Shaji N Karun

Shaji N Karun, the legendary Malayalam filmmaker, cinematographer, and visionary storyteller, passed away at 73. 

Widely respected for his contemplative narratives and visual mastery, Shaji N. Karun left an indelible mark on Indian and world cinema.

Over a distinguished career spanning five decades, he received many national and international awards, including seven National Film Awards and seven Kerala State Film Awards, as a director and cinematographer.

He directed a total of eight films – seven feature films and one documentary.

 

Basic Facts


  • Full Name – Shaji Neelakantan Karunakaran.
  • No. of Films directed by Shaji N. Karun – 8.
    • 7 feature films & 1 documentary film.

  • The First Film directed by Shaji N. Karun – Piravi.
  • The only Hindi feature film directed by Shaji N. Karun – Nishad (2002).
  • The last feature film directed by Shaji N. Karun – Oolu (2018)
  • Name the Malayali director who won the "Knight of Art and Letters" award from the French government – Shaji N. Karun.
  • First chairman of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy – Shaji N. Karun.
  • Awards & Honors – 
    • Padma Shri (2011)
    • Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Chevalier) (1999)
    • First Sir Charles Chaplin Award (1989)
    • J.C. Daniel Award Lifetime Achievement Award (2024)
    • Seven National Film Awards & seven Kerala State Film Awards.   

 

Early Career as Cinematographer

Before his directorial debut, Shaji N. Karun was one of India’s most accomplished cinematographers, contributing to over 40 films. 

His collaborations with directors like G. Aravindan and John Abraham produced visually poetic works such as:
  • Thampu (National Film Award, 1979)
  • Kanchana Sita (Kerala State Film Award, 1977)
  • Esthappan
  • Onnu Muthal Poojyam Vare

He won multiple National and State Awards for cinematography during this period.


 

 Full List of Feature Films Directed


List of  all the feature films directed by Shaji N. Karun in chronological order:
  • Piravi (1988) 
  • Swaham (1994) 
  • Vanaprastham (1999) 
  • Nishad (2002)  (Hindi film)
  • Kutty Srank (2010) 
  • Swapaanam (2014) 
  • Oolu (2018) 

Highlights of His Landmark Films


Piravi (1988)

Piravi

Set during the dark days of the Emergency. It is inspired by a real incident that took place in Kerala, when an engineering student, Rajan, after being taken into custody, was tortured to death. 

Despite media uproar and the long legal battle waged by his father, nothing came of it.

  • The Malayalam film that won the most international awards.
  • The Malayalam Film that has been screened at most international festivals.
  • The Malayalam film won the 'Golden Camera' (Caméra d'Or - Mention d'honneur) award at the Cannes Film Festival in 1989.
  • Main Characters – 
    • Raghava Chakyar (The father who is searching for his missing son),
    • Ragini (daughter) 

  • The actor who won the National Award for Best Actor for his performance in Piravi – Premji (as  Raghava Chakyar). 
  • Awards & Honors – 
    • National Film Award – Best Director  (1989)
    • Best Feature Film at the 36th National Film Awards (1989)
    • Silver Leopard at the Locarno International Film Festival
    • Silver Hugo at the Chicago International Film Festival.


Swaham (1994)

Swaham


Following the death of an elderly man, his family navigates the traditional rituals and customs associated with death in their village. 

The film explores themes of mortality, the cyclical nature of life, and the complex relationships within a close-knit community.
  • Main Characters – 
    • Malu (widowed mother)  (The film focuses on Malu’s struggle to maintain dignity and survival in a ritualistic society)
    • Unni (her son) 

  • First Malayalam film nominated for the Palme d'Or (Cannes, 1994)
  • National Film Award – Special Jury Award 
  • Kerala State Award – Best Director (1994)


Vanaprastham (1999)

Vanaprastham (1999)


A Kathakali dancer from a lower caste achieves mastery in his art but faces societal prejudice and a complex personal relationship with a woman from an upper class. 

The film delves into the themes of art, caste, love, and the search for self-realization against a rigid social backdrop.
  • Main Characters – 
    • Kunjukuttan (Kathakali dancer) 
    • Subhadra (upper-caste woman, writer)

  • National Film Award – 3
    • Best Feature Film (2000)
    • Best Actor (Mohanlal),  
    • Best Editing (A. Sreekar Prasad)
  • Kerala State Award – 6
    • Best Director (1999)
    • Best Actor (Mohanlal)
    • Best Editor (A. Sreekar Prasad, Joseph Guinvarch)
    • Best Sound Recordist (Lakshmy Narayana, Bruno Tarrière)
    • Best Processing Lab (Prasad Colour Lab)
    • Best Make-up Artist (M. O. Devasya, Saleem)
  • Special Jury Prize, Hawaii International Film Festival
  • Screened in Un Certain Regard, 1999  Cannes Film Festival 


Nishad (2002)


Set against the backdrop of communal tensions, the Hindi-language film follows a musician struggling to maintain her artistic integrity and relationships amidst the rising tide of religious intolerance and violence in society. 

Nishadd follows Saraswati, a music teacher in a remote Himalayan school, who becomes emotionally unsettled when her son, an Air Force pilot, goes missing.

It also explores the fragility of harmony in a divided world.

  • Main Characters – 
    • Saraswati (music teacher and mother) 
    • Udayan (her son, a pilot) 
    • Rajeev (her husband)

  • Premiered at the Fukuoka International Film Festival.



Kutty Srank (2010)

Kutty Srank


Told through the perspectives of three different women who encountered the enigmatic boatman Kutty Srank at various points in his life, the film pieces together the fragmented memories of a man shrouded in mystery and connected to the sea.

 It explores themes of love, loss, and the elusive nature of truth.

  • Main Characters – 
    • Kutty Srank (the boatman)
    • Revamma (a Buddhist nun)
    • Pemenna (a Latin Christian woman)
    • Kali (a mute woman from a traditional martial arts family)

  • National Film Award (2010)  – 5
    • Best Feature Film at the 57th National Film Awards 
    • Best Screenplay (Original) – P. F. Mathews & Harikrishna
    • Special Jury Award (Feature Film) – Sreekar Prasad


Swapaanam (2014)




The film portrays the inner turmoil of a Chenda player as he grapples with a personal tragedy and the pressures of his artistic profession. 

It delves into the emotional landscape of an artist torn between his passion and his pain.

  • Main Characters –  
    • Unni (Chenda artist)
    • Nalini (Mohiniyattam dancer) 


    Oolu (2018)

    Oolu


This fantasy film revolves around a water diviner's mystical connection with the aquatic world and his encounter with a unique, enchanting being from the depths.

 It explores themes of nature, magic, and the blurring lines between reality and the fantastical.

    • Written by – T. D. Ramakrishnan.
    • Main Characters – 
      • Vishnu (young artist) 
      • Oolu (mystical aquatic being) 

    • Opening film of the Indian Panorama at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in 2018. 


Shaji N Karun's legacy transcends borders, genres, and generations. He gave Malayalam cinema a lyrical global voice, deeply rooted in Kerala’s socio-political soil and spiritual introspection. 

His passing marks the end of an era, but his works will endure as testaments to cinema’s power to reflect, heal, and provoke.


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