Shaji N Karun: The master storyteller who gave Malayalam cinema its global voice

In ‘Vanaprastham: The Last Dance’ (1999), Mohanlal delivered one of the finest performances of his career as Kunhikuttan, a famous Kathakali dancer. The opening scene has no dialogue - just a man, wrapped in a blanket and a bottle rolling over beside him. ‘Vanaprastham’ remains not only a career-defining film for Mohanlal but also one of Malayalam cinema’s greatest cinematic treasures. Directed by Shaji N Karun, it is a masterclass in acting, cinematography, music (composed by Ustad Zakir Hussain) and storytelling.

The Padma Shri awardee and one of India’s most sensitive filmmakers, passed away on Monday in Vazhuthacaud, Thiruvananthapuram, after a prolonged battle with cancer. He was 73. A pioneer and flag bearer of new-wave cinema in Kerala, he was known for his poetic frames, fearless experimentation and powerful human stories. Shaji took Malayalam cinema to the global stage.

Man Behind the Lens

Before he became a filmmaker, Shaji was already a renowned cinematographer having shot more than 30 movies. Every time he picked up the camera, he created moving images where even silence spoke volumes, a gift he carried with him when he shifted to direction.

In a 2018 interview with ‘Cinema Express’ during the IFFI screening of his film ‘Olu’, Shaji was asked about the state of contemporary cinema. He replied with a question. “How many films made today will be remembered after 20 years? Most will leave only a temporary mark. They lack true artistic value.” That was Shaji. A towering figure who worked mostly within Kerala’s cultural soil but left a global impact. In a career spanning five decades, he directed just seven feature films, often taking long breaks between projects. For instance, ‘Swaham’ came six years after ‘Piravi’ (1988). His short films and documentaries, especially the one on KG Subramanyan, is widely famous.

“For me, making a film isn’t just about telling a story. It’s about laying layers into the cinema itself,” the soft-spoken director said during the screening of ‘Olu’ at the Kolkata International Film Festival in 2019. He firmly believed that if a film is forgotten within a year, it has failed.

Festival Favourite

Born on January 1, 1952, in Kollam, Kerala, Shaji was one of Indian cinema’s most respected voices. An alumnus of FTII Pune, he made an immediate mark with his debut feature ‘Piravi’ (1988), a film that went on to win the prestigious Camera d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1989. His filmmaking style was marked by emotional intensity, visual poetry and profound silences. ‘Swaham’ (1994) and ‘Vanaprastham’ (1999) were also officially selected at Cannes.

His last feature film ‘Olu’ - though not at par with his previous works - had CGI. Though Shaji was not quite a fan of using computers in creating visuals, he had attempted fantasy for the first time to explore the relationship of local painter Vasu and young Maya, who had been assaulted and dumped in the backwaters of Kerala.

Grief: His Recurring Theme

Grief, longing and loss ran through Shaji’s films like an undercurrent. His debut ‘Piravi’, loosely based on a true story, remains one of Indian cinema’s most heartbreaking portrayals of an aging father’s (legendary actor Premji) endless wait for his missing son during the Emergency. With minimal dialogues, stunning cinematography and a haunting score, ‘Piravi’ became a landmark in Malayalam cinema. Every frame of a Shaji film feels like a painting. In ‘Vanaprastham’, you see Kunhikuttan (Mohanlal) drowning his sorrow in alcohol. In another scene, the kajal in his eyes, the muscle twitches during his Kathakali performance silently tells the story of a man from a lower caste struggling with his own identity.

In ‘Swaham’, he captured the survival of a widowed mother and her children, their small coffee shop unable to bring in enough to eat. To Shaji, “Pain is the most honest emotion. “It’s easy to laugh,” he said once, “but it’s difficult to shed tears.”

Son of the Soil

Shaji’s seven feature films were rooted in Kerala’s land, people, art and politics. “I believe in speaking the language of the soil I come from,” he once said.

Beyond filmmaking, Shaji played a major role in building Kerala’s cinematic culture. He was the founding chairman of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy and served as executive chairman of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) between 1998 and 2001. At the time of his passing, he was serving as chairman of the Kerala State Film Development Corporation, spearheading initiatives like Kerala’s first government-backed OTT platform to support regional filmmakers. Over the years, Shaji collected a wealth of accolades, including a gold medal from the President of India in 1996 and the French honour Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et Lettres. Kerala’s own Prathibha Pranamam Award was also bestowed upon him in 2000.

For Shaji, success was never about labels or box office numbers. It was about reaching people, touching lives, and creating cinema that lives beyond its time. And he truly did so. Travel well, master.

Awards Galore

• Padma Shri in 2011

• Orde des Arts de Lettres (1999)

• National Award for Best Film: ‘Vanaprastham’ (1999)

• National Award for Best Film: ‘Kutty Srank’ (2009)

• Cannes Film Festival, Caméra d'Or (Special Mention): ‘Piravi’ (1989)

• Locarno International Film Festival, Grand Jury Prize (Silver Leopard): ‘Piravi’ (1989)

• Cannes Film Festival, nominated for Palme d'Or (Best Film): ‘Swaham’ (1994)