Indian Cinema Icon Shyam Benegal Dies at 90

Shyam Benegal, a renowned Indian filmmaker, passed away this evening at 6:30 PM at the age of 90. According to reports, Benegal had been suffering from a kidney-related ailment for some time. His daughter, Pia Benegal, confirmed the news of his demise.

Shyam Benegal was honored with the Padma Shri in 1976 and the Padma Bhushan in 1991 by the Government of India. His groundbreaking films, including Ankur, Mandi, Nishant, Manthan, Zubeidaa, Sardari Begum, and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero, brought him widespread acclaim. Benegal's exceptional contributions to cinema earned him eight National Film Awards during his illustrious career.

Born on December 14, 1934, in Hyderabad, Benegal hailed from a Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin family that spoke Konkani. His father, Sridhar Benegal, a photographer from Karnataka, influenced his early interest in filmmaking. At the age of 12, Shyam Benegal made his first film using a camera gifted by his father.

An alumnus of Osmania University, Hyderabad, Benegal earned a Master’s degree in Economics. He also founded the Hyderabad Film Society, which played a pivotal role in promoting film appreciation in the region.

Just ten days ago, on December 14, Shyam Benegal celebrated his 90th birthday with family and friends. The occasion was attended by prominent personalities from the film industry, including Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Naseeruddin Shah, Divya Dutta, Shabana Azmi, Rajat Kapoor, Atul Tiwari, and filmmaker-actor Kunal Kapoor.