Shaji N Karun, acclaimed filmmaker and pioneer of Malayalam cinema, passes away

Renowned Indian filmmaker and cinematographer Shaji N Karun, whose spare but sensitive films earned global acclaim, passed away at his residence in Vazhuthacaud, Thiruvananthapuram, on Monday. He was 73. 

Shaji N Karun, who had battled cancer, was admitted to a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram and was brought to his house at Vazhuthacaud two days ago. Shaji N Karun received the J C Daniel award 2023 at the state film award distribution ceremony recently. 

He was known for his studied use of colour, nature and shades as powerful motifs to portray human lives and pangs of longing and sadness.  As a cinematographer and as a filmmaker, he dared to experiment, driven by the belief in his craft. He was uncompromising in the pace and length of his movies and he crafted his frames with conviction. Even when he was requested to cut down the length of one of his films, which was selected for Cannes, he had gently refused. Pace and length are all Western concepts, he said in one of his interviews. While discussing his film Swaham, he stated that it featured 16 characters and he wanted to tell their stories at a pace and length of his choice and preference. 

"You can't judge a book by the number of pages, it's the content that transfers to the mind. If it is a work of quality, you spend time to understand it, realise its value," he once said. Honesty of work was sacred to Shaji N Karun, and he would say that, whatever the reviews, if one made a work with honesty, it would be remembered.

A soft-spoken person himself, Shaji N. Karun's films were his musings, shaped over years of reflection. It took him five years before he made Swaham. Prolonged periods of thought lent his films a lasting meditative and lyrical quality.

Born on January 1, 1952, in Kollam, Kerala, Shaji N Karun went on to become one of India's most respected cinematic voices. A graduate in cinematography from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), he made an indelible mark right from his debut feature, Piravi (1988), which earned a Caméra d'Or – Mention d'honneur at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival.

His films Piravi, Swaham (1994), and Vanaprastham (1999) were consecutively selected for the Cannes official sections — a rare honour for any filmmaker.

He earned numerous accolades, including a National Film Award for Best Director for Piravi, three National Awards for Best Feature Film (Piravi, Vanaprastham, Kutty Srank), and multiple Kerala State Film Awards. 

Beyond filmmaking, Karun played a transformative role in shaping Kerala’s film culture. He was the founding chairman of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, India’s first academy for film and television, and the executive chairman of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) from 1998 to 2001. Under his leadership, IFFK earned international competitive status, significantly raising its global profile.

He also served as the Chairman of the Kerala State Film Development Corporation. In 2018, he was elected president of the Purogamana Kala Sahitya Sangham, Kerala’s progressive arts and literary organisation.

The body will be kept for public viewing on Tuesday, from 10.30 am, at Kalabhavan Theatre, Vazhuthacaud. The cremation will be held at Santhikavadom, Thycaud. He is survived by his wife, Anasuya Devaki Warrier, and sons, Appu and Anil.