Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Jun 28: Veteran Kannada filmmaker, journalist and author N S Shankar, best known for directing the acclaimed comedy Ulta Palta, has passed away after suffering a heart attack. He had reportedly been battling ill health for the past few days and was undergoing treatment, but his condition failed to improve.
According to reports, he suffered a fatal heart attack and breathed his last in his sleep, leaving the Kannada film fraternity, media community and literary circles in mourning.
Shankar began his professional journey as a journalist and worked with several leading Kannada publications, including Prajavani, Mungaru and Lankesh Patrike.
He earned widespread recognition for his sharp, thought-provoking and impactful writing, particularly during his association with Lankesh Patrike, and was regarded as one of the respected voices in Kannada journalism before successfully transitioning to the film industry.
He made his directorial debut with Ulta Palta in 1997. Inspired by William Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors, the film won widespread acclaim for its innovative adaptation, engaging screenplay and humour, and went on to become one of the most memorable and celebrated comedies in Kannada cinema. Besides Ulta Palta, Shankar directed a few other films, including Wrong Number, as well as documentary films, further establishing himself as a versatile filmmaker.
Beyond cinema and journalism, Shankar was also an accomplished author who penned several books, making significant contributions to Kannada literature and enriching the state's cultural landscape through his diverse body of work.
The Karnataka Working Journalists' Association expressed profound grief over his demise. Paying tribute, the association's State President, Shivananda Tagadur, said, "May Shankar's soul rest in peace. May God grant his family the strength to bear this immense loss."
N S Shankar was born in Soraba in Shivamogga district and spent his childhood in Pandavapura in Mandya district. He completed his high school education in Mysuru before pursuing his college studies in Bengaluru. Although he first established himself in journalism, he later carved a niche for himself in the Kannada film industry, earning acclaim for his creative storytelling and distinctive filmmaking style.
Remembered as a multifaceted creative personality, Shankar leaves behind an enduring legacy spanning journalism, cinema and literature. Tributes from colleagues, members of the film fraternity, journalists, writers and admirers have continued to pour in, honouring a man whose contributions helped shape Kannada media and cinema and whose work will be remembered for generations to come.