Shankar Shanmugam (born 17 August 1963), credited as S. Shankar or his mononym Shankar, is an Indian filmmaker who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. He made his debut as a director in the film Gentleman (1993), for which he won the Filmfare Best Director Award and the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Director. He is one of the highest paid film directors in India.[1]
Shankar's films typically deal with the contemporary social issues, vigilante themes and the usage of state of the art technology and VFX. He usually collaborates with composer A. R. Rahman, both having done over 10 films together. Two of his films, Indian (1996) and Jeans (1998), were submitted by India for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. He was awarded an honorary doctorate by M. G. R. University. His 2.0 (2018), is the third highest-grossing film in India and the seventh highest-grossing Indian film worldwide.[2][3]
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Denotes film that are not yet released |
| Year | Film | Credited as | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director | Producer | Writer | |||
| 1993 | Gentleman | Yes | Yes | ||
| 1994 | Kadhalan | Yes | Yes | ||
| 1996 | Indian | Yes | Yes | ||
| 1998 | Jeans | Yes | Yes | ||
| 1999 | Mudhalvan | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2001 | Nayak | Yes | Yes | Hindi film; Remake of Mudhalvan | |
| 2003 | Boys | Yes | Yes | ||
| 2004 | Kaadhal | Yes | |||
| 2005 | Anniyan | Yes | Yes | ||
| 2006 | Imsai Arasan 23am Pulikesi | Yes | |||
| Veyil | Yes | ||||
| 2007 | Sivaji: The Boss | Yes | Yes | ||
| Kalloori | Yes | ||||
| 2008 | Arai Enn 305-il Kadavul | Yes | |||
| 2009 | Eeram | Yes | |||
| 2010 | Rettaisuzhi | Yes | |||
| Anandhapurathu Veedu | Yes | ||||
| Enthiran | Yes | Yes | |||
| 2012 | Nanban | Yes | |||
| 2014 | Kappal | Yes | |||
| 2015 | I | Yes | Yes | ||
| 2018 | 2.0 | Yes | Yes | ||
| 2023 | RC15 |
Yes | Yes | Filming; Telugu film | |
| TBA | Indian 2 |
Yes | Yes | ||
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Poovum Puyalum | Student | Uncredited role |
| Vasantha Raagam | Printing press worker | ||
| 1990 | Seetha | Japan | |
| 1994 | Kadhalan | Lyricist for "Pettai Rap" Special appearance in the song "Kadhalikum Pennin" |
|
| 1996 | Indian | Policeman | special appearance |
| 2002 | Kadhal Virus | Himself | |
| 2007 | Sivaji: The Boss | Special appearance in the song "Balleilakka" | |
| 2010 | Enthiran | Special appearance | |
| 2012 | Nanban | Special appearance in the song "Asku Laska" |
| Year | Films | Category | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Veyil | National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil | Won | [22] |
| Year | Films | Category | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Gentleman | Best Director | Won | [23] |
| 1994 | Kadhalan | [24] | ||
| 2005 | Anniyan | [25] | ||
| 2006 | Veyil | Best Film – Tamil | [26] | |
| 2007 | Sivaji: The.Boss | Best Director | Nominated | [27] |
| 2010 | Enthiran | [28] | ||
| 2015 | I | [29] |
| Year | Films | Category | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Gentleman | Best Director | Won | [30] |
| 1996 | Indian | Best Film (First prize) | [31] | |
| 2005 | Anniyan | Best Film (Second prize) | [32] | |
| Best Director | [32] | |||
| 2006 | Veyil | Best Film (First prize) | [33] | |
| 2007 | Sivaji: The.Boss | [34] |
| Year | Films | Category | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Enthiran: The Robot | Favourite Director | Won | [35] |
| 2013 | Chevalier Sivaji Ganesan Award for Excellence in Indian Cinema | [36] | ||
| Year | Films | Category | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 2.0 | Best Animation and Visual Effects | W |