Legendary cinematographer and filmmaker Shaji N Karun passed away on Monday. He breathed his last at his residence 'Piravi' in Thiruvananthapuram. He was 73.
Hailed as one of the most revered filmmakers in the country, Shaji's works left a mark, both at the national and international level. He graduated from the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune in 1974 with a gold medal in cinematography. As a cinematographer, he frequently collaborated with icons like G Aravindan, P Padmarajan, and KG George.
Shaji made his directorial debut in 1988 with Piravi which won global acclaim, including the Caméra d'Or – Mention d'honneur at the Cannes Film Festival. He followed it up with award-winning films like Swaham (1994), Vanaprastham (1999), Kutty Srank (2009), and Swapaanam (2013). He last directed Oolu (2018), a fantasy film starring Esther Anil and Shane Nigam.
Some of his most popular credits as a cinematographer include Kanchana Sita (1977), Kummatty (1979), Koodevide (1983), Lekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback (1983), Panchavadi Palam (1984), Chidambaram (1985), Nakhakshathangal (1986), Arappatta Kettiya Gramathil (1986), Onnu Muthal Poojyam Vare (1986), Panchagni (1986) and Sargam (1992).
Shaji was also the founding chairman of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy and the executive chairman of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) from 1998 to 2001. At the time of his passing, he was serving as the chairman of the Kerala State Film Development Corporation. He was recently honoured with the JC Daniel Award, the highest film award in Malayalam cinema, instituted by the Kerala government.
He is survived by his wife and two sons.