Film auteur Shyam Benegal, the pioneer of Indian parallel cinema, died at the age of 90 in Mumbai on Monday, December 24. Benegal was suffering from age-related ailments and kidney issues. The last rites of the director will be held at the Shivaji Park Electric Crematorium in Mumbai this afternoon.
The legendary filmmaker was admitted to the intensive care unit at Mumbai’s Wockhardt Hospital, just days after he turned 90. December 14 marked Benegal’s 90th birthday.
Despite age-related ailments, including frequent hospital visits for dialysis three times a week, Shyam Benegal was committed to his passion for filmmaking till the very end.
Throughout his career, Shyam Benegal received numerous accolades, including the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India’s highest honour in cinema. He was honoured with the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi seven times and received the V Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.
Benegal ushered in New Cinema in India, a wave of filmmaking where stories took precedence over the box office, and actors ranked above stars.
His first feature film was Ankur (1973), followed by Nishant (1975), Manthan (1976), and Bhumika (1977). With this quartet of films, Benegal introduced India to parallel cinema.
His second film, Nishant, was in competition at the Cannes International Film Festival in 1976. It was nominated for the Palme d’Or, and won a bevy of awards back home in India, including the National Film Award for the Best Feature Film in Hindi.
Shyam Benegal is survived by wife Nira Benegal and daughter, Pia Benegal.
The director’s funeral is currently underway at the Shivaji Park Electric Crematorium in Mumbai.
