Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], December 29 : A memorial event was held to pay tributes to veteran director Shyam Benegal who passed away recently, which was attended by several big names including Shabana Azmi, Javed Akhtar, Naseeruddin Shah, Urmila Matondkar and others.
The 'Manthan' director passed away took his last breath on December 23 at 6.38 pm at the age of 90, in Mumbai's Wockhardt Hospital.
Born on December 14, 1934, in a Konkani-speaking Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin family in Hyderabad, Benegal collaborated extensively with actors from FTII and NSD, including Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Smita Patil, Shabana Azmi, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, and Amrish Puri.
His films left an indelible impact on audiences, addressing relevant socio-political themes with remarkable depth.
For instance, Junoon (1979), based on Ruskin Bond's A Flight of Pigeons, is a tumultuous epic set during India's freedom movement. The film, featuring a forbidden love story between a British woman (Nafisa Ali) and a passionate Pathan (Shashi Kapoor), remains one of Benegal's finest works, celebrated for its sweeping visuals and emotional intensity.
His films gained international acclaim as well. Manthan (1976), inspired by Verghese Kurien's pioneering milk cooperative movement, made waves globally and was showcased at the 77th Cannes Film Festival. The film's premiere was attended by luminaries such as Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah, Prateik Babbar, and members of the Kurien and Patil families.
Throughout his career, Benegal received numerous accolades, including the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest honour in cinema, and his contributions to Indian and world cinema will continue to inspire generations to come.
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