Now Reading: Malayalam cinematographer Shaji Kumar dies at 57 in Kochi
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Malayalam cinematographer Shaji Kumar dies at 57 in Kochi
The Story in Brief
Cinematographer Shaji Kumar, 57, known for ‘Pulimurugan’, ‘Thudarum’ and ‘Narasimham’, died early Tuesday, 10 November 2026, at a private hospital in Kochi following cardiac failure. He had suffered a medical emergency on 7 November while shooting for a film starring Dileep in Alappuzha. Sources differ on the exact date: The Hindu and The South First give Saturday (7 November), while The Economic Times and Telangana Today incorrectly list Saturday (14 November). He was initially treated in Alappuzha and later shifted to Kochi.
His condition had improved enough for him to be moved out of the ICU, but he collapsed while walking to the washroom and died. Shaji Kumar debuted as an independent cinematographer with ‘Uthaman’ in 2001 and shot over 50 films. His work on ‘Pulimurugan’ made it the first Malayalam film to cross Rs 100 crore. He had completed work on upcoming releases ‘Athimanoharam’ starring Mohanlal and ‘Ottakomban’ starring Suresh Gopi. He is survived by his wife Smitha and sons Aryan and Sooryan.
Indian Opinion Analysis
All five sources report nearly identical facts, indicating uniform wire-copy coverage. Times of India and The Economic Times lead with the death announcement and conflict on the date of the initial health issue. The Hindu and The South First both place the discomfort on Saturday (7 November), while The Economic Times and Telangana Today give Saturday (14 November), a date that cannot be correct, since the death occurred on 10 November. The South First specifies the collapse happened on Sunday (8 November) night, a detail omitted by the other outlets. The remaining details, age, cause (cardiac failure), hospital, career highlights (Pulimurugan being the first Malayalam film to cross Rs 100 crore) and survivors, match across all sources. The coverage is uniformly respectful, with no government or political framing.
Coverage: 5 sources, 5 neutral
Sources (5): timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report), thehindu.com (neutral report), thesouthfirst.com (neutral report), economictimes.indiatimes.com (neutral report), telanganatoday.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 5 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
Update, 10 November 2026: this story now draws on 5 sources.
