AUTO SHANKAR SEASON 1 REVIEW : AUTO SHANKAR IS ENGAGING, BUT ALSO A BIT WANNABE
As far as Tamil web series go, Auto Shankar is a cut above most of them — at least as far as filmmaking is concerned. The emphasis is clearly on the visuals, and the cinematography and art direction departments lovingly recreate the Madras of the late 80s.
The series charts the rise and fall of the notorious Auto Shankar, a gangster-pimp who became a dangerous force to reckon with thanks to his connections to those in power. The show opens with Auto Shankar serving time and waiting to be hanged from the gallows, and shows us how he became the criminal that he was. Starting out as a bootlegger selling illicit liquor, Shankar rises in the ranks after taking over a brother. His “ponnunga”, lead to bigger and powerful connections, especially Chandrika (Swayam Siddha), his moll, who catches the fancy of a minister. But as his influence spreads, so does his arrogance. He begins to think of himself as invincible, and ends up antagonising the very people who were the reason behind his rise. And when he graduates into a murderer, it becomes only a matter of time before his past catches up with him.
Where Auto Shankar is less satisfying is in its writing. Save for its central character, the other characters are not so clearly defined, and many (like Shankar’s accomplices) come across as strictly functional. Some major characters, like the cop who helps Shankar with connections in the beginning and latter has a fallout with him, do not get a well-defined arc. And rather than present Shankar as a complex personality, the writing straitjackets the criminal in an all-too familiar template — a man with not-so-nice past taking up crime as a means of survival, making a swift rise to the top, getting too cocky, and falling down as fast as he rose.
Of course, any story has to make its audience identify with its protagonist, but rather than present this tale as a cautionary one, the series also seems to be a little too much in love with its lead character. And in the name of humanising a notorious serial killer, it ends up swaying more to other side by glorifying his acts — be it the violence (the background score turns celebratory) or the sex (an episode with an actress is just pure indulgence), the series presents them with a voyeuristic glee.
Given that there is no censor board to deal with, the filmmakers do get indulgent with both, eagerly wanting to show off both these aspects. This, at times, makes the series feel wannabe. Look, we, too, can make actors take off their clothes! We, too, can come up with blood-spattered visuals! Like Sacred Games!
And towards the end, as Shankar finds his past catching up with him, we get visual cues (Christian motifs, an extended shot of his body writhing after he is hanged) that are intended to make us feel a bit sympathetic towards him
But the good thing is that these issues do not stop the series from being a compelling watch. The pacing feels just right, so we don’t lose interest. The staging, too, draws us in. And the dialogues, filled with colourful language, lend authenticity. Then there is the casting, which feels perfect. Appani Sarath is fantastic as the titular character, while the supporting cast manage to create an impression despite their characters not being that fleshed out.
Auto Shankar was produced by JAR Pictures of Ajay G with the sole distribution of ZEE5. The series went live on December 22, 2019 and instantly drew huge attention to its appealing story. In fact, Auto Shankar web series download isaimini or watch Auto Shankar online for free tamilrockers has been searched for since last year but the links were then removed by the authorities. The fact that the audience could easily find Auto Shankar web series free download links online while the series was just released did affect the income of ZEE5 and the production team.
Having said that, free Auto Shankar download remains available on the Internet by now and you can access to a quality link at the end of the post. Before that, let’s check what the series plot is about.
First, you should know that Auto Shankar is the nickname of an autorickshaw driver and serial killer in Tamil Nadu during 1980s. His real name is Gowri Shankar who was hung in 1995 at the age of 41. During his lifetime, Auto Shankar and his associates had been found guilty of 6 murders but the number of victims could be more than that.
Auto Shankar web series by Ranga is not the first work to depict this criminal’s life. Before that, several TV documentaries, series and even movies had told the story of auto Shankar, including the film Raavan Raj (1995) of Mithun Chakraborty. However, Auto Shankar web series download is a vivid portrait of this killer, as well as revealing unknown stories behind his life.
In the series, Appani Sarath plays the titular role of an Indian auto driver. He starts off with low-level illegal trade of liquor then continues involving in other filthy activities as a pimp. When he has gone too far, auto Shankar connects with a number of politicians and businessmen to cover his crimes. He is even said to be involved in a series of murders, which leads him to his death penalty. After several delays and attempts to escape the prison, Auto Shankar faces his consequences.
Auto Shankar web series download includes 10 episodes following the rise and fall of the criminal:
- The Awakening
- The Power Game
- The Rise of the Demon
- The Wolf Hunter
- The Seed of Chaos
- The Balancing
- Clean State
- Fall of the Demon
- The Rebirth
- The Conclusion
Commented on the series, critics see a satisfactory job in terms of the plot. The News Minute wrote ‘Auto Shankar is a sordid story of lust, deceit, betrayal and revenge’ while praising the director for allowing the lead role to solely depict events so we can take an insight into the criminal. However, this, unfortunately, shows some limits in the character development of Ranga.
While Auto Shankar is recorded as a merciless killer in history, the lead role doesn’t give out that vibe at all throughout the movie. Shankar is portrayed as a womanizer who abused prostitutes in his brothels but no woman in the series has ever raised a voice of dissent against this criminal.
Though we understand the writer may want to discover a new aspect to the story, distorting facts is not encouraged with this type of crime series. Sarath Appani’s performance is, however, acceptable regardless of writer’s intention.
Besides, Swayam Siddha excels at her role of Chandrika, the Shankar’s favorite sex worker. Her seductive posture together with natural expression is one of the highlights of Auto Shankar web series download. Auto Shankar is currently rated 6.9 out of 10 stars on IMDB.
All things considered, Auto Shankar is a must-watch crime series because you won’t be able to take your eyes off screen once you step into that world of Madras during 80s. Though the characters’ traits could be made closer to history, Auto Shankar web series plot is generally logical and convincing.
Here is Auto Shankar web series online watch & free download all 10 episodes.
Before proceeding to download Auto Shankar series, you can take a look at its trailer below.
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