Shankar Shanmugam, credited as S. Shankar, is an Indian filmmaker who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. His debut film, "Gentleman" (1993), earned him the Filmfare Best Director Award and the Tamil Nadu State Award for Best Director.

 Known for addressing contemporary social issues and employing cutting-edge technology, Shankar has directed several successful films. Notably, "Indian" (1996) and "Mudhalvan" (1999) tackled social and political themes and were India's submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. 

Collaborating frequently with composer A. R. Rahman, Shankar's science-fiction film "Enthiran" (2010) and its sequel "2.0" (2018) achieved significant commercial success. Born in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, Shankar began his career as an actor before transitioning to directing, becoming one of Indian cinema's highest-grossing directors.