Veteran Malayalam filmmaker and cinematographer Shaji Neelakantan Karunakaran, more popularly known as Shaji N Karun, passed away on April 28, 2025, at his residence in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. He was 73. The cause of death has not been disclosed, though some reports say the filmmaker was being treated for cancer. Shaji N Karun studied cinematography at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune. He has some remarkable achievements to his credit, including his debut film Piravi (1988), which was awarded the Caméra d'Or – Mention d'honneur at Cannes International Film Festival 1989 in France. The filmmaker was also honoured with the National Film Award for Best Director for Piravi, among 30 other awards including at Cannes and Filmfare. His following films Swaham (1994) and Vanaprastham (1999) were also selected for the Cannes Film Festival official sections. Director Shafi Dies at 56: All You Need To Know About the Malayalam Filmmaker.

Shaji N Karun Awards and Recognitions

Shaji N Karun's films won several National Film Awards in his career for Best Feature Film and Direction, including for Piravi, Vanaprastham and Kutty Srank (2009), a National Film Award for Cinematography for Thampu (1978) and Special Jury Award for Swaham. Shaji N Karun was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2011. Being the founding chairman of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, serving as the chairman of the Kerala State Film Development Corporation and the Purogamana Kala Sahitya Sangham president in 2018, Karun was active in promoting Kerala's culture and arts.

Shaji N Karun also served as the executive chairman of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), one of the prestigious film festivals of India, from 1998 to 2001. He was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 12th Jaipur International Film Festival in 2020. The filmmaker was also the recipient of at least seven Kerala State Film Awards. In 2023, Karun was honoured with the JC Daniel Award, Kerala's highest film award for lifetime achievement, for his contribution to cinema. Shaji N Karun Chosen for J C Daniel Award.

Shaji N Karun's Alma Mater Pays Tribute to Filmmaker - See Post

Shaji N Karun's International Honours

Apart from Cannes, Shaji Karun's other international honours include the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 1999 from France, the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 10th International Youth Film Festival Colombo by Government of Sri Lanka in 2024, the Lifetime Achievement - Tyrol: IFFI Prize at the Innsbruck Film Festival, Austria in 2014, and the first Sir Charles Chaplin Award to commemorate the centenary of Chaplin's birth at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in the United Kingdom in 1989. He won several other accolades in direction and cinematography in India and abroad.

Shaji N Karun is survived by his wife, Anasuya Warrier, and sons, Appu Karun and Karun Anil.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 28, 2025 06:26 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).