It’s S Shankar’s birthday, and we list our top three films of the director over the last two decades. Shankar has been known for his keen interest in CGI and for creating a cocktail of action, emotion and visual effects.
1. Gentleman (1993)
Shankar’s debut venture Gentleman, in my opinion, is his best. It set the standard for fabulously shot action sequences—one particular scene in which a man is fighting a 60-year-old constable is electrifying. Shankar and Arjun, the film’s lead, had a great understanding. The movie also greatly benefited from a brilliant soundtrack by A R Rahman and choreography by Prabhu Deva.
2. Indian (1996)
Indian stars Kamal Haasan as a 70-year-old ex-freedom fighter turned vigilante who wants to wipe out corruption. His son, on the other hand, actually facilitates underhanded activities. This was the first time that Kamal Hasaan very seriously used prosthetics in a film. The movie’s success encouraged the actor-director to make Chachi 420.
3. Anniyan (2005)
Anniyan features Vikram as a disillusioned man fed up with the corruption in the country. His rage leads him to develop multiple-personality disorder. By day, he is consumer protection advocate Ambi, and at night, he turns into Anniyan, a vigilante. The special effects of this film were extremely advanced considering the fact that the film was made in 2005. One saw Vikram’s range as an actor in the film, switching from a cheesy romantic to a cold-blooded assassin.
Special mention to Mudhalvan, which would definitely feature in my list of Shankar’s top five. The director has always pioneered the use of technology in his films, and has taken aspects from the cinema in the West and tailored it to South Indian audiences. With his conviction, he manages to successfully pull off some highly unlikely scenarios in his films in an entertaining manner.
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