The passing of filmmaker Shahji Karun has left the Indian and global cinema community heartbroken. A master craftsman whose works like Piravi and Swaham redefined the language of Indian visual storytelling, Shahji Karun’s loss is being deeply mourned by colleagues, friends, and admirers.
Shabana Azmi, Resul Pookutty, Sudhir Mishra remember Shahji Karun
Veteran actress and doyen of relevant cinema Shabana Azmi expressed her grief, “I’m very saddened by his loss. I met him a couple of months ago and he seemed in good health. He’s from FTII (Film and Television Institute of India) and all alumni have an instinctive affinity. He has been an important filmmaker, and his loss has become a loss for cineastes the world over. Piravi remains a testimony to his brilliance.”
Auteur filmmaker Sudhir Mishra, who met Shahji Karun just weeks before his passing, recalls, “A visual poet, gone too soon. He still had the passion for cinema and wanted to explore the medium. His cinematography replicated G. Aravindan’s vision, and his masterly directorial debut Piravi is a classic. I was with him during the presentation ceremony of the Kerala State Film Awards just 15 days ago. They gave him the Lifetime Achievement Award, thankfully just in time.”
Resul Pookutty, the Oscar-winning sound designer and a close associate of Shahji Karun, is heartbroken, “He was a tremendous artist of a very high order, gone too soon. Shahji Sir not only reshaped the visual language of Indian cinema through his cinematography in Aravindan’s films, but he also gave us all a sense of direction through his mainstream work as a cameraman. As a director, he was profoundly successful as well. I can’t pinpoint a more personal yet political and poignant film about the Emergency than Piravi. In a time when clutter and noise are mistaken for voices, Shahji Sir’s work, especially Piravi and Swaham, stands apart as textbooks of artistic pursuit and cinematic brilliance. We will miss our dearest, best alumnus and a visionary. This void will never be filled. I will miss him dearly — he was my elder brother in cinema and in life. May his soul rest in eternal peace.”
Filmmaker Ananth Mahadevan, who shared a deep cinematic bond with Shahji Karun, describes him as one of the last true masters, “Shahji Karun was the last real master filmmaker we had. He followed in the footsteps of Adoor Gopalakrishnan and G. Aravindan, first as a cinematographer and then as a filmmaker. His Piravi is a milestone in Indian cinema — not only winning laurels at Cannes but also serving as a mandatory textbook on mood, characterization, and, most importantly, the pacing of cinema. Piravi is a film I return to every time I’m criticized for ‘pace’ in my own films. Shahji followed it up with the equally brilliant Vanaprastham, a film that features Mohanlal’s finest performance. Shahji Karun has been one of the driving forces in my film career. He watched all my films, and we had healthy discussions about them.”
Shahji Karun’s absence leaves a void in Indian cinema that will be difficult — if not impossible — to fill. His artistry, quiet brilliance, and commitment to cinema as a profound, meditative art form will continue to inspire generations to come.
Also Read: Shahji Karun’s unfulfilled promise: The film that never came
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