Veteran filmmaker Shyam Benegal has passed away at the age of 90 after a prolonged battle with kidney-related ailments. He breathed his last on Monday evening at a hospital in Mumbai, where he had been receiving treatment. His family confirmed the news, with his wife Neera Benegal and daughter Piya Benegal by his side.
Benegal, who had recently celebrated his 90th birthday, was working on multiple projects despite his health challenges. His daughter revealed that he had been struggling with severe kidney issues for several years.
Born Shyam Sundar Rao Benegal on December 14, 1934, in Hyderabad, he was educated at Mahboob College, Secunderabad, and later earned a master’s degree in economics from Osmania University. Benegal developed an early interest in cinema and began his career in 1959 as a copywriter at an advertising agency in Mumbai. He later became a creative head at another organization and in 1962 directed his first documentary.
Benegal made his feature film debut after a decade and went on to become one of the most influential filmmakers in Indian cinema. He was honored with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest recognition in Indian cinema, and was awarded the Padma Shri in 1976, the Padma Bhushan in 1991, and the Indira Gandhi National Integration Award in 2003. Throughout his illustrious career, Benegal won eight National Film Awards, cementing his legacy as one of the greats in Indian filmmaking.