Full list |
Spouses | Radhika (m. 1992,divorced)Rooparekha (m. 2002;div. 2011)Chitra Lekshmi (m. 2013) |
Children | Gokul |
Shanker Panicker is an Indian film and television actor, film director, producer, businessman and social worker who has worked in Malayalam and Tamil films. He has acted in nearly 200 films and was a leading actor in Malayalam cinema and a lead youth hero in Tamil cinema in the 1980s. [2] Shankar's debut Tamil film, Oru Thalai Ragam, and Malayalam debut, Manjil Virinja Pookkal, completed theatrical runs of 365 and 250 days respectively. He was the most successful romantic hero in Malayalam movies along with Prem Nazir. He starred in nearly 100 films from 1980-1990 as a hero. Later, he became a director and producer, while continuing to act, from 1990 to 2024.
Shankar produced the film "Ezhuthola", which won 4 international film festival awards in 2023 including London International film festival awards, British film festival awards and Tagore international film festival.[ citation needed ] He also won many awards as an actor and director including a Kerala State film critics award.[ citation needed ]
Shankar also worked as an international businessman & social worker. He ran a dance academy with his wife[ which? ] in London before 2024. Now he is more active in various social media channels.
Shankar was born to Thekkeveettil N. K. Panicker and Sulochana in Kechery, Thrissur, Kerala in 1960. [2] His family later moved to Chennai when he was four years old. His father was a senior manager at Indian Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Limited. He has two siblings, Krishnakumar and Indra. [3] He completed the schooling from St. Bede's Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School, Chennai.[ citation needed ] He pursued a Bachelors in History from Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University, Rishikesh. Later, he completed 2 years of acting course at South Indian Film Chamber School of Acting, Chennai.
Shankar's first film was with superstar Jayan starred Sharapanjaram in 1979. Shankar auditioned for and was the lead actor of Oru Thalai Ragam . Oru Thalai Ragam not only completed 365 days run in theatres [4] [5] but also became a cult romantic film of Tamil film history. Then Navodaya Studio signed Shankar for their romantic film Manjil Virinja Pookkal along with newcomers Mohanlal and Poornima Jayaram, directed by Fazil. The success of Manjil Virinja Pookal [6] and films like Kadathu opposite Roja Ramani, Oothikachiya Ponnu with Poornima Jayaram and Ente Mohangal Poovaninju cemented Shankar as the romantic hero of Malayalam films. [7] Simultaneously his Tamil films Sujatha , Koyil Puraa , Mouna Yuddham and Raagam Thedum Pallavi also done okay business. [8]
Success continued in Malayalam with Shanker getting a chance in movies of hit directors like P.G. Viswambharan, Joshiy and I.V. Sasi with movies like Padayottam , Anuragakodathy, Veendum Chalikkunna Chakram , Sandhyakku Virinja Poovu and Engane Nee Marakkum . Following this success, he decided to concentrate on Malayalam films. His other successful films of 1983 are Mortuary, Hello Madras Girl and Himam. [7] In 1984, Shankar appeared in Ente Kalithozhan , Arante Mulla Kochu Mulla , Muthodumuthu, Poochakkoru Mookkuthi and Itha Innu Muthal . [7] Next year, he was a part of the films Archana Aaradhana , Ambada Njaane! , Aram + Aram = Kinnaram and Vannu Kandu Keezhadakki .
In mid-1980's Shankar began losing his market for doing repetitive roles, so he became a producer to save his career. [8] He directed Sibi Malayil's Chekkaeran Oru Chilla , but the film flopped. His other major films of that year were Naale Njangalude Vivahum , Oppam Oppathinoppam and Sughamo Devi along with Mohanlal. Shankar had fewer Malayalam releases in the late 1980s and his attempt to become a director with Suresh Gopi starrer Rakshakan also did not materialize, so he decided to take a break [8] from films to concentrate on business, although he did guest roles in the films Manathe Kottaram , Gandharvam and Guru .
Shankar staged a comeback as lead hero in the films Sooryavanam (1998), Bhadra, Sundarippravu and The Fire. He also acted in Stalin Sivadas with Mammootty, but all these films failed at the box office. [9] So he moved to television with a successful serial Ithu Manju Pole and continued to perform in serials Swara Raagam and Parasparam. He also won the 2006 Film Critics Television Best Actor Award for his performance in TV serial Chithrashalabham. His last serial Ammakkayi (aired on Surya TV) was a success. As he wanted to concentrate on films, he stopped doing serials and made his debut as a director with Virus, [8] a film on HIV/AIDS, which was censored in 2007.
Shankar later appeared in films like Ividam Swargamanu , Casanovva alongside Mohanlal, Rhythm, Koottukar , Banking Hours 10 to 4 , Hide N' Seek , Father's Day , Oomakkuyil Padumbol and Bhoomiyude Avakashikal . In 2013, he was appreciated for his good performance in a comic role in Anoop Menon scripted film Hotel California . His other releases were Miss Lekha Tharoor Kaanunnathu and Cleopatra , Naku Penda Naku Taka and in 2015, Shankar played the lead role in Vishwasam... Athallae Ellaam along with Shine Tom Chacko directed by Jayaraj Vijay, but the film flopped. In 2018, he starred in Niranjana Pookkal as the hero. He also starred in Bhramam along with Prithviraj Sukumaran in 2021.
Shankar directed a video film Kaatti in 2006 based on child labour, which won him the best director award from Malayalam Television viewers DRISHYA awards for video film. He made his feature film debut with Virus, [8] an Indo-American co-production urging society not to shun HIV/AIDS-affected people. [9] His first commercial Malayalam directorial venture Keralotsavam 2009 [10] starred Kalabhavan Mani and Vinu Mohan dealt with how three youngsters falling prey to terrorist links. [9] In 2015, he directed Sand City , a Tamil film [7] based at U.A.E. to good review. [11] [12] [13]
Shankar's first marriage was with Radhika in December 1992, which ended in a divorce. [14] After the failure of his first marriage, he married Rooparekha, but this marriage also ended in divorce. The couple has a son named Gokul. [15] In 2013, he married Chitra Lekshmi, a dance teacher, and settled in the U.K. [16] [17]
Mohanlal Viswanathan is an Indian actor, film producer, playback singer, film distributor, and director who predominantly works in Malayalam film industry besides also having sporadically appeared in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu and Kannada films. Mohanlal has a prolific career spanning over four decades, during which he has acted in more than 400 films. Mohanlal's contributions to the Malayalam cinema have been praised by his contemporaries in the Indian film industry. The Government of India honoured him with Padma Shri in 2001, and Padma Bhushan in 2019, India's fourth and third highest civilian honours, for his contributions to Indian cinema. In 2009, he became the first actor in India to be awarded the honorary rank of lieutenant colonel in the Territorial Army. Mohanlal was named as one of "the men who changed the face of the Indian Cinema" by CNN.
Priyadarshan is an Indian film director and screenwriter who predominantly works in Malayalam and Hindi cinema.
Manjil Virinja Pookkal is a 1980 Indian Malayalam-language romantic thriller film produced by Navodaya Appachan under Navodaya Studio and written and directed by Fazil. It stars Shankar, Mohanlal and Poornima Bhagyaraj. The film features original songs composed by Jerry Amaldev and a score by Guna Singh, cinematography was done by Ashok Kumar.
Plamthottathil Gangadharan Viswambharan was an Indian film director who worked in Malayalam cinema. Viswambharan directed 63 Malayalam films, in a career spanning close to four decades.
Abdul Hameed Muhammed Fazil, known mononymously as Fazil, is an Indian film director, film producer, screenwriter and actor who works in Malayalam cinema, in addition to directing a handful of Tamil films. He made his directorial debut with the 1980 film Manjil Virinja Pookkal.
T. G. Vinayakumar, professionally credited as Vinayan, is an Indian film director, screenwriter, producer, and lyricist, who works predominantly in Malayalam cinema and occasionally in Tamil cinema. He has done 40 Malayalam movies, 4 Tamil movies and one Telugu movie.
Velmurugan Thangasamy Manohar, professionally credited as Charle, is an Indian actor who works in Tamil cinema. He has acted in more than 800 Tamil films as a comedian and supporting actor. He was named after the English comedian Charlie Chaplin.
Thiranottam (transl. Retrospect) is a 1978-made Indian Malayalam-language drama film directed by V. Ashok Kumar and written by Kumar and Pachalloor Sasi. The film stars Mohanlal, C. Chandramohan, Ravikumar, Maniyanpilla Raju, and Renu Chandra in their debut roles. Mohanlal played Kuttappan, a mentally disabled servant. The film was completed and censored in 1978, but was not released immediately, it was released in a single theatre in 2005. Thiranottam is known for being the acting debut of Mohanlal, then 18 years old, even though his onscreen debut was Manjil Virinja Pookkal (1980).
Keralotsavam 2009 is a 2009 Indian Malayalam-language action drama comedy film directed by Shankar and written by Satheesh K. Sivan and Suresh Menon. The film stars Vinu Mohan, Vishnupriya, Nedumudi Venu, and Kalabhavan Mani. Keralotsavam 2009 deals with terrorism taking control of a youngster's dream to make it big in his life.
Jerome Thomas Veleeparambil, more popularly known by his stage name Jerry Amaldev is a three-time Kerala State Film Awards winning Indian composer of film scores who has given music to some of the most important motion pictures of Malayalam cinema. He is noted for his lyrical and expressive melodies together with simple but rich tonal compositions of Indian music.
Oothikachiya Ponnu is 1981 Indian Malayalam-language film directed by P. K. Joseph and written by V. K. Pavithran. The film reunited Mohanlal, Shanker and Poornima Jayaram after Manjil Virinja Pookkal (1980); it also features Mammootty.
Oru Thalai Ragam is a 1980 Indian Tamil-language romantic musical film written by Rajendar and produced by E. M. Ibrahim who is credited for direction. The film stars Shankar and Roopa, with Raveendar, Chandrasekhar, Kailashnath, Kumari Usha and Thyagu in supporting roles. It revolves around a college student falling in love with his classmate who, despite liking him, avoids returning his love.
Rajeev is an Indian actor, predominantly working in the Tamil film industry. He has also appeared in Malayalam films with the hit films Ustaad (1999), F.I.R (1999), Sathyam (2004) and Collector (2011). He is mainly noted for his villain role as Narendra Shetty in the 1999 crime thriller film F. I. R..
Raveendran (Ravindher), popularly known as Disco Raveendran is an Indian actor, primarily concentrating in Malayalam and Tamil films and he was a very busy actor of both these languages in the 1980s. A multi-faceted personality, Raveendran is also a screenwriter, interior designer, anchor, a film scholar, an acting coach, social activist and director of film festivals like Kochi Metro (Malayalam) Short Film Fest. He is an alumnus of the Adayar film school, Chennai.
Manal Naharam is a 2015 Indian Tamil-language film written and produced by M.I.Vasanthkumar and directed by Shankar Panikkar starring Prajin Padmanabhan, Gautham, Tejaswini Prakash, Varuna Shetty, Vinod Kumar (VK), Jaise Jose, Jijesh Menon and Shankar himself.
Sonia, also known Sonia Bose, is an Indian actress, who works in Tamil and Malayalam films and serials. She debuted, at the age of three, as a child artist in the Malayalam film Ival Oru Naadodi. She continued to appear in many films as a child actor, credited as Baby Sonia. During her childhood she lent her voice for many child artists mainly for Baby Shalini. She got Kerala State Film Award for Best Child artist for the movie Nombarathi Poovu in 1987. She acts in Tamil, Kannada, Telugu movies as well. Her brother Tinku is an actor in Tamil movies and shows.
Roopa, known as Roopa Devi is an Indian actress who has acted in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films. She is the daughter of Kalyanam Raghuramaiah and veteran actress Advani Lakshmi Devi. She became famous as the debutante heroine of the tragic romantic film Oru Thalai Ragam in Tamil that ran for 365 days in which she was paired with newcomer Shankar. For her performance in the movie Avala Antharanga, Roopa won the Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actress in 1984–85.
Varuna Shetty is an Indian actress who has done Malayalam- and Tamil-language films. She has been launched by Ranjith Bajpe in his first directional venture Tulu movie, Nirel. Later she worked under Oru Thalai Ragam Shankar in his UAE based thriller Manal Naharam, a bi-lingual. Later she signed Rasam, a Mohanlal film again shot in UAE. Both the movies have been released.
Prajin Padmanabhan is an Indian actor who works predominantly in Tamil and Malayalam-language films. He started his career as a VJ with Sun TV. He played the protagonist in the film Pazhaya Vannarapettai.
Gautham P. Krishna is an Indian actor who has appeared in lead roles of Malayalam as well as Tamil language films. He was introduced by director Vinayan with his 2010 surprise hit Yakshiyum Njanum.
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