Shankar Nagarkatte (9 November 1954 - 30 
 September 1990) popularly known as Shankar Nag was a popular actor and director of Kannada cinema. He also directed and acted in the teleserial, Malgudi days, based on celebrated novelist R.K.Narayan's short stories. Besides these, he was actively involved in Kannada theater activities. He co-wrote "22 June 1897", an Indian National award winning Marathi film.

    Shankar Nagarkatte was born on 9 November 1954 in a KonkaniSaraswat Brahmin family of Mallapur village in Honnavar (uttara kannada), Karnataka His parents were Anandi and Sadanand Nagarkatte. His elder brother is the popular Kannada actor Anant Nag.After completing formal education, Shankar moved to Mumbai. In Mumbai, he was attracted to Marathi theater and immersed himself in theatrical activities. Incidentally, he met his future wife, Arundhathi during a drama rehearsal.

Shankar Nag then shifted base to Karnataka. His elder brother Anant Nag had already established himself as an actor and urged Shankar to act in films. He was offered a role of a mercenary by Girish Karnad in the epic movie, Ondanondu Kaladalli, which was loosely based on Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece, Seven Samurai. His debut film as actor fetched him a national award at the Delhi International Film Festival. Thus began his film career, where, in a span of 12 years (from 1978 to 1990) he acted in some 90 Kannada movies, as a leading man, besides co-producing (with actor-brother Anant Nag ) and directing some films like 'Minchina Ota' (a rare example of a heist movie in Kannada), "Janma Janmada Anubandha" and "Geetha" (both of which had music by South Indian maestro Ilayaraja)

Commercial film producers took notice of Shankar Nag and he began acting in typical masala movies. Shankar was an unconventional hero with an unshaven face, distinict swagger, dark eyes and a rough voice. Although he had never undergone any martial arts training, he earned the sobriquet of Karate King. His popular films include Auto Raja, Geeta, S.P.Sangliana, and Minchina ota.

He had also identified himself with the Janata Party in 1980s.

Shankar began his directorial with Minchina Ota. This won him seven state awards, including the best film. And then came a series of films directed by him. Janma Janmada Anubandha, Geetha,Accident (which won many state and national awards), Ondu Muttina Kathe (with Rajkumar in the lead), Nodi Swami Naavirodu Heege, Hosa Teerpu, Lalach.

Shankar Nag died in a car crash at Anagodu village on the outskirts of Davanagere town on the morning of 30 September 1990, while proceeding to Lokapur in Bagalkot district of Karnataka with his wife Arundhati Nag and daughter Kavya, in the shooting of his film Jokumaraswamy.
                                                                                                             ----REF. from WIKIPEDIA.