Whenever Indian cinema remembers those filmmakers who, along with entertaining, made people think, Shyam Benegal’s name is taken first. He was such a director whose films had neither noise nor pretense, but there was deep thinking behind every story. The artists who worked with him considered him not just a director but a treasure of knowledge.

Shyam Benegal was born in Hyderabad
Shyam Sundar Benegal was born on 14 December 1934 in Hyderabad. His father was a photographer, so there was an atmosphere of cameras and photographs in the house since childhood. This was the reason why he made his first film with his father’s camera at the age of just 12. In his studies, he did MA in Economics, but his mind was always towards cinema. During his college days, he formed a film society, where films were discussed. From here the ‘thinking filmmaker’ within him slowly started taking shape.

First documentary made in Gujarati language
After completing his studies, Shyam Benegal came to Mumbai and started working as a copywriter in an advertising agency. The world of advertising taught him the art of camera, frame and telling a story in a short time. During this period he made hundreds of advertisements and documentary films. This experience later became the biggest strength of his films. In the year 1962, he made his first documentary in Gujarati language. After this he started teaching at FTII Pune and gave the understanding of cinema to the coming generation of filmmakers.

‘Ankur’ was the first film
His first feature film ‘Ankur’, released in 1973, shocked Indian cinema. This film was based on issues like villages, farmers and exploitation. Made without any big star, this film was successful in winning the National Award and reached international platforms. After this, films like ‘Nishant’, ‘Manthan’ and ‘Bhumika’ made him the biggest name of parallel cinema. He made the film ‘Manthan’ with thousands of farmers.

Amrish Puri used to be a ‘moving encyclopedia’
The special thing about Shyam Benegal was that he did not just make films, but also understood the subject completely. Before starting work on any story, he used to read its history, social background and political impact in depth. This was the reason why artists like Amrish Puri used to say that talking to Shyam Benegal was like reading a book. He used to call him ‘a walking encyclopedia’. On the set, he used to give such examples on history, society and human behavior that even the actors were astonished.

made him a shining star
He gave Indian cinema actors like Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi, Smita Patil, Om Puri and Amrish Puri, whose acting is still considered an example. Along with films, he also made historical serials like ‘Bharat Ek Khoj’ for Doordarshan, which connected crores of people with the history of India.

Won more than 18 National Film Awards
Shyam Benegal received more than 18 National Film Awards in his long career. He was awarded Padmashree in 1976, Padma Bhushan in 1991 and Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2005. He also served the country as a Rajya Sabha MP. His last film ‘Mujib: The Making of a Nation’ was released in the year 2023.

Shyam Benegal died on 23 December 2024 at the age of 90. With his departure, Indian cinema lost not only a director but also a ‘moving encyclopedia’ who connected cinema with thinking, understanding and sensitivity.