Shaji Kumar began his career as a cinematographer for Malayalam films, He has frequently collaborated with leading Indian filmmakers like Shaji Kailas, Joshiy, Vinayan and Vysakh, before moving on to balance those commitments alongside Tamil films. In the Tamil film industry, Shaji has extensively collaborated with actor Prashanth for his films. Shaji received critical acclaim for his work in Ponnar Shankar (2011), while he also shot Mambattiyan (2011) and Saahasam (2016)