Malayalam Cinematographer Shaji Kumar, of Pulimurugan Fame, Dies at 57

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

Cinema Express reported the death first, and The Hollywood Reporter India and Variety India confirmed the same news in their own reports on Tuesday. All three placed the death at a private hospital in Kochi in the early hours of Tuesday, November 10.

Shaji fell ill on Sunday while working on an upcoming film starring Dileep in Alappuzha. He received initial treatment there and was then shifted to a hospital in Kochi. Reports said he had been moved out of intensive care when he collapsed on his way to the washroom, and he died early on Tuesday. Reports citing Manorama Online and The Hindu said he died following cardiac failure. That cause was reported by those outlets and was not confirmed in a hospital statement in the reports checked.

The camera behind Pulimurugan

Shaji was a disciple of veteran cinematographer Vipin Mohan. He made his debut as a cinematographer in 2001 with the Malayalam film Uthaman and went on to shoot more than 50 films.

His best known work was Pulimurugan, the 2016 Mohanlal film that became the first Malayalam film to cross the Rs 100 crore mark at the box office. He also shot Thudarum in 2025, another Mohanlal film. His other credits include Naran, Pokkiri Raja, Odiyan, Madhura Raja and Pathonpatham Noottandu.

Final work and tributes

Among his final assignments was Athimanoharam, which reunited him with Mohanlal and director Tharun Moorthy and is scheduled to reach theatres on December 24 as a Christmas release. He was also the cinematographer of Ottakomban, starring Suresh Gopi.

Mohanlal and Suresh Gopi mourned his death and remembered their long associations with him, and actor Prithviraj Sukumaran paid tribute through an Instagram story.

Shaji was from Thiruvananthapuram and had lived in Perumbavoor for several years. His mortal remains were to be kept for viewing at the Gokulam convention centre in Ernakulam from 10 am to 1 pm on November 10, and the funeral was scheduled for 7 pm at his residence in Perumbavoor.