Shaji N. Karun is a celebrated Indian filmmaker and cinematographer. A graduate of the Film Institute of India, Pune, he gained recognition as the cinematographer for over 40 films, including those by renowned director Aravindan, earning the Eastman Kodak Award for Excellence in 1990. Shaji's directorial debut Piravi (1988) won 31 awards, including the Silver Leopard at Locarno and Special Mention at Cannes. His subsequent films, Swaham (1994), Vanaprastham (1999), and Kutty Srank (2010), garnered national and international acclaim, with multiple selections at Cannes. Shaji’s Olu (2018) opened the Indian Panorama at IFFI and won the National Film Award for Best Cinematography. A Padma Shri awardee (2010) and Chevalier des Arts et Lettres (France, 2000), he chairs the Kerala State Film Development Corporation, fostering innovations like a government-backed OTT platform and a center for visual media excellence.