Shankar Panicker, popularly known as Shankar, is an Indian actor, director, and producer who has made significant contributions to Malayalam and Tamil cinema. He debuted in the Tamil film "Oru Thalai Ragam" and in Malayalam with "Manjil Virinja Pookkal" both achieving remarkable success and long theatrical runs. Shankar was a leading romantic hero in the 1980s, acting in nearly 200 films. His career also includes direction and production, with his produced film "Ezhuthola" winning international awards.