Shaji N. Karun

Shaji Neelakantan Karun (born 1 January 1952) is an Indian film director and cinematographer.

Shaji N. Karun was born on New Year's Day, 1952, as the eldest son of Mr. N. Karunakaran and Mrs. Chandramati in present-day Kollam district in the former state of Travancore state (now Kerala), India.

The family moved to Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the state in 1963.

He did his schooling in Palkulangara H.S. and took a bachelor's degree from University College, Thiruvananthapuram.

In 1971 he entered the Film and Television Institute of India, where he took his diploma in cinematography.

His diploma film Genesis (1974), directed by Rahul Dasgupta, got many awards and started his career.

He won the GOLD medal on graduation in 1974.

After graduation, he worked in ISRO Ahmedabad, Mumbai TV, Madras Film Industry on contract basis until 1975 when Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC) was about to realize.

He became responsible with founder Chairman P R S Pillai, and its then Managing Director G.Vivekanandan for the planning, designing future visions of KSFDC to bring back the Film Industry that was until then rooted in Madras.

His role with the participation in meaningful cinema activities through the contribution of KSFDC and well-known giants in Malayalam filmmakers resulted in many landmark achievements to the Malayalam Cinema nationally and Internationally.

Shaji married Anasuya Warrier, daughter of Dr. P. K. R. Warrier, who was his neighbor in Trivandrum for quite some time, on 1 January 1975.

After a brief stint in the south Indian city of Madras, he returned to Thiruvananthapuram in 1976 where he got an appointment as film officer in the newly formed state Film Development Corporation.

They have 2 sons, Anil and Appu.

His association with the legendary Malayalam filmmaker G. Aravindan began at this time.

Then he continued working with notable directors like G. Aravindan, K. G. George and M. T. Vasudevan Nair as a cinematographer.

His career also spreads to many activities by Government of India and Kerala where he served in the capacities of advisory status on policy decisions.

His debut film Piravi (1988) won the Caméra d'Or – Mention d'honneur at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival.

He is best known for his award-winning films Piravi (1988), Swaham (1994), Vanaprastham (1999) and Kutty Srank (2009).

He won the National Award for Best Director for his debut film Piravi.

He also won two Kerala State Film Awards for Best Director for his films Swaham and Vanaprastham.

Currently, he is the Chairman of Kerala State Film Development Corporation.

Shaji made his directorial debut with the Malayalam film Piravi ("The Birth", 1988), which won him the prestigious Caméra d'Or – Mention d'honneur at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival.

He has presented three films- Piravi, Swaham, Vanaprastham consecutively to Cannes official sections, a rare achievement for any filmmakers worldwide, where the film Swaham was in competition of Cannes in 1994.

Since then, until now, no films from INDIA selected to compete for Cannes' Palme d'Or.

He is the Only Malayalam filmmaker who achieved three national best films (Piravi, Vanaprastham, Kuttysrank) for the Malayalam language.

While Piravi was about the grief of a father who loses his son, Shaji's second film, Swaham (1994) continued with the theme of grief.

Swaham was selected to compete at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival.

He was the premiere chairman of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, the first academy for film and TV in India and was also the executive chairman of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) from 1998 to 2001.

1998, He started and presided the first film academy in India as Kerala State Chalachitra Academy under Government of Kerala and leadership of then Cultural Minister Marxist Late Shri T K Ramakrshnan.

It is in the same year he started the International Film Festival (IFFK) as competitive and further FIAPF recognized the festival as International competitive under his tenure.

Vaanaprastham ("The Final Dance", 1999) dealt with the identity crisis faced by an actor.

Mohanlal played the lead role in this film.

He directed the film Nishad, made in Hindi, which was completed in May 2002, and premiered in the Fukuoka International Film Festival held in September 2002 in Japan.

His latest film is titled Kutty Srank with Mammootty playing the lead role.

The film was released theatrically in Kerala in July 2010.Swapaanam with Jayaram and Kadambari has premiered at Dubai International Film Festival on 8 December 2013, a rare recognition for Malayalam Cinema as the World premiere screening outside India.

20th International film festival of Kerala conducted by the government of Kerala, in 2015 December 4–11, under his advisory capacity is marked by the Press and film lovers as the best of the festivals held so far.

Aug 2018, he is selected for the position of 8th President of Purogamana Kala Sahitya Sangham (Progressive Arts & Literary Organization) an Association for Art and Letters.

Olu, his latest film, under 'fantasy perception' and narrative, had chosen the inaugural film of Indian Panorama film selections presented in International Film Festival of India Goa-2018.

On 31 May 2019, the government of Kerala has appointed him as the Chairman of Kerala State Film Development Corporation and assumed the position from 17 June 2019.

personal website www.shajinkarun.com