Renowned filmmaker Shyam Benegal, who celebrated his 90th birthday on December 14, has passed away at the age of 90 after battling kidney-related issues. He breathed his last at Wockhardt Hospital in Mumbai Central. He was known for directing path-breaking films such as Ankur, Nishant, Manthan, Bhumika, Junoon, and Mandi.
Shyam’s daughter, Pia Benegal confirmed her father’s death to Indian Express and said, “It is true. Mr Shyam Benegal passed away this evening at 6:30 pm.”
The filmmaker was a pioneer of the Indian parallel cinema movement in the 1970s and 1980s, creating a body of work known for his realistic storytelling and profound social commentary.
Director Shekhar Kapur mourned the loss of Shyam Benegal and expressed his condolences on X (formerly Twitter), writing: “He created ‘the new wave’ cinema. #shyambenegal will always be remembered as the man that changed the direction of Indian Cinema with films like Ankur, Manthan and countless others. He created stars out great actors like Shabama Azmi and Smita Patil. Farewell my friend and guide.”
The filmmaker celebrated his 90th birthday on December 14 with his industry friends and family. The grand celebration was attended by actors Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Naseeruddin Shah, Divya Dutta, Shabana Azmi, Rajit Kapur, Atul Tiwari, and filmmaker-actor Kunal Kapoor, son of Shashi Kapoor, among others.
Earlier this month, he told PTI that he was working on 2-3 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. 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.”
Shyam Benegal was born on December 14, 1934, in Hyderabad. He hailed from a Konkani-speaking Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin family.
