Veteran Filmmaker Shyam Benegal Passes Away

Veteran filmmaker Shyam Benegal passed away on Monday. His daughter Pia Benegal confirmed the news. Shyam Benegal was 90.

Shyam Benegal died due to chronic kidney disease at Wockhardt Hospital in Mumbai. He passed away at 6.38 pm at Wockhardt Hospital Mumbai Central. He had been suffering from chronic kidney disease for several years, but it had gotten very bad,’ Pia Benegal said.

Shyam Benegal directed films with diverse themes, documentaries, and television series like Bharat Ek Khoj and Samvidhaan. Shyam Benegal was known as a pioneer of realistic storytelling. Benegal’s contribution to Indian cinema is parallel to that of Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak, and others.

After the Benegal’s demise filmmaker Shekhar Kapur in a post on X stated, “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.”

Shyam Benegal is survived by his wife, Nira Benegal, and daughter. Benegal’s last directional venture was the 2023 film, Mujib: The Making of a Nation.