Popular Malayalam cinematographer Shaji Kumar passed away aged 57. He died in the early hours of Tuesday, November 10, following cardiac failure at a private hospital in Kochi. He was well known for hit Malayalam films such as Pulimurugan, Thudarum, and Naran.
According to reports, on November 7, he had experienced severe physical discomfort while staying in Alappuzha, where he was shooting for an upcoming Malayalam film starring actor Dileep. He was initially rushed to a local hospital there before being shifted to Kochi. Although his health temporarily stabilised enough for him to be moved out of the ICU, his condition suddenly took a critical turn on Monday night, leading to his demise.
Shaji is survived by his wife, Smitha, and their two sons, Aryan and Sooryan.
Shaji Kumar began his career as an assistant to veteran cinematographer Vipin Mohan. He made his debut as an independent cinematographer with the film Uthaman in 2001 starring Jayaram. He was the go-to technician for major blockbuster directors like Joshiy, Shaji Kailas, Vinayan, and Vysakh, and was equally trusted by younger-generation filmmakers like Tharun Moorthy.
His notable works in Malayalam include: Pulimurugan, Naran, Odiyan, Pokkiri Raja, Ramaleela, Vesham, Mallu Singh, and Pathonpatham Noottandu.
He also worked in Tamil cinema, extensively collaborating with actor Prashanth on big-budget projects like Ponnar Shankar, Mambattiyan, and Saahasam.
Before his sudden passing, Shaji Kumar had wrapped up the cinematography for two major upcoming Malayalam films, Athimanoharam, directed by Tharun Moorthy and starring Mohanlal, scheduled for a theatrical release on December 24, and Ottakomban, an upcoming action film starring Suresh Gopi.
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