Filmmaker Shyam Benegal passed away on Monday at the age of 90 after prolonged illness. He was a leading Indian film director who made path breaking films such as "Ankur", "Nishant", "Manthan", "Bhumika", "Junoon", and "Zubaeda". He was suffering from kidney-related issues and succumbed to illness at around 6:30 pm on December 23. Benegal celebrated his 90th birthday on December 14. He was a pioneer of parallel cinema and worked in both mainstream and art films.
Shyam Benegal films
Shyam Benegal is known for directing phenomenal films and for his realistic storytelling and insightful social commentary. He confronted the hypocrisy of feudalism (Ankur), the arrogance of power (Nishant), and the price of ambition (Bhumika). His most recent film was the 2023 biographical "Mujib: The Making of a Nation".
Padma Bhushan awardee
Benegal was recognised by the Government of India with the Padma Shri in 1976 and the Padma Bhushan in 1991 for his contributions to Indian cinema. Shyam Benegal was renowned for directing iconic films such as Ankur (1973), Nishant (1975), Manthan (1976), Bhumika (1977), Mammo (1994), Sardari Begum (1996), and Zubeidaa (2001), among many others.
Shyam Benegal's film stirred India's social conscience
Shyam Benegal’s classic Manthan (1976) was crowdfunded by half a million milk producers of rural Gujarat. The film narrates the inspirational story of Verghese Kurien, the persona behind India’s “White Revolution”. This film was digitally restored and released at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2024.
Manthan is reviewed as one of the first Hindi films to showcase a newly independent India struggling to engage with modern ideas of economic development and social reform.
Benegal’s first feature, Ankur (1974; “The Seedling”), a realistic drama about caste conflict set in rural Andhra Pradesh, marked the coming of age of the parallel cinema movement. Shabana Azmi was introduced as an actress through this film.
Beyond rural subjects, Benegal explored dramatic urban themes in the films Kalyug (1981; “The Machine Age”), a modern and secularized interpretation of the Mahabharata; Junoon (1979; “The Obsession”), set in 1857 at the start of the Indian Rebellion against British rule; Mandi (1983; “The Marketplace”), concerning a brothel, its visitors, and its denizens; and Trikal (1985; “Past, Present, and Future”), set in 1960s Portuguese-ruled Goa.
Celebrated his 90th birthday
Ace Indian film director celebrated his 90th birthday on December 14 with a celebration surrounded by friends and family. Among the guests were actors Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Naseeruddin Shah, Divya Dutta, Shabana Azmi, Rajit Kapur, Atul Tiwari, filmmaker-actor Kunal Kapoor, and others.
ALSO READ | Shyam Benegal, veteran director, dies at 90 in Mumbai after prolonged illness
