Malayalam cinema mourns cinematographer Shaji Kumar, known for Pulimurugan and Thudarum, who died at 57

Shaji Kumar, master of lighting and framing, passes away during film shoot at 57

Last updated: November 10, 2026 | 07:09

Devadasan K P, Chief Visual Editor

2 MIN READ

Malayalam cinema mourns cinematographer Shaji Kumar, known for Pulimurugan and Thudarum, who died at 57

Dubai: Malayalam film industry cinematographer Shaji Kumar, known for his work on popular films including Mohanlal-starrers Pulimurugan, Naran and Thudarum, has died aged 57, industry sources confirmed on Tuesday.

Kumar was in Alappuzha shooting an upcoming film starring actor Dileep when he felt unwell in his hotel room on Saturday night.

He reportedly informed the film's director, Ullas Krishna, about his condition and was initially taken to a nearby hospital before being shifted to a private hospital.

Although his condition improved after admission and he was able to speak normally, his health deteriorated again on Sunday night. His unexpected death has left colleagues and members of the Malayalam film fraternity mourning his loss.

The FEFKA Directors' Union expressed condolences, remembering Kumar for his contributions to Malayalam cinema.

A disciple of veteran cinematographer Vipin Mohan, Kumar began his career working on several films before establishing himself as an independent cinematographer. He built a reputation for his expertise in lighting, colour composition, and framing, starting out in the era of film cameras before adapting to digital filmmaking.

During his career, he collaborated with several prominent Malayalam directors, including Joshiy, Shaji Kailas, V M Vinu, M Padmakumar and Vaishakh. He also worked with younger filmmakers, including Tharun Moorthy.

His recent projects included Athimanoharam, starring Mohanlal and directed by Tharun Moorthy, and Suresh Gopi's Ottakomban.

Kumar's filmography featured several commercially successful and widely recognised Malayalam films, including Naran, Pulimurugan, Ramaleela, Odiyan, Madhura Raja, Ittymaani: Made in China, Night Drive, Pathonpatham Noottandu, Bandra, Once Upon a Time in Kochi and Thudarum.

Originally from Thiruvananthapuram, Kumar lived in Perumbavoor for several years.He is survived by his wife, Smitha, and sons Aryan and Sooryan.

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Devadasan K PChief Visual Editor

Devadasan K P is the Chief Visual Editor at Gulf News, bringing more than 27 years of experience in photojournalism to the role. He leads the Visual desk with precision, speed, and a strong editorial instinct. Whether he’s selecting images of royalty, chasing the biggest celebrity moments in Dubai, or covering live events himself, Devadasan is always a few steps ahead of the action. Over the years, he has covered a wide range of major assignments — including the 2004 tsunami in Sri Lanka, the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, feature reportage from Afghanistan, the IMF World Bank meetings, and wildlife series from Kenya. His work has been widely recognised with industry accolades, including the Minolta Photojournalist of the Year award in 2005, the Best Picture Award at the Dubai Shopping Festival in 2008, and a Silver Award from the Society for News Design in 2011. He handles the newsroom pressure with a calm attitude, a quick response time, and his signature brand of good-natured Malayali humour. There's no fuss — just someone who gets the job done very well, every single time.

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