Doyen of Indian Parallel Cinema, Shyam Benegal died in a Mumbai hospital on 23 December 2024. He was 90 years old and was suffering from a chronic kidney disorder.

Shyam Bengal is considered one of the leading lights of the parallel cinema movement in India along with Satyajit Ray, Rtiwik Ghatak, and Govind Nihalini with films like ‘Ankur’, and ‘Manthan’.

Shyam Benegal Films career

Shyam Bengal was born in Tirumalagiri, now in Telangana, in 1934. His father was still a photographer who also made short films.

When he was twelve, he made his first film, on a camera given to him by his father Sridhar Benegal.

He started his career as a copywriter at an advertising agency and made his first Documentary film in Gujarati, Gher Betha Ganga (Ganges at the Doorstep) in 1962.

He later started making documentaries for the Films Division of India and his

first feature film was Ankur which was also the first film of Shaban Azami

During his illustrious career, he made feature films, documentaries, television shows, etc.

Films

Ankur, Manthan, Suraj Ka Satvaan Ghoda,Bhumika, Junoon, Zubeidaa, Sardari Begum, and Mammo.

Biopic films

Making of the Mahatma and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero and his last film 2023 biographical Mujib: The Making of a Nation.
‘Mujib’ biopic based on the father of Bangladesh and its first President Mujib ur Rahman, was also his last film.

Television Shows

For Doordarshan, he made Bharat Ek Khoj, an adaptation of Jawaharlal Nehru’s Discovery of India, and
Samvidhaan, a 10-part show on the making of the Constitution.

Teaching career

Shyam Bengal also taught at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune between 1966 and 1973.
He was the chairperson of the FTII from 1980-83 and again in 1989-92

Awards and Honours for Shyam Benegal

Shyam Benegal during his illustrious film career received many awards and honours.

He was honoured with India’s highest film award DadaSaheb Phalke Award in 2005.

He received 18 National Film Awards

He was honoured with India’s third-highest civilian award Padma Bhushan in 1991

He was honoured with India’s fourth highest civilian award Padma Shri in 1976.

He was also a member of the jury at the 31st Moscow International Film Festival in 2009.

Cannes Film Festival

His film Manthan based on Varghese Kurien’s milk cooperative movement in Anand, Gujarat, starring Smita Patil, Naseeruddin Shah, and Girish Karnad, was restored and screened at the Cannes Classics segment in the Cannes Film Festival in 2024.

About Parallel Cinema

Parallel cinema is referred to in contrast to mainstream cinema like Bollywood which portrays a fictional world filled with song and dance.

Parallel cinema portrays the real issues faced by society like poverty, caste discrimination, gender inequality, class struggles, etc. The film is made to raise social awareness about problems in society.

Satyajit Ray is considered to be the pioneer of parallel cinema in India with his ‘Pather Panchali’. Shyam Benegal’s Ankur film is considered a new landmark in parallel cinema.

Other notable film personalities are Mrinal Sen, Govind Nihlani, Ritwik Kumar Ghatak