Popular Malayalam director Naranipuzha Shanavas has been hospitalised after he went into cardiogenic shock during the shooting of his upcoming film, with latest reports stating his condition to be critical. Currently on ventilator support at KG Hospital in Coimbatore, Shanavas' health has been kept under scan and being observed for any signs of improvement. Known for his Sufiyum Sujatayum, the up-and-coming filmmaker was admitted to the hospital on Saturday night and has been placed in the ICU, with his condition revealed to be still unstable. Cardiogenic shock is described as a health condition where a patient's heart will not be able to pump necessary blood as per the needs of the body and is often caused due to a severe heart attack. 

Naranipuzha Shanavas’ Sufiyum Sujatayum starring Jayasurya, Aditi Rao Hydari and Dev Mohan in the lead roles was released on the Amazon Prime Video OTT platform after its theatrical release was called off due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Produced by Vijay Babu under the Friday Film House banner, the film was the first Malayalam venture to be released directly on OTT amid the coronavirus pandemic. The film's plot revolved around a woman  hailing from the Namboothiri community with a speech disability, who falls in love with a sufi saint played by Dev Mohan and Jayasurya cast as her husband. 

At the time of Sufiyum Sujatayum's release, Aditi Rao said to news agency PTI, "There is a fable-like quality to the story of this film. We don't actually know if something is real or not real. The emotions of the characters are so flawed and yet so sweet and innocent that it almost felt unreal. When I first heard the script, it came across as a fairytale. It was an unreal world with real emotions." She further spoke about Naranipuzha Shanavas' role and stated, "The director is the captain of the ship. The way a director works is how you have to work on a film. The difference is that I get to work with different directors and get to know their working styles."