Shyam Benegal

Directing

Shyam Benegal

Born 1934-12-14 · Alwal, Hyderabad, British India (now Andhra Pradesh, India)

Shyam Benegal (December 14, 1934–December 23, 2024) was a prolific Indian director and screenwriter. With his first four feature films Ankur (1973), Nishant (1975), Manthan (1976), and Bhumika (1977) he created a new genre, which has now come to be called the "middle cinema" in India although he himself has expressed dislike in the term preferring his work to be called New or Alternate cinema. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1976 and the Padma Bhushan in 1991. On 8 August 2007, he was awarded the highest award in Indian cinema for lifetime achievement, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2005. He has won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi seven times. Benegal died of kidney disease on 23 December 2024 in Mumbai and is survived by his daughter.

Acting credits

Satyajit Ray poster
6.8

Documentary on director Satyajit Ray, featuring an extensive interview and clips from his films, and location shooting of his film "The Home and the World."

Satyajit Ray

1985

Light, Shadow, and Me poster
NR

A documentary about V.K. Murthy, veteran cameraman of the black & white era of Hindi cinema, and considered a master of light & shadow. He created many innovative techniques and was best-known for his collaborations with Guru Dutt resulted in many memorable films.

Light, Shadow, and Me

2012

No artwork available
4.0

A personal portrait of director Shyam Benegal, made by his collaborator, Khalid Mohammed

The Master: Shyam Benegal

2022

In Search of Guru Dutt poster
6.0

This documentary is a three-part tribute to director Guru Dutt, who died in 1964 at the age of 39. The work traces Guru Dutt's personal story through many interviews with his family members and colleagues and observes his work through the use of extensive film excerpts. The documentary was produced by the British television network Channel 4 producer Nasreen Munni Kabir.

In Search of Guru Dutt

1989

Celluloid Man poster
7.0

Indian documentary about Indian film history and P. K. Nair, the founder of the National Film Archive of India and guardian of Indian cinema. He built the archive can by can in a country where the archiving of cinema was considered unimportant.

Celluloid Man

2012

Benegal's New Cinema poster
NR

A documentary on the films of Shyam Benegal explores the time, ethos, and concerns of the New Cinema Movement in India through his oeuvre.

Benegal's New Cinema

2014

The Last Adieu poster
NR

Having the need to resolve the unfinished relationship with her father who had died suddenly when she was only fourteen, Shabnam decides to confront her mother and talk to all the people who had known him. She is eager to fill the holes in her sketchy memory only to find out that he had always been there with her and influenced her at every stage in her life without her knowing it. After thirty years she is now ready to claim her father as she discovers his significance in her life.

The Last Adieu

2014

Pride of India: Shama Zaidi poster
NR

The film starts with the earliest form of cinema and how Shama Zaidi became an integral part of the evolution of Indian Cinema.

Pride of India: Shama Zaidi

2011

Smita poster
NR

This biographical film is a tribute to a pioneering actress Smita Patil through her works a tribute to the parallel cinema. Her realistic dignified portrayals of the emerging women's movement in India creating a space for women on screen and role models for them off-screen.

Smita

2001

Behind the camera

Bose: The Forgotten Hero poster
7.5

After resigning from the presidential post of the Indian National Congress, Subhas Chandra Bose plays an important role in India's freedom struggle during World War II.

Bose: The Forgotten Hero

2005

Manthan poster
6.8

A veterinarian, Dr. Rao, makes a visit to a village, where he intends to commence a co-operative society dairy for the betterment of the rural people. The film is set against the backdrop of the White Revolution of India (Operation Flood) which started in 1970. It was entirely crowdfunded by 500,000 farmers who donated Rs. 2 each.

Manthan

1976

Mandi poster
6.6

The denizens of a brothel deal with internal drama, as well as pressure from greedy land developers and an anti-sex work politician to leave town.

Mandi

1983

Mandi poster
6.6

The denizens of a brothel deal with internal drama, as well as pressure from greedy land developers and an anti-sex work politician to leave town.

Mandi

1983

Sardari Begum poster
8.4

The police were called to investigate the death of a woman who was killed during a riot by a stone thrown by an agitated person. She was known in the community as "Sardari Begum", a popular singer and courtesan in her time. This story chronicles her youth, her contacts, and her lifestyle.

Sardari Begum

1996

Trikal poster
8.8

Set in 1961 Goa, this is a story of a rich and influential Goan family and what happens to them over a period of time. The movie is narrated in past-tense by one of the friends of the family.

Trikal

1985

Trikal poster
8.8

Set in 1961 Goa, this is a story of a rich and influential Goan family and what happens to them over a period of time. The movie is narrated in past-tense by one of the friends of the family.

Trikal

1985

Ankur: The Seedling poster
6.2

In a small Indian village, a destitute woman's barren, alcoholic husband absconds after stealing toddy. Alone to fend for herself, she ends up relying on the affections of her landlord's to-be-married son who recently returned to look after the estate.

Ankur: The Seedling

1974

Ankur: The Seedling poster
6.2

In a small Indian village, a destitute woman's barren, alcoholic husband absconds after stealing toddy. Alone to fend for herself, she ends up relying on the affections of her landlord's to-be-married son who recently returned to look after the estate.

Ankur: The Seedling

1974

Kalyug poster
6.7

A tale of intrigue and rivalry between two wealthy brothers as they conspire to create havoc in the other's life.

Kalyug

1981

Kalyug poster
6.7

A tale of intrigue and rivalry between two wealthy brothers as they conspire to create havoc in the other's life.

Kalyug

1981

Zubeidaa poster
5.2

Zubeidaa, an aspiring Muslim actress, marries a Hindu prince to become his second wife. Her tumultuous relationship with her husband, and her inner demons lead her to a decision which has fatal consequences for them all.

Zubeidaa

2001

Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda poster
7.6

A man shares some lazy memories about his friend, Manek Mulla, who had a knack for telling stories. On this particular afternoon, Manek narrates a 'unique' love affair with the help of different stories, various characters' point of views and the social relevance of these stories. As these stories proceed, reality mixes with fiction.

Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda

1992

Welcome to Sajjanpur poster
5.7

Mahadev (Shreyas Talpade) is an unemployed graduate with a Bachelor of Arts from Satna college, who is forced to make a living writing letters for the uneducated people of his village. His real ambition is to become a novel writer. Through his humble occupation, Mahadev has the potential to impact numerous lives. The movie is a satirical, but warm-hearted portrait of life in rural India.

Welcome to Sajjanpur

2008

The Making of the Mahatma poster
6.0

The struggles of Mohandas Gandhi in South Africa.

The Making of the Mahatma

1996

Mujib: The Making of a Nation poster
6.5

Biopic on the father of the nation of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The film will showcase his growing up as a child to his standing up against all injustice in his youth to fighting for the independence of his country. How he led a country to it's independence with his inspirational presence and fight for the justice.

Mujib: The Making of a Nation

2023

Nishant poster
7.1

A man whose wife is abducted seeks to have the culprits prosecuted for their crime, but no one will help him. Meanwhile, the wife—abused and berated by her abductors—cannot bring herself to face her husband.

Nishant

1975

Bhumika poster
6.6

In a world that both glamorizes and patronizes her, a successful film star begins to unravel under the weight of the roles imposed upon her, drifting between studios and her personal life as she spirals into an identity crisis.

Bhumika

1977

Bhumika poster
6.6

In a world that both glamorizes and patronizes her, a successful film star begins to unravel under the weight of the roles imposed upon her, drifting between studios and her personal life as she spirals into an identity crisis.

Bhumika

1977

Satyajit Ray poster
6.8

Documentary on director Satyajit Ray, featuring an extensive interview and clips from his films, and location shooting of his film "The Home and the World."

Satyajit Ray

1985

Junoon poster
5.7

Set during the 1857 War of Independence, an obsessed Indian Nawab desires to wed a young Anglo-Indian woman, but the girl's obstinate mother stands between them.

Junoon

1978

Junoon poster
5.7

Set during the 1857 War of Independence, an obsessed Indian Nawab desires to wed a young Anglo-Indian woman, but the girl's obstinate mother stands between them.

Junoon

1978

Charandas The Thief poster
9.0

Charandas, a petty thief with a sense of integrity, ends up making four vows to his teacher that ultimately wreak havoc in his life.

Charandas The Thief

1975

Charandas The Thief poster
9.0

Charandas, a petty thief with a sense of integrity, ends up making four vows to his teacher that ultimately wreak havoc in his life.

Charandas The Thief

1975