Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India, December 24 : Legendary filmmaker and screenwriter Shyam Benegal, best known for shaping the Indian parallel cinema movement, died at the age of 90.
The filmmaker breathed his last on Monday, at 6:38 pm at Wockhardt Hospital, Mumbai, where he was being treated for chronic kidney disease.
Filmmaker Nandita Das, who shared a close relationship with Benegal, took to Instagram to mourn his passing. In an emotional post, Nandita shared a series of pictures with the filmmaker along with a lengthy note while reflecting on his kindness, generosity, and the profound impact he had on her life and work.
"Most likely you already know that Shyam Benegal is no more. You should also know that with him an era has ended. He waited to go till he met many of his loved ones on his 90th birthday, just a week ago. Sadly I wasn't in town so missed that last smile, hug and warmth," Das wrote.
"What I want to share is what a wonderful human being he was. I spent last 2 hours talking about him to some of the people who knew him well. We mourned only for a bit as we didn't want to be selfish. He lived a full life, and just when his health began to suffer more, he left to rest in peace. All we talked about was how kind and generous he was. How present he was with everyone he met. Always making us feel special. Always responded to emails and messages. Memories of so many interactions with him came flashing back," she added.
Nandita also recalled the "praise and encouragement" that she received from Benegal, especially after he watched her film 'Zwigato'.
"Just 2 days after Zwigato was streaming on Amazon, he watched it and emailed me with such praise and encouragement. I was one of the million people he cared for. I will miss his laugh, his firm loving hug, and his twinkling eyes," she shared.
Here's the post
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Nandita Das (@nanditadasofficial)
Benegal's films, including Ankur, Nishant, Manthan, and Bhumika, established him as a pioneer of the Indian parallel cinema movement in the 1970s and 1980s. Benegal was honoured with the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi seven times and received the V. Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.
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.
His most recent project, Mujib: The Making of a Nation (2023), was an India-Bangladesh co-production depicting the life of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangladesh. Shot extensively in both countries during the COVID-19 pandemic, the biographical film added another feather to his illustrious cap.
In addition to feature films, Benegal contributed significantly to documentaries and television. His iconic series Bharat Ek Khoj and Samvidhaan remain benchmarks in Indian television.
He also served as the Director of the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) from 1980 to 1986 and was a member of prestigious juries, including the 14th Moscow International Film Festival (1985) and the 35th National Film Awards (1988).
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