Art Desk: Legendary Indian filmmaker Shyam Benegal is no more. He passed away at the age of 90 in a hospital in Mumbai.
As filmmaker, Bengal is regarded as the pioneer of Parallel Cinema in India and recognized for his realistic form cinematic storytelling.
Among others, some of his remarkable works include Ankur, Nishant, and Zubeida. Apart from his masterpieces in the big screen, his acclaimed television series Bharat Ek Khoj (Discovery of India) at India’s public broadcast television Doordarshan became significantly popular.
The entire film and political fraternity in India have expressed their heartfelt sadness on his passing away, with tributes pouring in across social media. Veteran actor Anupam Kher stated on X that Benegal was a messiah of actors, writers, and technicians of alternative cinema in India, who used to tell stories differently.
Likewise, Shekhar Kapur said that Shyam Benegal created a ‘new wave’ cinema, and he would always be remembered as the man who changed the direction of Indian Cinema.
During my student days at the University of Mumbai, I too had the honour of meeting and interviewing him at his office situated in Tardio, Mumbai for my dissertation on Film Criticism. which I consider as a moment of a lifetime.
Filmmakers of Shyam Benegal’s stature are rare in the Indian film industry today. He has left a legacy of timeless contributions to Indian realistic cinema.
Also Read: Legendary Indian tabla player Zakir Hussain passes away
Also Read: Meta Meltdown: Why did Facebook, Insta, WhatsApp go dark?
Also Read: The AI deepfake crisis should be crushed early, UK to criminalize deepfakes
Also Read: Teenagers banned from using social media in Australia