A gentle auteur

Shaji N. Karun was among those who were instrumental in giving shape to the International Film Festival of Kerala, which quickly evolved into the country's most-loved event of its kind.

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NEW DELHI: Shaji N. Karun's standing as a Malayalam cinema doyen does not rest upon a huge body of work. Quality over quantity was what he strove for and achieved. The handful of narrative features that Shaji directed had a profound impact on cinema in Kerala. His films, marked by a unique sensibility and elevated by a delicate and distinctive visual palette, were not only rooted in specific cultural ethos but were also driven by a deeply humanist vision. Shaji also influenced cinema and its dissemination in his home state as the founder chairman of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy. He was among those who were instrumental in giving shape to the International Film Festival of Kerala, which quickly evolved into the country's most-loved event of its kind. Later in his life, Shaji served as the Kerala State Film Development Corporation.