Renowned filmmaker Shyam Benegal, a pioneer of Indian parallel cinema, passed away at 90 on December 23, 2024 . Celebrated for films like “Ankur” and “Nishant”, his work profoundly influenced Indian cinema.
Shyam Benegal was born in Hyderabad to Sridhar B. Benegal who was prominent in the field of photography. Starting his career as a copywriter, he made his first Documentary film in Gujarati, Gher Betha Ganga (Ganges at the Doorstep) in 1962. Benegal’s first four feature films Ankur (1973), Nishant (1975), Manthan (1976) and Bhumika (1977) made him a pioneer of the new wave film movement of that period. Benegal’s films, Mammo (1994), along with Sardari Begum (1996) and Zubeidaa (2001) all of which won National Film Awards for Best Feature Film in Hindi, form the Muslim women Trilogy. Benegal has won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi seven times. He was awarded the V. Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.
In 2005, he was honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India’s highest award in the field of cinema. In 1976, he was honoured by the Government of India with the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian honour of the country, and in 1991, he was awarded Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian honour for his contributions in the field of arts.
His films have received multiple national and international awards, recognizing his contribution to Indian cinema. His style often blends a commitment to social issues with artistic expression, making him one of the foremost filmmakers in India.
Asutosh college.
Department of Journalism and Mass Communication.
