Shankar Brand Missing The Sujatha Mark!

Director Shankar is one of the creative geniuses we have in Indian cinema. When everyone was chasing a formula for commercial cinema, Shankar experimented with grand sets and unique graphics work.

Looking at the last ten years, Shankar did not have a moderately successful film in career. But, he managed to bring attention to Indian 2 and further to Game Changer. Unfortunately, he failed with both films as a director.

Game Changer was a critical project for director Shankar, marking his first straight Telugu film. The film carried immense expectations. However, it has left audiences with mixed impressions, largely due to the absence of Shankar’s vintage filmmaking elements.

Shankar opted for a script by Karthik Subbaraj, for Game Changer. Despite Ram Charan’s star power and Dil Raju’s extravagant budget, the film failed to recapture the magic of Shankar’s golden era. The decline in Shankar’s brilliance can be traced back to the loss of S. Rangarajan.

Sujatha played a pivotal role as the writer for some of Shankar’s iconic films, including Indian, Oke Okkadu, Boys, Robot, and Sivaji. Known for his incisive storytelling and dialogue, Sujatha elevated Shankar’s vision, blending high-concept narratives with emotional depth.

Since Sujatha’s passing during the making of Robot, Shankar’s films have struggled to replicate that same impact. Projects like Ai and 2.0 underperformed critically and financially, while Indian 2 ended as a colossal disaster.

Although ‘Game Changer’ has managed strong openings thanks to Charan’s popularity and the goodwill generated by RRR, early reports suggest it may not achieve all-time blockbuster status.

The reliance on callbacks to Shankar’s earlier works without fresh innovation has drawn criticism, highlighting the creative void left by Sujatha’s absence.

Another major criticism is that Shankar is unable to handle a project with a mediocre team to his side. Former assistants like Atlee also contributed a lot to Shankar’s glorious career. Most of the old assistants have moved on or either become directors, leaving Shankar reliable on a young bunch of talents whose thinking is a direct mismatch with Shankar’s vision.

We can not come to a conclusion on this, but the fact is that Shankar definitely needs a reality check.

To sum up, director Shankar seems like he is still relying on the glory of his past. He lost touch with the tastes and expectations of the contemporary audience expectations. So, its time he takes some time out for introspection.

It’s natural for filmmakers to face creative slumps, especially after losing a collaborator who played a defining role in their success. What remains crucial is Shankar’s ability to evolve and rebuild his brand.