The Hindi cinema has incurred a huge loss as the legendary filmmaker, Shyam Benegal, passed away at the age of 90. He was the one who brought revolution to the world of cinema with his masterpieces like Ankur, Mnathan, Nishanat and many more. From paying tribute to the white revolution to commenting on casteism in society, Shyam's filmmaking skills have waved magic, and people are, to date, mesmerised by him. Unfortunately, the filmmaker's magic came to an abrupt halt as he left for his heavenly adobe.
Shyam Benegal was the one who revolutionised parallel cinema. While the era of the angry young man was on the rise, Shyam Benegal came up with Ankur. He upheld the sensitive topic of caste discrimination and daily women's plight in a way no one could have imagined. The film introduced Shabana Azmi, whose powerful performance earned her the National Film Award for Best Actress.
Benegal has made over 20 feature films, 70 documentaries, and short films. Unfortunately, the legendary filmmaker breathed his last at the Wockhardt Hospital in Mumbai on Monday. As per his daughter, the filmmaker was suffering from kidney-related issues. In his daughter's words:
"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."
Shyam Benegal turned a year older on December 14, 2024. Shabana Azmi shared a beautiful photo of his birthday bash. In the frame, we spotted Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi, Divya Dutta and more. Shyam looked happy as he posed for the lens. For the day,m he was dressed in a black suit with a red pocket square.
Even though most of his movies, such as Ankur and Nishant, are considered classics today, he faced much criticism, too. Critics thought some of his early films, like Bhumika, were weak in craft. Because of his tendency to pack in messages or socio-political commentaries in his movies, they were labelled as socially relevant and didactic.
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We pay our heartfelt condolences to Shyam Benegal, and may his family find strength in his tough time.
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