Right from the moment Shankar became a director with Gentleman (1993), there was one thing unshakeable about the vision of the filmmaker. He didn't plan things in a small scale. There were seemingly no compromises in the magnitude of his films, which went on burgeoning with every project. He followed Gentleman with Kaadhalan, which launched many a career, and went on to make Indian with Kamal Haasan. As I said, every project of his just grew bigger and bigger in size, and just as he steps into his 31st year as a filmmaker, it is impressive to note how he continues to make these humungous and gargantuan projects like Gamechanger with Ram Charan, and Indian 2 with Kamal Haasan.
On the occasion of his 60th birthday, Team CE picked out our favourite films from his stellar filmography.
Mudhalvan - Prashanth Vallavan
Mudhalvan marked the pinnacle of a time when commercial cinema was more than the sum of its thematic parts. While the film is loaded with several themes and ideologies that might stir up divisive opinions, Mudhalvan has an unmatchable style and energy. Accentuated by AR Rahman's brilliant score, Mudhalvan employs the Robin Hood trope in a contemporary setting with a clever spin of how things would be if a Robin Hood-esque character would inventively uphold his virtues if he was given the power of the law. Above all, Mudhalvan has one of the strongest premises for any film, for it is hard to hear the one-line and not be hooked to the story.
Sivaji - Navein Darshan
If someone in the early 2000s had said that Rajini will be playing an NRI techie-turned-vigilante philanthropist and his characters would be named Sivaji and MGR, people wouldn't have taken it seriously. But director Shankar sold these outlandish ideas like it is nobody's business and also managed to pack it with an ample dose of Rajini signatures and his traditional messaging. Apart from the awareness the film created about black money, it is still remembered for the delightful theatre moments it delivered. Even though years have rolled by, the signature "paeru kaettaa udane chumma adhirudhulla" still evokes the same thunderous responses from the audience. Ain't that sign of a good masala film?
Jeans - Anusha Sundar
Catching up with Shankar’s Jeans on repeat wasn’t a tiring thing, because it came like a breath of fresh air at the age when I didn't even know the meaning of globe-trotting. Right from the setting of the film, which showcased the Indian pursuit of the American dream, to taking the viewers for a ride to see the Seven Wonders of the World through just a song, Shankar’s film became a window to the finest imagery of the world. Though Jeans never missed out on a recurring representation of creamier layers of the hierarchical society blatantly, whose requirement might instigate a topic of necessity, Jeans had powerful performances hosted by Nasser, Lakshmi, Aishwarya Rai and Prashanth.
Anniyan - Narayani Bharathi
Between watching Anniyan as a child and not sleeping for days to catching it every time it plays on TV, I grew up, the psychological thriller showcased Vikram as a human, hero as well as a villain in the same story. It was the first time I knew the existence of the medical condition — multiple personality disorder — that pushed Ambi to become Anniyan and Remo. He takes refuge in those personalities after being pushed into a zone where his inner demons took over. Who can forget the power-packed performance by Vikram in the interrogation scene between him and Prakash Raj, and of course, the climactic twist? 18 years after its release, the vigilante-driven film holds a cult status among cinephiles for some of the best action and song sequences.