Shyam Benegal passes away: Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur says he created ‘the new wave’ cinema while bidding farewell to his friend and guide

Veteran filmmaker Shyam Benegal passed away at the age of 90 today (December 23). The 90-year-old filmmaker died around 6:30 pm at a hospital in Mumbai, his daughter Pia Benegal confirmed to the media. His exceptional storytelling, realistic portrayal of characters, and profound cinematic depth earned him critical acclaim throughout his career. His death has left many of his contemporaries and industry friends deeply heartbroken, along with his fans.


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A few minutes after his demise, director Shekhar Kapur, who was a close friend of the veteran filmmaker, took to his X (formerly Twitter) handle to write a heartfelt note: “He created ‘the new wave’ cinema. #ShyamBenegal will always be remembered as the man who changed the direction of Indian cinema with films like 'Ankur', 'Manthan', and countless others. He created stars out of great actors like Shabana Azmi and Smita Patil. Farewell, my friend and guide.”


West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, opposition leader Mallikarjun Kharge, and others shared their heartbreaking reactions following the demise of the filmmaker.

Recently, actress Shabana Azmi shared an unmissable glimpse from Shyam’s 90th birthday on December 14, which featured Naseeruddin Shah, actors Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Naseeruddin Shah, Divya Dutta, Shabana Azmi, Rajit Kapur, Atul Tiwari, filmmaker-actor Kunal Kapoor (Shashi Kapoor's son), and others, who were part of the grand celebration, along with many more from the industry.

Benegal was honoured with the Padma Shri in 1976 and the Padma Bhushan in 1991 by the Government of India for his contributions to Indian cinema. Shyam is known for both artistic and commercially successful movies, including 'Ankur'(1973), ''Nishant' (1975), 'Manthan' (1976), 'Bhumika'(1977), 'Mammo' (1994), 'Sardari Begum' (1996), and 'Zubeidaa' (2001).