Athimanoharam cinematographer Shaji Kumar dies at 57, a month before Mohanlal film’s release

Renowned cinematographer Shaji Kumar, best known for his work in the Malayalam film industry, died in Kochi in the early hours of Tuesday, November 10. He was 57 and died of cardiac failure. A native of Thiruvananthapuram, Shaji Kumar had been living in Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district for a long time. His funeral will take place at 7 pm on Tuesday at his residence.

According to the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA), he felt physically unwell on Saturday night after returning to his hotel room in Alappuzha following the day’s work on his upcoming film, Henok, starring Dileep. He quickly informed the movie’s director, Ullas Krishna, and Shaji was rushed to a nearby hospital.

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He was subsequently shifted to the Ernakulam Medical Trust Hospital, where he initially showed signs of recovery. However, his condition deteriorated abruptly on Monday night.

Shaji Kumar’s 25-year journey as cinematographer

Shaji commenced his cinematic career as an assistant to celebrated cinematographer Vipin Mohan. In a career spanning 25 years as an independent cinematographer, he worked with veteran directors such as Joshiy, Shaji Kailas, and VM Vinu, and served as cinematographer on several films featuring Mohanlal.

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“Having started his career shooting on film, he effortlessly brought his extraordinary technical and artistic finesse in lighting, colour, and framing into digital cinema. Continuously reinventing himself by keeping pace with evolving techniques in camera, lighting, and colour palette, and embracing innovative storytelling, he left his own distinct signature on visual aesthetics. He also consistently delivered remarkable success in digital filmmaking, where many of his contemporaries struggled,” FEFKA mentioned in its obituary for Shaji.

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His notable movies include Mohanlal’s Naran (2005), Baba Kalyani (2006), Red Chillies (2009), Pulimurugan (2016), Odiyan (2018), Ittymaani: Made in China (2019), and Thudarum (2025); Mammootty’s Vesham (2004), Nasrani (2007), Pokkiri Raja (2010), and Madhura Raja (2019); Jayaram’s Uthaman (2001); Prithviraj Sukumaran’s Ammakilikkoodu (2003), Vellinakshatram (2004), Sathyam (2004), Albhutha Dweep (2005), and Robin Hood (2009); Kunchacko Boban’s Mallu Singh (2012); and Dileep’s Ramaleela (2017).

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Shaji Kumar’s upcoming movies

The films he worked on most recently were director Tharun Moorthy’s Mohanlal-starrer Athimanoharam and Mathews Thomas’ Suresh Gopi-headlined Ottakomban. Athimanoharam is gearing up for release on December 24, 2026. In addition to Malayalam films, he also worked in Tamil and Hindi movies.

He is survived by his wife, Smitha, and children, Aryan and Sooryan.

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Disclaimer: This article is a news report intended solely for informational purposes. It does not provide medical advice or instructional health guidance regarding cardiac health. Readers are advised to seek professional medical expertise for personal health concerns.