Adi Shankar facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Adi Shankar
Shankar at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con
Born	Aditya Shankar (1985-01-08) 8 January 1985 (age 40) Kolkata, India
Nationality	American
Occupation	Filmmaker
Years active	2010–present

Aditya Shankar (born January 8, 1985) is an Indian-American filmmaker. He works as a producer, writer, and director for movies and TV shows.

He is well known for producing the movie Dredd. He also helped create the animated TV series Castlevania. Adi Shankar is also famous for his "Bootleg Universe" fan films. These are short, unofficial movies that reimagine popular characters.

In recent years, he has become known for creating popular Netflix shows. These include The Guardians of Justice and Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix. He is also working on the upcoming Devil May Cry series.

He holds a record as the youngest producer to have a movie reach number one at the North American box office. This was with the 2012 film The Grey. In 2014, GQ magazine listed him as one of the "Most Influential Global Indian Men." He also helped start a production company called 1984 Private Defense Contractors.

Early Life

Aditya Shankar was born in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. His father was a banking executive and his mother was an educator. His family moved often when he was young. They lived in cities like Chennai, Mumbai, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

When he was 16, he moved to Rhode Island, USA, by himself. This was just before the 9/11 events. He later studied at Northwestern University. He focused on communications, business, and theater. He finished his studies in June 2007.

Career Highlights

Adi Shankar's "Bootleg Universe" films are like unofficial, often darker, versions of popular stories. Some of these include The Punisher: Dirty Laundry, Venom: Truth in Journalism, and Power/Rangers.

In 2015, he made a deal with Disney's Maker Studios. This deal was for three future film projects.

Creative Influences

Adi Shankar says that British street artist Banksy greatly influenced his "Bootleg Universe" projects. He also often mentions other artists and creators who inspire him. These include rapper Eminem, writer Warren Ellis, artist Takashi Murakami, and wrestler Diamond Dallas Page. He also finds inspiration in the Final Fantasy VII character Sephiroth.

The Apu Discussion

In April 2018, Adi Shankar started a special script contest. He wanted people to write new stories for the The Simpsons character Apu Nahasapeemapetilon. His goal was to find a clever way to change Apu's character. He hoped to make Apu more modern or even write him out of the show in a smart way. Shankar said if the show's producers didn't use the winning script, he would make it himself as part of his "Bootleg Universe."

Later, there was some discussion about Apu's future on The Simpsons. Adi Shankar shared information he heard about the character possibly being removed. However, a producer for The Simpsons later clarified that Shankar did not speak for their show.

Apu was not seen in the show for about two years. In January 2020, the voice actor for Apu, Hank Azaria, said he would no longer voice the character. Adi Shankar stated he was against removing the character completely. He felt that "silencing Apu" didn't solve the problem. He believed it just removed another brown character from television.

Filmography

Movies

Television Shows

"Bootleg Universe" Short Films

See also

In Spanish: Adi Shankar para niños