Shaman Mithru, cinematographer-turned-actor, passes away aged 43 due to COVID-19 complications

Actor-cinematographer Shaman Mithru who predominantly worked in the Tamil film industry passed away on Thursday, 17 June. According to a report in The Indian Express, the 43-year-old actor died of complications related to COVID-19. Mithru is survived by his wife and a daughter who is five years old. The publication further mentions that he debuted with the 2019 film Thorati, directed by P Marimuthu and produced by the actor. It starred Sathyakala opposite Mithru in the lead role. Apart from acting, Mithru worked as Director of Photography (DOP) for several films. As reported by Zoom, the news was confirmed by Ramesh Bala, an entertainment industry analyst on Twitter. Bala tweeted a still of Mithru from the film Thorati and talked about his life. In a 2018 interview with The Times Of India, Mithru had said that he became an actor by chance. He had said that the story of Thorati revolved around a shepherd and the lead actor had to look the part. Mithru had said_,_ “Not many actors would be willing to take the risks involved in getting tanned, losing tons of weight and walking barefoot. So, I decided to take the plunge and do the role myself.” The movie had received positive reviews back when it was released. Mithru’s performance was praised by the critics. Several people on social media have expressed their sadness on Mithru’s demise. Producer-director CV Kumar tweeted that he was shocked to hear about the demise of the young actor-cinematographer. Extending his condolences, Kumar said that may Mithru’s soul rest in peace.