Pulimurugan cinematographer Shaji Kumar dies in Kochi at 57

Shaji Kumar, the Malayalam cinematographer who shot Pulimurugan, Naran and Thudarum, died at a private hospital in Kochi early on 10 November. He was 57.

He died at about 12.36 a.m. of cardiac failure, according to the hospital authorities. He had fallen ill in Alappuzha, where he was shooting a new film starring the actor Dileep, directed by Ullas Krishna.

His last days

He felt unwell in his hotel room in Alappuzha on the night of 7 November and told the director, Gulf News reported. He was first taken to a hospital nearby and then moved to a private hospital in Kochi. His condition improved for a time, but it worsened again on the night of 8 November.

His work

Shaji Kumar learned his craft under the cinematographer Vipin Mohan, Mathrubhumi reported. His first film as cinematographer was Uthaman, in 2001. He went on to shoot more than 50 films, first on film and later on digital cameras.

He worked often with the directors Joshiy, Shaji Kailas, V. M. Vinu, M. Padmakumar and Vaishakh, and later with younger directors such as Tharun Moorthy. His best-known work was Pulimurugan (2016), the first Malayalam film to earn ₹100 crore at the box office. His other films included Ramaleela, Odiyan, Madhura Raja, Night Drive, Pathonpatham Noottandu and Thudarum (2025).

Two of his films are still to be released: Athimanoharam, starring Mohanlal and directed by Tharun Moorthy, and Ottakomban, starring Suresh Gopi.

Tributes

The FEFKA Directors’ Union, the film directors’ body, offered its condolences.

He came from Thiruvananthapuram and had lived in Perumbavoor for several years. His wife, Smitha, and their two sons, Aryan and Sooryan, survive him.

What’s next

Details of the funeral had not been announced by the morning of 10 November.