Shyam Benegal, India’s Parallel Cinema Pioneer, Dies At 90

Shyam Benegal, who heralded the Indian parallel cinema movement in the 1970s and 1980s with a body of work known for its realism and social commentary, breaking away from the conventions of mainstream Indian cinema – has died at 90.

Shyam Benegal, who heralded the Indian parallel cinema movement in the 1970s and 1980s with a body of work known for its realism and social commentary, breaking away from the conventions of mainstream Indian cinema – has died at 90.

The legendary filmmaker is survived by wife Nira Benegal and daughter, Pia Benegal.

He was admitted to the intensive care unit at Mumbai’s Wockhardt Hospital, just days after he turned 90 on December 14.

His daughter Pia Benegal said her father was suffering from chronic kidney disease.

“He passed away at 6.38 pm at Wockhardt Hospital Mumbai Central. He had been suffering from chronic kidney disease for several years but it had gotten very bad. That’s the reason for his death,” Ms Pia said.

On his 90th birthday, Shyam Benegal told news agency PTI he had been working on two-three projects.

“We all grow old. I don’t do anything great (on my birthday). It may be a special day but I don’t celebrate it specifically. I cut a cake at the office with my team,” he had said.

Despite the physical challenges that come with age, including frequent hospital visits for dialysis three times a week, Shyam Benegal was committed to his passion for filmmaking till the very end.

“I’m working on two to three projects; they are all different from one another. It’s difficult to say which one I will make. They are all for the big screen,” he told PTI on December 14.

His most recent film was the 2023 biographical ‘Mujib: The Making of a Nation’.

In his prolific career, Shyam Benegal made films on diverse issues, documentaries and television serials, including ‘Bharat Ek Khoj’ and ‘Samvidhaan’. His films include ‘Bhumika’, ‘Junoon’, ‘Mandi’, ‘Suraj Ka Satvaan Ghoda’, ‘Mammo’ and ‘Sardari Begum’, most counted as classics in Hindi cinema.

He was born in Hyderabad to Sridhar B Benegal, a prominent photographer. He was also the second cousin of the legendary Indian auteur Guru Dutt.

Shyam Benegal started his career as a copywriter, and made his first documentary film in Gujarati, ‘Gher Betha Ganga’ in 1962. His 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.

He also served as the Director of the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) from 1980 to 1986.

His film ‘Mandi’ (1983), is known for its satire on politics and prostitution. The film starred Shabana Azmi and Smita Patil. Later, working from his own story, based on the last days of Portuguese in Goa, in the early 1960s, Shyam Benegal explored human relationships in ‘Trikal’.

With inputs from PTI