Shaji N. Karun: A Cinematographer’s Legacy
Shaji N. Karun, a prolific filmmaker and cinematographer, passed away in Thiruvananthapuram at the age of 73, after a long battle with cancer. Despite making only six films over his five-decade career, his films were deeply moving and won accolades worldwide.
In his first major work, "Kanchana Sita" (1977), Shaji had to make the images speak, as the characters had few lines to utter. This partnership with director G. Aravindan reached its peak in "Kummatty" (1979), where he evocatively captured the innocence of childhood and village life in rich color palettes. A recent restoration of "Kummatty" by the Film Foundations World Cinema Project, created by filmmaker Martin Scorsese, is a testament to the timelessness of those images.
Shaji’s best works as a cinematographer were in the independent and middle-of-the-road cinema that elevated Malayalam cinema in the 1980s. He also had memorable partnerships with K.G. George, especially in capturing the complicated bridge collapse sequence in "Panchavadippalam" (1984) and portraying the film industry’s dark underbelly in "Lekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback" (1983).
After over a decade as a cinematographer, Shaji made his directorial debut with "Piravi" (1988), a moving portrayal of a father’s search for his son whom the police detained illegally and later murdered during the Emergency. Although the filmmaker later denied the connection to the real-life story of engineering student Rajan, the film is still counted among the best cinematic portrayals of the Emergency. "Piravi" became a landmark for Malayalam and Indian cinema, winning the Camera d’Or at Cannes and the Silver Leopard Award at the Locarno International Film Festival.
A deep sense of sorrow ran through most of his films. "Swaham" (1994), his second film, had a mother and sister grieving for the loss of a young man who went for military recruitment to save the family from poverty. The film was chosen for the Palme d’Or competition at the Cannes Film Festival 1994. Shaji scored a hat-trick at Cannes when "Vanaprastham" (1999) was chosen to compete in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes. He inspired Mohanlal to bring out one of his greatest performances, as the backward-caste Kathakali artist whose art is pushed into darker territories, forced by trials he faced in life.
His later works, "Swapaanam" (2013) and "Oolu" (2018), did not quite manage to touch the heights attained by his first four films. However, his contributions as an institution builder for the Malayalam film industry were equally important. Along with film critic V.K. Joseph, he prepared the draft model for the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy in the late 1998, the first such government initiative in any state in India. He helmed the Academy during its initial years, when he also played a key role in organizing the first few editions of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK).
At the time of his passing, he had been helming the Kerala State Film Development Corporation for six years. The stint was marred by controversy after he faced criticism for the way he handled the government’s project to promote films by women filmmakers and those from Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities.
His last public appearance was to receive the J.C. Daniel Award, the Kerala government’s honor for lifelong contributions to cinema, two weeks ago in the capital. In a way, it was a fitting finale for a life dedicated to cinema.
Reference : https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/shaji-n-karun-creator-of-everlasting-images-passes-away/article69501683.ece
