Sasi Shanker
Biography
Sasi Shanker was an Indian film director and screenwriter who primarily worked in Malayalam cinema, along with a few Tamil films. Born in 1957 in India, he began his filmmaking career as an assistant director to P. A. Backer, working on three of his films. He later joined filmmaker Sathyan Anthikad's team and assisted him on nearly 30 films, gaining extensive experience in filmmaking.
He made his independent directorial debut with the Malayalam social drama Naaraayam (1993), which received the National Film Award for Best Film on Other Social Issues. He followed it with films such as Punnaram (1995), Manthra Mothiram (1997), and Guru Sishyan (1997).
He gained wider recognition with the comedy Mr. Butler (2000), starring Dileep, and the commercially successful Kunjikoonan (2002), also featuring Dileep in a dual role. He made his Tamil directorial debut with Perazhagan (2004), starring Suriya and Jyothika, which was a remake of Kunjikoonan. His other directorial projects included Sarkar Dada (2005) and the Tamil film Pagadai Pagadai (2014).
Sasi Shanker died on August 10, 2016, at the age of 58, after suffering from diabetes. He was survived by his wife, Beena Shanker, and their two children, Vishnu and Meenakshi.
Awards and Recognition
National Film Award for Best Film on Other Social Issues for Naaraayam (1993).
Recognition for his contribution to Malayalam cinema through films including Kunjikoonan, Mr. Butler, and Manthra Mothiram.
