Renowned filmmaker Shyam Benegal died on Monday at the age of 90, following a prolonged kidney disease. He died around 6:30 p.m. at Wockhardt Hospital in Mumbai, his daughter, Pia Benegal, confirmed to India Today.
Benegal, one of the most influential figures in Indian cinema, has been celebrated for pioneering the parallel cinema movement. His films, like Ankur, Mandi and Manthanbecame iconic works of the 1970s and 1980s, opening a new direction for Indian cinema.
The filmmaker recently celebrated his 90th birthday on December 14, surrounded by his close friends and family. The gathering included notable actors like Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Naseeruddin Shah, Divya Dutta, Shabana Azmi, Rajit Kapur, Atul Tiwari and Kunal Kapoor, the actor-filmmaker and son of Shashi Kapoor.
Benegal’s contribution to cinema was recognized by the Indian government, which awarded him the Padma Shri in 1976 and the Padma Bhushan in 1991. His legacy includes a diverse body of work with hit films such as Manthan, Zubeidaa and Sardar Begum, among others.
Born on December 14, 1934 in Hyderabad, Shyam Benegal came from a Konkani-speaking Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin family. His father, Sridhar B. Benegal, a photographer from Karnataka, introduced him to the world of visual storytelling. At the age of 12, Shyam made his first film with a camera his father gave him. Although he earned a master’s degree in economics from Osmania University, Hyderabad, it was his passion for cinema that led him to establish the Hyderabad Film Society, marking the beginning of his illustrious film journey.
Some of his most famous works include Ankur, Manthan, Junoon, Suraj ka Satvaan Ghoda, Mandiand much more, which continue to inspire generations of filmmakers and audiences.
