Legendary Indian filmmaker Shyam Benegal dies at age 90

By ASHOK SHARMA The Associated Press

FILE - Indian film directors Shyam Benegal, right, is seen during a discussion on Indian Cinema in Hyderabad, India, Monday, Feb. 18, 2008. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A, File)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Mahesh Kumar A]

NEW DELHI (AP) — Shyam Benegal, a renowned Indian filmmaker known for pioneering a cinema movement that tackled social issues in the 1970s, has died after chronic kidney disease. He was 90.

His contribution to cinema was recognized as a director, editor and screenwriter. He came into the limelight with films — Ankur (1974), Nishant (1975), Manthan (1976) and Bhumika (1977) — that challenged mainstream Bollywood by dealing with the social realities of a poor nation.

Benegal died Monday at Mumbai’s Wockhardt Hospital, and his cremation will take place on Tuesday, the Press Trust of India news agency reported, citing his daughter Piya.

“Benegal had been suffering from chronic kidney disease for several years but it had gotten very bad,” Piya said.

Many paid tribute to the filmmaker on social media platform X.

Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt wrote that Benegal told stories without pretense. “They were raw and real, about the struggles of ordinary people. His films had craft and conviction.”

“Deeply saddened by the passing of Shyam Benegal, whose storytelling had a profound impact on Indian cinema. His works will continue to be admired by people from different walks of life,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted.

Benegal was a mentor to top Indian actors including Shabana Azmi, Smita Patil, Naseeruddin Shah and Om Puri who made their mark in Bollywood’s popular cinema as well.

“I have lost my foster father, a man to whom I owe more than I can say,” Shah posted.

“Shyam Benegal was not just a legend; he was a visionary who redefined storytelling and inspired generations,” said actor Manoj Bajpayee.

The film Ankur explored the feudal divide in India, while Manthan was based on the story of the country’s cooperative dairy milk movement.

Benegal also was widely known for “Bharat Ek Khoj,” a landmark 53-episode television series based on the book “Discovery of India,” written by India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. It chronicled the country’s troubled passages, from ancient times to modernity.

He also directed a 2023 biopic on Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who led Bangladesh’s freedom struggle against Pakistan in the 1970s. Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India in August following a student movement, is the daughter of Rahman.

Benegal was born in 1934 in Hyderabad in southern India. He earned an economics degree from Hyderabad’s Osmania University and established the Hyderabad Film Society. He also ventured into advertising, where he directed over 900 sponsored documentaries and advertising films.

Benegal also is survived by his wife, Nira Benegal.