Legendary filmmaker Shaji N Karun passes away
Legendary filmmaker and cinematographer Shaji Neelakantan Karunakaran, better known as Shaji N Karun, passed away on Monday. He was 73.
Born on January 1, 1952, in Kollam, Kerala, Shaji grew up in a culturally rich household. His family later moved to Thiruvananthapuram, where he studied at Palkulangara High School and University College. In 1971, he joined the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), graduating in 1974 with a gold medal in cinematography. His student film, Genesis, had already hinted at his future promise.
Shaji N Karun began his career as a cinematographer, working closely with filmmakers like G. Aravindan and KG George. His work in films such as Kummaty, Thampu, Esthappan, and Yavanika was widely noted for its inventive use of light and rhythm. His directorial debut Piravi — a moving tale about a father's search for his missing son during the Emergency — won him the National Award for Best Director and a Caméra d'Or Special Mention at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival. His next film Swaham became only the second Indian film after Salaam Bombay! to compete in Cannes' main section.
Vanaprastham, starring Mohanlal, further cemented his international reputation, exploring the loneliness of an artiste trapped between tradition and modernity. His later films, including Kutty Srank, Swapaanam, and Olu, continued to create waves for its poignant portrayal of human nature. Until his death, he served as chairman of the Kerala State Film Development Corporation, remaining a guiding force for Malayalam cinema.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Indian Express
Jaideep Ahlawat, wife Jyoti Hooda buy Rs 10 crore luxury apartment in Andheri West, pay Rs 60 lakh in stamp duty
Jaideep Ahlawat is no longer just another name in Bollywood's long list of actors and ranks among the industry's finest talents now, having set a benchmark in screen acting with exceptional performances one after another. A complete outsider who broke into show business through sheer hard work, Jaideep is finally receiving due recognition, offering hope to many aspiring actors who dream of entering the world of cinema. After years of struggle, Jaideep and his wife Jyoti Hooda recently purchased a luxurious apartment worth a whopping Rs 10 crore in the posh and upscale area of Andheri West, Mumbai. According to property registration documents reviewed by Square Yards, Jaideep and Jyoti registered the transaction on May 22, 2025. Located in Poorna Apartments, the apartment features a carpet area of 1,950 sq ft and a built-up area of 217.47 sq m. The purchase also includes four car parking spaces, and the couple paid Rs 60 lakh in stamp duty and Rs 30,000 in registration charges. The complex is situated in the heart of Andheri West, just 3 km from the Western Express Highway. Also Read | Archana Puran Singh, Parmeet Sethi travelled by business class, made sons fly economy: 'We made a rule, they had to earn it' Hailing from the Rohtak district in Haryana, Jaideep is an alumnus of the prestigious Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune. Though he began gaining attention early in his career itself in films like Khatta Meetha (2010), Aakrosh (2010), Chittagong (2011) and Rockstar (2011), it was director Anurag Kashyap's epic two-part crime drama Gangs of Wasseypur (2012) that truly brought him into the limelight. His performance as Shahid Khan, despite the limited screen time, earned Jaideep widespread acclaim, and he soon landed a key role in Kamal Haasan's action thriller Vishwaroopam (2013). Since then, Jaideep has delivered many notable performances in films such as Commando: A One Man Army (2013), Gabbar Is Back (2015), Raees (2017), Lust Stories (2018), Vishwaroopam II (2018), Raazi (2018), Ajeeb Daastaans (2021), Three of Us (2022), Jaane Jaan (2023) and Maharaj (2024). He also received global recognition for his performance in the widely acclaimed streaming series Paatal Lok.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Time of India
Subhash Ghai opens up about his friendship with Shatrughan Sinha
Filmmaker Subhash Ghai cherishes his 60-year friendship with veteran actor and politician Shatrughan Sinha, stemming from their Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) days and first film, Kalicharan, which released in 1976. Filmmaker Subhash Ghai cherishes his 60-year friendship with veteran actor and politician Shatrughan Sinha, stemming from their Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) days and first film, Kalicharan, which released in 1976. Subhash went on to reflect on a joyful dinner at Shatrughan's home, where his son, Luv, took their picture, highlighting their continued bond despite their differing career paths. Subhash wrote: "It was a happy moment for me last night when LUV SINHA son of our dear poonam sinha n SHATRUGHAN SINHA clicked our picture at my home during dinner with friends (sic). SHATRUGHAN SINHA my old friend since our FTII days - struggling years in show business- n made our first film KALICHARAN N created own space of success-. We became a close family till date Tho his passion led him to politics n my passion to film making n as an educationist. But we meet at all occasions till date since 60 years with our wonderful families (sic). " The filmmaker concluded: "Last night We really enjoyed laughed spoke like old college good friends with promising luv n Kush n our jovial good friends shashi ranjan n rumy jaffery "Shatrughan is gold by heart but iron rod by his mind as always. If I know him (sic)." Talking about "Kalicharan," it is an action thriller film directed by Subhash Ghai, starring Shatrughan Sinha, Reena Roy, Premnath, Ajit, Madan Puri and Danny Denzongpa . The film was the directorial debut of Subhash Ghai and was the breakthrough role for stars Shatrughan Sinha and Reena Roy. It was later remade into the Telugu film Khaidi Kalidasu, the Kannada film Kaalinga, the Tamil film Sangil and the Malayalam film Pathamudayam. Last month, Subhash spoke about introducing Jackie Shroff with Hero, which was released 42 years ago. Ghai penned on his Instagram, "You need to have a courage to produce a FILM with NEW HERO on big scale with creative freedom to make a block buster like HERO which ran for 75 weeks n its music is still haunting. After 43 years." The director added, "Thanks to my team my actors n distributors n financier who supported me to establish MUKTA ARTS in 1982. Post HERO mukta arts groomed many stars who are legends today n produced 42 films under blessed." Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
India.com
6 days ago
- India.com
This actor was named by Jaya Bachchan, later became Rekha's hero, came Mumbai with Rs 1500, became famous villain, name is...
This actor was named by Jaya Bachchan, later became Rekha's hero, came Mumbai with Rs 1500, became famous villain, name is... Every year, several aspiring actors try their luck in films, but only few make it to the silver screens. However, those who struggled to sustain in the industry have now become superstars. Today, we will talk about one such actor, who came to Mumbai with just Rs 1500 in his pocket, and dreamt of becoming a Ghazal singer. However, destiny had its own plans, and he became one of Bollywood's most popular villains. He is none other than Danny Denzongpa, who was born as Tshering Phintso Denzongpa in 1948, in Sikkim. It was Amitabh Bachchan's wife Jaya Bachchan who recommended him to change his name to Danny, as his original name was too difficult to pronounce. Danny wanted to join the Indian Army, and enrolled himself in Armed Forces Medical College, Pune. However, later he withdrew his admission and joined the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). His acting career began when he made debut in BR Ishara's Zaroorat. However, his breakthrough performance came with Gulzar's Mere Apne (1971) , where he portrayed a positive role. In 1973, Danny played the antagonist in film Dhundh, and garnered recognition for his ruthless villainous performance. Following that, from 1984 to the 1990, he played lead antagonist, opposite almost every superstar, including Amitabh Bachchan, Rajesh Khanna, Dharmendra, Jeetendra, Mithun Chakraborty, and others. After completing 20 years of his acting career and working in over 190 films, Danny decided to take a break from acting. He did only 10 films between 2003 and 2009. His last major role was in Sooraj Barjatya's 2022 film, Uunchai, where he shared screen-space with Amitabh Bachchan, Boman Irani and Anupam Kher. Before that, the veteran star starred in Manikarnika , opposite Kangana Ranaut. Danny Denzongpa, who once dominated Bollywood with his intense performances, has now stepped away from the limelight, and prefers to live a quitter life away from the world of glitz and glam.
