<p>Thiruvananthapuram: Renowned filmmaker and Padma Shri recipient Shaji N Karun died at the age of 73 in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday.</p><p>He was under treatment for cancer. He leaves behind wife Anasuya Warrier and sons Appu and Anil. Funeral will be performed on Tuesday.</p>.Top French honour for Shaji N Karun.<p>Shaji, who began his career as a cinematographer, made his directorial debut with the Malayalam film <em>Piravi</em> in 1989. The film won around 30 awards including the award for the best first feature film presented in one of the Cannes selections in the Cannes Film Festival and the national film awards for the best feature film and best director.</p><p>Shaji also won the national award for best film in 1999 for Mohanlal starrer <em>Vanaprastham </em>and in 2009 for Mammootty starre <em>Kutty Srank</em>. He won over ten awards in international film festivals.</p><p>Born in Kollam district in Kerala, Shaji did his school and college education in Thiruvananthapuram and did diploma in cinematography in the Pune Film and Television Institute of India in 1971. He started his career by working as a cinematographer with known filmmakers like G Aravindan, K G George and M T Vasudevan Nair. He worked as cinematographer for over 30 films and directed seven films, the latest being <em>Oolu</em> in 2018. He also made a series of short films.</p><p>Shaji, who has also served as the chairman of Kerala State Film Development Corporation, had played a key role in setting up the corporation in mid 1970 and the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy in 1998 which is organising the International Film Festival of Kerala. </p><p>Both the institutions played a key role in the development of the Malayalam film industry.</p><p>Shaji was honoured by presenting Kerala government's prestigious J C Daniel award for the outstanding contributions to Malayalam cinema for the year 2023. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan presented the award to him earlier this month. It was also Shaji's last public function.</p><p>He was conferred with the Padma Shri award in 2011.</p><p>Chief Minister said in his condolence message that Shaji's remarkable contributions as a cinematographer, filmmaker, and policymaker helped in elevating Malayalam cinema to the global stage.</p>
<p>Thiruvananthapuram: Renowned filmmaker and Padma Shri recipient Shaji N Karun died at the age of 73 in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday.</p><p>He was under treatment for cancer. He leaves behind wife Anasuya Warrier and sons Appu and Anil. Funeral will be performed on Tuesday.</p>.Top French honour for Shaji N Karun.<p>Shaji, who began his career as a cinematographer, made his directorial debut with the Malayalam film <em>Piravi</em> in 1989. The film won around 30 awards including the award for the best first feature film presented in one of the Cannes selections in the Cannes Film Festival and the national film awards for the best feature film and best director.</p><p>Shaji also won the national award for best film in 1999 for Mohanlal starrer <em>Vanaprastham </em>and in 2009 for Mammootty starre <em>Kutty Srank</em>. He won over ten awards in international film festivals.</p><p>Born in Kollam district in Kerala, Shaji did his school and college education in Thiruvananthapuram and did diploma in cinematography in the Pune Film and Television Institute of India in 1971. He started his career by working as a cinematographer with known filmmakers like G Aravindan, K G George and M T Vasudevan Nair. He worked as cinematographer for over 30 films and directed seven films, the latest being <em>Oolu</em> in 2018. He also made a series of short films.</p><p>Shaji, who has also served as the chairman of Kerala State Film Development Corporation, had played a key role in setting up the corporation in mid 1970 and the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy in 1998 which is organising the International Film Festival of Kerala. </p><p>Both the institutions played a key role in the development of the Malayalam film industry.</p><p>Shaji was honoured by presenting Kerala government's prestigious J C Daniel award for the outstanding contributions to Malayalam cinema for the year 2023. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan presented the award to him earlier this month. It was also Shaji's last public function.</p><p>He was conferred with the Padma Shri award in 2011.</p><p>Chief Minister said in his condolence message that Shaji's remarkable contributions as a cinematographer, filmmaker, and policymaker helped in elevating Malayalam cinema to the global stage.</p>