Top Kannada actor-director Shankar Nag died 25 years ago this day in a road accident. His birth anniversary is on Monday and had he lived, he would have turned 60 years old.
A report in The Hindu states that many auto stands in the city of Bengaluru share a strong bond with the actor who unfortunately died young. Shankar Nag’s portrayal of an auto driver in the 1980 film Auto Raja resonates with the auto drivers in the city even now.
The actor-cum-director was seen on screen in more than 80 films and directed two TV serials as well. He was seen as an actor who could empathise with the common man and emulate him on screen.
Auto Raja made him a real-life hero to auto drivers in the state and he became a symbol to them. A film titled Shankar Nag Kelkond Bandaga, directed by filmmaker Sushma Veerappa, speaks of how much he influenced the auto drivers in the city, adds the report.
Shankar Nag’s birthday is celebrated by auto driver associations as ‘Autorickshaw Day’. This initiative is supported by the Bengaluru city police as well.
