New Delhi:

Chairperson of Adani Foundation, Priti Adani, on Monday, said the passing away of one of the pioneers of ‘parallel cinema’ — film-maker and National Award winner Shyam Benegal — marks the end of an era in Indian cinema, adding that his legacy will continue to inspire others.

Taking to X, Priti Adani wrote: “Shyam Benegal’s passing marks the end of an era in Indian cinema. A master storyteller, his films bridged art and reality, giving voice to the unheard and shaping the golden age of parallel cinema. His legacy will continue to inspire filmmakers and cinephiles alike. Om Shanti.”

Shyam Benegal’s passing marks the end of an era in Indian cinema. A master storyteller, his films bridged art and reality, giving voice to the unheard and shaping the golden age of parallel cinema. His legacy will continue to inspire filmmakers and cinephiles alike. Om Shanti …

— Priti Adani (@AdaniPriti) December 23, 2024

Shyam Sunder S. Benegal, a multiple National Award winner and among the pioneers of ‘parallel cinema’ – with silver screen classics like “Junoon”, “Ankur”, “Manthan”, “Zubeida” and “The Making of the Mahatma” – passed away after a long battle with a kidney disease, his family said here on Monday.

A second-cousin brother of the late legend, actor-film-maker Guru Dutt, Benegal was 90 and breathed his last at a private hospital in Mumbai. He is survived by his wife Nira and their daughter Pia.

Conferred the Padma Shri (1976), the Padma Bhushan (1991), the Dadasaheb Phalke Award (2005) and many other national-international honours, Benegal had celebrated his 90th birthday (December 14) with many colleagues from the film industry present to meet and greet him.

The details of the last rites are not yet known.

Born in Hyderabad on December 14, 1934, Benegal belonged to a Konkani-speaking Chitrapur Saraswat Brahman lineage, with his photographer-father Sridhar B. Benegal having roots in Karnataka.

At the age of 12, Shyam shot a film using a camera presented by his father, who inspired and nurtured his interest in film-making which became his career for over six decades.

Later, Benegal went on to study MA (Economics), founded the Hyderabad Film Society, and later started his career in 1959 as a copy-writer with Lintas Advertising Agency in Mumbai, where he rose to be the Creative Head, with over 900 ad films and sponsored documentaries under his belt.

In 1962, Benegal made his first Gujarati documentary film, “Gher Betha Ganga” (Ganga At Doorsteps), taught at the prestigious Film & Television Institute of India from 1966-1973, and later served as its Chairman twice (1980-1983 & 1989-1992).

With over 70 documentaries and short films to his credit and a stint in the USA, Benegal made his first full-length Hindi feature film, “Ankur” (1974), that shot him to fame, bagging 3 National Awards, another 43 national-international awards/honours.

Over a film career spanning more than 60 years, Benegal made many classics like “Manthan” (1976), “Bhumika” (1977), “Junoon” and “Kalyug” (1979), “Aarohan” (1982), “Mandi” (1983), “Trikaal” (1985, “Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda” (1993), “The Making of the Mahatma” (1996), “Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero” (2005), “Welcome to Sajjanpur” (2008), “Mujib: The Making of a Nation” (2023), to name a few prominent ones.

He also made noteworthy and award-winning documentaries, including on India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, “Jawaharlal Nehru” (1982) and “Nehru” (1985), on the legendary film-maker Satyajit Ray, Tata Steel’s Platinum Jubilee, A Festival of India, Lost Childhood, and many more.

Benegal created memorable television serials like: “Yatra” (1986), “Bharat Ek Khoj” (1988), “Sankranti” (1997), “Samvidhaan” (2014), among several others.

Tributes poured in for Benegal on social media from actors, actresses, producers, directors, his colleagues in the Indian and international film fraternity, media groups and his legion of fans and admirers.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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New Delhi:

Photos from legendary filmmaker Shyam Benegal’s 90th birthday celebration have resurfaced online following the news of his death.

The heartwarming images serve as a poignant reminder of the iconic director’s enduring legacy and the lives he touched. The late filmmaker celebrated his milestone birthday on December 14, surrounded by Bollywood celebrities such as Shabana Azmi, Divya Dutta, Naseeruddin Shah, Rajit Kapur, Atul Tiwari, and others.

A group photo from the celebration, shared by Shabana Azmi on X, has gone viral. Sharing the photo, Azmi captioned it, “On #ShyamBenegal’s 90th birthday with my co-actor of many films and my favorite actor @NaseeruddinShah. Why aren’t more people casting us together?!”

Some of his actors with Shyam Benegal’s on his 90th birthday Mashallah pic.twitter.com/cnDrjAphf2

— Azmi Shabana (@AzmiShabana) December 15, 2024

On December 23, Shyam Benegal d at the age of 90. He breathed his last around 6:30 pm at Wockhardt Hospital in Mumbai. His daughter, Pia Benegal, confirmed the news.

Mourning his death, filmmaker Hansal Mehta shared a photo of Benegal and wrote, “Among the last of our great filmmakers. Go well, Shyam Babu. Thank you for inspiring many like me. Thank you for the cinema. Thank you for giving tough stories and flawed characters such amazing dignity.”

Known for his iconic and award-winning films such as “Ankur,” “Bhumika,” “Manthan,” and “Nishant,” Benegal leaves behind a rich legacy in Indian cinema. He made his feature film debut with “Ankur” in 1974, starring Anant Nag and Shabana Azmi. The critically acclaimed film earned the National Film Award for Second Best Feature Film, solidifying his reputation as a trailblazer in Indian cinema.

His final directorial work, “Mujib: The Making of a Nation” (2023), chronicled the life of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Benegal was the recipient of multiple National Awards for films including “Bhumika: The Role,” “Junoon,” “Arohan,” “Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero”, and “Well Done Abba.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)