A dedicated fan indeed!

Late actor-cum-director Shankar Nag’s contribution towards society and the film industry is known to one and all. 

   And now, one of his biggest fans, Ramanna, an auto driver — who is popularly known as ‘Junior Shankar Nag’ Auto Ramanna — is all set to direct a DVD version of a feature film based on the actor himself. 

   Titled Shankar Nag Savinenapu, Auto Chalakara Kanasu, the film is in the final editing stages and is set to release sometime next month.   “Even after all these years, Shankar Nag still holds such a strong place in all his fans’ hearts. I have admired him since my childhood and that’s why I want to dedicate this movie to Shankar Nag and his admirers,” says Ramanna, who also plays the lead role in the movie.  Only the first 45 minutes of the film is based on the late actor’s life and Ramanna has also squeezed in a love story. “I have also shown the difficulties faced by auto drivers of today,” he adds.  In short, Ramanna lives like Shankar Nag — be it in terms of his mannerisms, hairstyle, or the stunts which Shankar Nag performed in his films. Almost considering the late actor to be God, Ramanna also became an auto driver after he watched one of Shankar Nag’s films, Auto Raja.  “That particular day, I was quite upset and came back home early. I was watching the film Auto Raja. I was inspired by the way Shankar Nag did social service as an auto driver. So, I decided to be an auto driver and even today I enjoy doing social service,” he says.  Today, his auto is decorated with several posters of Shankar Nag. The movie, says Ramanna, will have all of Shankar Nag’s popular dialogues and songs as well. “We have shot the film in Bangalore itself and I plan to bring out around one lakh DVDs.  Not only have my auto driver friends planned to help me, but people from different parts of Karnataka are waiting to buy the DVD. But after seeing the initial response, I will soon plan to make the movie suitable for the big screen,” he sums up.