PremiumShankar’s ‘Corruption Cinematic Universe’ hits rock bottom with Indian 2 and Game Changer; will the director reinvent himself with Velpari?
Shankar has been going through a low phase in his career after the release of the disastrous Indian 2 and disappointing Game Changer – both films based on the concept of ‘corruption’.
Last Updated: 10.29 PM, Jan 23, 2025
Shankar, one of the most celebrated filmmakers of Indian cinema, carved a niche for himself by reimagining the commercial cinema genre. The master craftsman stunned the cinephiles by adapting the new-age technology to the silver screen, in the most innovative way. But now, the director who once astonished the cine-goers by creating some memorable cinematic moments, including the famous headless dancing man (in Kadhalan), sadly reduced himself to the over-explored ‘Corruption Cinematic Universe’ (the term invented by the Redditors who are fed-up with Shankar’s obsession with the concept), these days.
Shankar’s 'Corruption Cinematic Universe' hits rock bottom
The master craftsman created many brilliant films that narrate the common man’s fight against the system and its corruption, including Mudhalvan, Indian, Anniyan, Sivaji: The Boss, and the recently released films, Indian 2, and Game Changer. However, Shankar’s big-time love for this concept took a disastrous turn in 2024, as Kamal Haassan’s iconic character Senapathi returned to the big screens, and gave the Tamil cinephiles the biggest disappointment of recent times. The film was heavily trolled for its amateurish making and outlandish ideas, which are topped with intolerable performances.
With his recent film Game Changer, which stars Telugu superstar Ram Charan in the lead role, Shankar’s undying love for the ‘corruption stories’, has hit its all-time low. The Redditors are now sarcastically calling the director’s films that fall into the same category as the ‘Corruption Cinematic Universe’, and are hoping that the hitmaker will explore some other concepts in his future films. However, the ‘Corruption Cinematic Universe’ is confirmed to have one more installment, with the upcoming third part of the Indian series, which has been titled Indian 3.
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The ‘grandeur’ with no substance
Along with his intolerable commercial potboilers, the hitmaker has been frequently making headlines lately with the massive budgets of his films; especially the colourful song sequences that were eventually excluded from the final cut. The critics opine that Shankar should focus on the writing of his films and collaborate with new talents, instead of wasting money on ‘grandeur’ that serves no purpose. The film fanatics are eagerly waiting for the master craftsman to return in form and present some memorable cinematic experiences, just like the times when he collaborated with veteran writer Sujatha.
Velpari is a crucial project in Shankar’s career; Here’s why
To the delight of cinephiles, Shankar recently confirmed that he is planning to make a movie adaptation of the famous Tamil novel Velpari. With his new announcement, it has been confirmed that the director is finally ready to explore a new genre in his career, after a long break. The movie, touted to be a period action drama, is expected to feature Suriya or Bollywood star Ranveer Singh, in the lead role. Velpari is expected to be the ‘redemption’ project for the senior filmmaker, who is currently going through the lowest phase in his career.