4 min readKochiUpdated: Apr 28, 2025 08:45 PM IST
Shaji N Karun, one of the doyens of modern-day Malayalam cinema, has passed away at the age of 73. He succumbed to a battle with cancer and breathed his last at his residence Piravi in Vazhuthacaud, Thiruvananthapuram, leaving behind a monumental legacy.
Born in Kandachira of Kollam district in 1952 as the eldest son of N Karunakaran and Chandramathi, Shaji did his schooling at Pallikara school before joining University College, Thiruvananthapuram, for higher studies. He then earned a diploma in cinematography from the prestigious Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, in 1974. Post his education, he started working as a cinematographer and quickly gained the attention of masters with his craft. While his graduation film Genesis itself had grabbed the attention of many, Shaji made his debut as a cinematographer in KP Kumaran’s Lakshmi Vijayam (1976).
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Two movies later, he landed an opportunity to join forces with filmmaker extraordinaire G Aravindan in his sophomore venture Kanchana Sita (1977). Working on Aravindan’s projects quickly propelled Shaji to great heights, earning him widespread acclaim. From Thampu (1978), Kummatty (1979), Esthappan (1980) and Pokkuveyil (1982) to Chidambaram (1986), Oridathu (1980) and Unni (1988), Shaji operated the camera for almost all of Aravindan’s feature films.
During the same era, he also worked with filmmaking legends like KG George in Lekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback (1983) and Panchavadi Palam (1984); P Padmarajan in Koodevide (1983) and Arappatta Kettiya Gramathil (1986); T Hariharan in Nakhakshathangal (1986), Panchagni (1986) and Sargam (1992); and MT Vasudevan Nair in Manju (1983).
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In 1988, Shaji N Karun made his debut as a filmmaker with Piravi. The movie was based on the life of TV Eachara Warrier, who fought a fearless legal battle against the Congress-led Kerala government following the disappearance of his son P Rajan, a student of the Regional Engineering College in Kozhikode, who was allegedly killed as a result of torture in police custody during the Emergency period. The film opened to global acclaim and won as many as 31 awards, including the Caméra d’Or — Mention Spéciale at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival, the Silver Leopard at the Locarno Film Festival and the National Film Award for Best Feature Film. It also earned Shaji the Best Director and Premji the Best Actor honours at the 1989 National Film Awards. His second film, Swaham (1994), also received significant recognition both domestically and internationally. It was also only the second Indian film after Mira Nair’s Salaam Bombay! (1988) to compete in Cannes’ main section.
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Shaji’s third directorial venture, Vanaprastham (1999), turned out to be a landmark film not only in his career but also that of Malayalam superstar Mohanlal, who played the lead role in it. The first Indo-French co-production movie from South India, Vanaprastham, premiered at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival, where it was selected in the Un Certain Regard section. Besides earning major recognition at the Istanbul and Mumbai Film Festivals, the movie also won the National Film Awards for Best Feature Film, Best Actor and Best Editing. His later films, including Nishad (2002), Kutty Srank (2009), Swapaanam (2013) and Olu (2018), also garnered significant acclaim and created waves for their poignant portrayal of human nature.
While he was presented with the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in India, in 2010, the government of France bestowed upon him the Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et Lettres in 1999. Just last year, the Kerala government had presented him with the JC Daniel Award, the highest award in Malayalam cinema. At the time of his demise, Shaji N Karun was also serving as the chairman of the Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC). He also served as the first chairman of the Kerala State Chalachitra (Moving Picture) Academy, the first academy for film and TV in India, and the executive chairman of the International Film Festival of Kerala from 1998 to 2001.
Legendary filmmaker Shaji N Karun passes away at 73.