Shankar – Popular Malayalam romantic hero of 1980s

Shankar is a south Indian film actor, who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema. He was the face of romantic hero of Mollywood 1980s, and his screen pairing with Menaka was well appreciated those days. Shankar-Menaka remained the most successful screen pair of 1980s. He has produced and directed a few Malayalam films, and has also acted in Tamil films, with a total count of 150 movies. He is popular among Tamil audiences for his romantic looks and roles also.

He marked his debut with Tamil movie, Oru Thalai Ragam, which was a blockbuster. He was introduced to Malayalam silver screen by debutant director Fasil, along with Mohanlal and Poornima Jayaram through 1980 romantic tragedy, Manjil Virinja Pookal. Though many critics believed that he would became the next superstar of Malayalam cinema, he lost his way somewhere in the late 1980s, and his co-star Mohanlal of several films went on to establish super stardom in Malayalam cinema.

Shankar’s full name is Shankar Panicker. But he has been credited as Shankar in movies. He was born in Kecheri of Thrissur district in 1960. His father was into pharmaceutical industries, and Shankar’s schooling was completed in Chennai. He later studied at Rishikesh, and also took 2-year acting course before foraying into Tamil cinema. Initially he was first seen in a guest role in Sarapanjaram, Malayalam movie, released in 1979.

He had two hits back-to-back in 1980, which marked his sensational debut as a romantic hero in Tamil and Malayalam movies. His debut Tamil movie, Oru Thalai Ragam was released first, followed by Manjil Virinja Pookal, and had a magical run in both these industries for next few years, which only a few lucky people can dream about. Manjil Virinja Pookal is widely regarded as the first new generation film in Mollywood in retrospect, and the movie also gave a new romantic hero with fresh looks and appeal. Oru Thalai Ragam ran for 365 days, and quite interestingly his character in both these movies dies at film climax.

He mostly did romantic roles and his pairing with Menaka became instant hit. Guha in 1981 was the first movie of Shankar-Menaka pair. Hit romantic movies like Ente Mohangal Poovaninju and Engane Nee Marakkum helped them to establish as the leading romantic pair. Muthodu Muthu, Ponnumkudathinu Pottu, Archana Aradhana, Oru Nokku Kaanan, Ayalvaasi Oru Daridravasi, Amme Narayana, Poochakkoru Mookkuthi, Onnaam Maanam Poomaanam, Parayanum Vayya Parayathirikkanum Vayya, Saundharya Pinakkam etc are a few more. Actor Mohanlal worked in many of those movies, often completing a love triangle. Engane Nee Marakkum and Poochakkoru Mookkuthi are among those instances. Mohanlal played Shankar’s friend in Ente Mohangal Poovaninju.

After his co-star Menaka got settled with marriage life, Shankar’s career also faced a downfall. With the emergence of Mohanlal and Mammootty as the new stars, Shankar’s career started fading. Though he appeared in many movies of 1990s, but nothing were impressive. Currently he plays senior characters on screen, but only a seasonal actor. He also had a stint with business. Some of his memorable Malayalam movies include – Ente Mohangal Poovaninju, Poochakkoru Mookkuthi, Manjil Virinja Pookkal, Sukhamo Devi and Engane Nee Marakkum.   

He shared screen space with Menaka after a long time in 2015 for Njan Samvidhanam Cheyyum, where both played glorious film stars of yesterdays with amazing screen chemistry. It was an ode to their film career and celebrity status of 1980s. He shared screen space with Mohanlal after a long time through 2018 release, Drama.

Shankar – Some interesting and less-known facts

1. After evergreen hero Prem Nazir, he became the first prominent romantic hero of Malayalam cinema, and stayed so for around a decade.

2. Shankar and Mohanlal marked their Malayalam screen debut through a single film, and later they worked in several movies together. Many times they played friends on screen, such as Engane Nee Marakkum, Ente Mohangal Poovaninju, Sughamo Devi etc.

3. It’s a very rare phenomenon where, when a hero and villain are launched through a single movie with speculations that hero will become future star, villain went on to become a megastar. Same happened with the careers of Shankar and Mohanlal, who were launched to cine world through Manjil Virinja Pookal as hero and villain respectively.

4. Mohanlal-Shankar story can be compared to that of Amitabh Bachchan-Rajesh Khanna, who used to share screen space in the early 1970s. Though film dailies and magazines gave super stardom to Shankar, slowly Mohanlal took his position, and Shankar took a temporary break following frustrations. But later he could never make a comeback.  

5. With early 1980s, three Malayalam heroes marked their screen debut – Mohanlal, Shankar and Mammootty, and Shankar was way ahead of others during the first half of 1980s. But he was to fade soon.

6. In 1980 Oru Thalai Ragam followed by Manjil Virinja Pookal marked his screen debut in Tamil and Malayalam cinema. Both the movies are among his biggest hits of his career, and it’s one of the very rare instances when an actor made an impressive debut in two language films same year, and gained a huge fan following crowd from both these languages.

7. After Manjil Virinja Pookal, the trio actors reunited for 1981 movie, Oothikachiya Ponnu.

8. Shankar-Menaka was the most celebrated pair of Malayalam cinema in the 1980s, which gave a new face to romance on screen. Their fans always wanted them to appear on public functions together and also to get married. Most of the fan mails were regarding their romantic relationship.

9. Incidentally Menaka’s future husband Suresh Kumar was introduced to her for the first time by Shankar in the film sets of Ente Mohangal Poovaninju. They were good friends much earlier.

10. When Menaka engaged to Suresh Kumar during the peak time of her film career, her fans requested her through fan mails to marry her co-star Shankar, with whom she did maximum films.

11. In the special edition of 100 years of Indian cinema, Galatta Cinema magazine gave him the title “True romantic hero of Mollywood”.

12. After his downfall, he has also acted in a few B-grade movies in the 1990s.

13. He owns many nostalgic songs of 1980s filmed on him, and Yesudas did playback singing for most of them.

Shankar – Best Malayalam film songs

1. Sukhamo Devi from Sukhamo Devi

2. Srilathikakal from Sukhamo Devi

3. Aashada Meghangal Nizhalukal Erinju from Ente Mohangal Poovaninju

4. Nananju Neriya Patturumaal from Ente Mohangal Poovaninju

5. Mizhiyoram from Manjil Virinja Pookkal

6. Manjadi Kunnil from Manjil Virinja Pookkal

7. Chandana Kuriyumay from Oru Nokku Kaanan

8. Devadaru Poothu from Engane Nee Marakkum

9. Sarathkala Sandhya from Engane Nee Marakkum

10. Nee Swaramay Sruthiyay Viriyum from Engane Nee Marakkum

11. Dhanumasa Katte Vaayo from Muthodu Muthu

12. Kannil Nee Thenmalarayi from Muthodu Muthu

13. Kannil Virinhu from Parayanum Vayya Parayathirikanum Vayya

14. Hemanthamayi Ee Vediyil from Ponnum Kudathinum Pottu

15. Radhe Ninte Krishnan from Umaa Nilayam