Shankar Guru marks Parvathamma Rajkumar's debut as a producer.[5] The film was shot extensively in and around Kashmir.[6] The film was the second film of Rajkumar after Kula Gourava in which he played a triple role and his only colour film in a triple role.[7]
Rajashekhar is an upright business magnate whose associates are involved in shady deals. During an argument over such a deal, a scuffle ensues and Rajashekhar accidentally shoots one of his associates dead. Fleeing from the cops, Rajashekhar loses contact with his pregnant wife Sumathi.
Many years later, Sumathi is now living with her son Shankar in Delhi, while Rajashekhar is a rich estate owner in Kashmir. Rajashekhar's niece Nalini encounters Shankar in Delhi and recommends him to manage her uncle's estate in Kashmir. Guru, Shankar's doppelgänger, also arrives in Kashmir for a romantic quest with his rich girlfriend Malathi. Through Shankar, Rajashekhar manages to establish contact with Sumathi and is overwhelmed with joy.
Before Rajashekhar can meet Sumathi, trouble arrives in the form of Rajashekhar's erstwhile crooked business partners, who are after a valuable necklace stolen from a temple in Delhi, which they believe is now in Rajashekhar's possession. The partners kidnap Sumathi and imprison and torture Rajashekhar and a final fight ensues in which Shankar and Guru (who are revealed to be twins) rescue and reunite with their parents.
Shankar Guru was a phenomenal success in all centers and completed 100 days in theatres.[11] The film had a theatrical run of over a year and grossed ₹3.26 crore in its final run. The film became the first Kannada film to gross over ₹3 crores at the box office, thus breaking record of the 1972 film Bangaarada Manushya and making it as the highest grossing Kannada film of the 1970's.[12][6][13][1]
The film's title Shankar Guru was named after Chi. Udayashankar's sons Ravishankar and Chi. Guru Dutt. It was the first film in which Tiger Prabhakar's character was called Tiger and also marks Chandrashekhar's second collaboration with Rajkumar after Raja Nanna Raja. During the making of the film, S. K. Bhagavan narrated a play called Lithuania by Rupert Brooke (titled The Return of the Soldier in Russian) to Rajkumar. The film was planned to be shot in Ladakh and some preparation was undertaken, but Dr. Rajkumar backed out as he felt the story was too dark. In 2018, Dayal Padmanabhan adapted the play into a film titled Aa Karaala Ratri.[17]
