Auto Shankar is a 2005 Indian Kannada-language action comedy film starring Upendra, Shilpa Shetty, and Radhika.[1][2] The film was directed by D. Rajendra Babu and produced by Ramu, of Ramu Enterprises. The films tells about Shankar an autorickshaw driver belonging to a middle-class family who gets into a conflict with Maya, a money-lender. However, tables turn when she loses her property and they fall in love.
| Auto Shankar | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | D. Rajendra Babu |
| Written by | B. L. Venu
Tushar Ranganath (Dialogues) |
| Screenplay by | Ajay Kumar |
| Story by | Ajay Kumar |
| Produced by | Ramu |
| Starring | Upendra Shilpa Shetty Radhika |
| Cinematography | H. C. Venu |
| Edited by | T. Shashikumar |
| Music by | Gurukiran |
Production company | Ramu Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 170 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Kannada |
The film was dubbed in Tamil as Aanavakari, in Hindi as Shilpa - The Big Don in 2007,[3] and in Malayalam as Sarappa Sundari. The film was remade in Bangladesh in 2017 as Ohongkar.[4]
Synopsis
editShankar is a middle class autorickshaw driver. He is friendly and jovial. Maya, a money-lender, is brought up in a rich family and is portrayed as a boorish character. She is unscrupulous in recovering loans given to the poor and has designed crude methods to recover the money. She is also the daughter of a lady don.
Shankar defends the poor and fights the moneylenders. Several interesting battles follow, after which the Maya loses all her property and prestige. It is also revealed that she is not really the daughter of the lady don. She then learns a lesson that reforms her attitude. She makes amends and Shankar embraces her as the two fall in love. The rest forms the plot of the story.
Cast
edit- Upendra as Auto Shankar
- Shilpa Shetty as Maya, an arrogant money lender
- Radhika as Gowri
- Sudharani as Geeta, Shankar's sister
- Bhavya as an Auto driver's wife
- Srinivasa Murthy as Shankar's father
- Sumithra as Girija, Shankar's mother
- Gurukiran as Akash, Geeta's husband
- Avinash as Ramayya, Maya's biological father
- Tara as Maya's biological mother
- Srinivas Prabhu
- Ramesh Bhat as a victim whose daughter committed suicide due to Maya
- Ashok Rao as DGP of Police
- Lakshman Rao as Corrupt Police Inspector
- Doddanna as Kalamma's husband
- Rangayana Raghu as Maava, Kalamma's accountant
- Telangana Shakuntala as Kalamma, a lady don and Maya's adopted mother
- Ashalatha
- Mohan Raj as Peddodu, Kalamma's brother
- Rajashekhar Kotian as Chinnodu, Kalamma's brother
- Mohan Juneja as a man who came to see Geeta for marriage proposal
- Maarimutthu Sarojamma
- Shanthamma
- H. M. T. Nandha
- Padma Vasanthi
- Sadhu Kokila as Anandha, Gowri's maternal uncle
- B. Jayamma
- Bangalore Nagesh as Kalamma's husband's accountant
- Dileep
- M. N. Suresh
- Pailwaan Venu
Production
editAs the director was ill during the majority of the shoot, Telugu cinema's renowned associate director Shiva Ramakrishna, an associate of Puri Jagannadh, directed the songs, fight sequences and a major portion of Shilpa Shetty's scenes. The movie was filmed in different locations including Austria, Finland, the Bangalore Palace, and the Mysore Lamps Factory, Mysore.
Controversy
editThe film sparked off a controversy with regard to a movie poster depicted a glamour still of Shilpa Shetty from the film. A Madurai based lawyer filed an obscenity case against Shetty. Shetty however, protested by saying that "It (the photo) is not vulgar. I am an actor and an entertainer and I won't endorse vulgarity".[5]
Soundtrack
editThe music is composed by Gurukiran.
The music of the song "Ready Ready" was used in the Telugu film Nagavalli and the music was given by Guru Kiran.
| Song title | Singers |
|---|---|
| "Kabaddi Kabaddi" | Rajesh Krishnan, Malathi |
| "Kachhi Kachhi" | Udit Narayan |
| "Line Hodi" | Malgudi Subha, Guru Kiran |
| "Raja Muddu Raja" | S. Janaki, P. B. Sreenivas |
| "Ready Ready" | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam |
| "Yen Madlo" | Sundar |
Reception
editFilm critic R. G. Vijayasarathy of IANS wrote that "Auto Shankar is one of those typical mass (or it masala) films which are made in style but lack substance".[6]
Box office
editAuto Shankar successfully ran for 100 days. The film was released at the same time as the Puneeth Rajkumar starrer Namma Basava and there was a fierce competition between the two films. Both the films were successful at the box office,[7][8] but Auto Shankar turned out to be more successful than Namma Basava.
References
edit- ^ "Happy birthday Shilpa Shetty: Azad to Auto Shankar, her 8 best South Indian films you should watch". Hindustan Times. 8 June 2021.
- ^ R. G. Vijayasarathy (11 July 2006). "Raadhika: Glam doll or performer?". Rediff.com.
- ^ "Make way for Shilpa, The Big Don". Rediff.com. 10 September 2007.
- ^ "From 'Anuraga Aralithu' to 'U Turn': Kannada movies that were remade in foreign languages". 10 June 2020.
- ^ "I won't endorse vulgarity: Shilpa". Hindustan Times. 8 August 2006. Archived from the original on 27 April 2014. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
- ^ "Auto Shankar Movie Review". IANS. 9 September 2005 – via Nowrunning.
- ^ "Namma Basava and Auto Shankar hit the 100days mark". Viggy.com. 13 March 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
- ^ "Kannada audio race : Jogi, Amrithdhare, Vishnu Sena, Anna Thangi, Uppi Dada MBBS, top five films : Jogi, Amrithdhare, Auto Shankar, Namma Basava, Swamy, Guru Kiran has now become the toast of Kannada film music fans". IANS. Archived from the original on 27 April 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2012 – via Latestcinema.com.