Shyam Benegal came out of nowhere and lit up the Hindi film scene in the 1970s at a time when the industry was “an absolutely closed shop”. His debut film 'Ankur's' success staked out new ground for the ‘art/parallel cinema’ movement that over time showcased new talent such as Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi, Smita Patil, Om Puri & Govind Nihalani
Shyam Benegal, who passed away on December 23, began his career as a director with no prior experience in cinema. He talent-spotted a number of artistes and technicians in the 1970s, many of them leading lights of the ‘art film’ movement.
The list includes Shabana Azmi, Anant Nag, Naseeruddin Shah, Smita Patil, Pankaj Kapoor, Govind Nihalani, Shama Zaidi, Kulbhushan Kharbanda and Om Puri, having fathered the parallel cinema movement with ‘Ankur’ in 1974.
The list includes Shabana Azmi, Anant Nag, Naseeruddin Shah, Smita Patil, Pankaj Kapoor, Govind Nihalani, Shama Zaidi, Kulbhushan Kharbanda and Om Puri, having fathered the parallel cinema movement with ‘Ankur’ in 1974.