Shaji N Karun Death News: ‘Vanaprastham’ director Shaji N Karun passes away at 73 |
Legendary Malayalam filmmaker and cinematographer Shaji N Karun passed away on Monday (April 28) at the age of 73. He had been unwell for a while and was battling health issues.
He was recently honoured with the J. C. Daniel Award for his lifetime contribution to Malayalam cinema, and his unique style contributed some of the finest movies to Mollywood, including ‘Piravi‘ (1988), ‘Swaham’ (1994), ‘Vanaprastham‘ (1999), ‘Swapaanam’ (2013), ‘Oolu’ (2018) and ‘Kutty Srank‘ (2010).
The filmmaker made his directorial debut with ‘Piravi’ in 1988, and the movie was screened at several international film festivals. Swaham was screened at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival for the Palme d’Or award.
Meanwhile, Shaji’s ‘Vanaprastham’, which defined Mohanlal’s career as one of the finest actors of Mollywood, won three awards at the 47th National Film Awards: Best Feature Film, Best Actor for Mohanlal, and Best Editing for A. Sreekar Prasad.
His 2010 directorial venture ‘Kutty Srank’, starring Mammootty, also won the National Award for Best Feature Film.
His latest film was ‘Olu’. Renowned writer TD Ramakrishnan created the story for the movie, which featured Esther Anil, Shane Nigam, Indrans, and Kani Kusruti in the lead roles.
Karun, who was honoured with the Padma Shri and France’s prestigious “Order of Arts and Letters,” became the first chairman of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy. He also later headed the Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC).
His loss stands as one of the greatest losses for Mollywood, as his excellent storytelling will ensure that his legacy endures.
