As Malayalam cinema mourns the loss of legendary filmmaker Shaji N Karun , who passed away at the age of 73 after battling health issues, an emotional story has surfaced—one that reveals the visionary director’s long-cherished yet unfulfilled dream of bringing the film ‘Kadal’ (The Sea) to life.

A dream called ‘Kadal’According to On Manorama, soon after the story of ‘Kadal’ was published, Shaji N Karun met the author in Kannur and expressed an earnest desire to adapt it into a feature film. He was captivated by its depth and emotion, and plans were quickly set in motion. Location scouting took them from Ladakh to the coasts, and prominent names like Mohanlal were suggested for pivotal roles, including that of a spiritual Guru.

Jaya Bachchan as the motherOne of Shaji’s most inspired casting choices was Jaya Bachchan for the role of the mother. A classmate of Shaji’s from the Pune Film Institute, Jaya was moved by the English-translated script. In an interview, she said, “When I look in the mirror, I see myself as the mother in Kadal.” Initially, the project was to be backed by Amitabh Bachchan’s ABCL. But after the production company ran into financial trouble post the Miss World pageant in Bengaluru, the project stalled. Even when Jaya offered to produce the film herself, Shaji declined.
The project that never wasThough various actors and producers later expressed interest, including a prominent actress from Kutty Srank, Kadal never materialized. Shaji N Karun eventually shifted focus to other films, including a Hindi project titled ‘Gadha’.
Meanwhile, Shaji N Karun’s last directorial venture was the 2018 film ‘Olu’ starring Shane Nigam and Esther Anil in the lead roles. The movie was praised for its stunning performance and magical realism. The script for the film was penned by T.D Ramakrishnan.