Shankar Nag
From Open Encyclopedia
Shankar Nag ([November 9th 1954] - [September 30th 1990]) is a Kannada film actor/director. He started his career in theatre acting in Marathi plays in Mumbai, before getting into films with Girish Karnad's "Ondanondu Kaladalli". His debut film as actor fetched him a national award at the Delhi International Film Festival. Thus began his film career, where, in a span of 12 years (from 1978 to 1990) he acted in some 90 Kannada movies, as a leading man, besides co-producing (with actor-brother Anant Nag) and directing some films like "Minchina Ota" (a rare example of a road movie in Kannada) "Janma Janmada Anubandha" and "Geetha" (both of which had melodious music by South Indian maestro Ilayaraja) which brought acclaim, though not commercial success.
Nag also directed plays such as Girish Karnad's "Anju Mallige" and "Nodi Swami Navirodu Heege". Plays were his passion, and when he got a chance to direct the teleserial Malgudi Days, based on the R K Narayan novel, he grabbed it with both hands.
Shankar Nag had many entreprenurial projects in the pipeline when he died in a road accident on September 30, 1990. His brother Anant Nag has written a biography of Shankar Nag in Kannada that explores the personality of the actor/director.
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