Photo: Satyen K. Bordoloi / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Shyam Benegal is the kind of filmmaker I admire most: one who chose substance over spectacle. While Indian cinema chased song and dance, he helped pioneer parallel cinema, turning his camera on social reality with a quiet, unflinching gaze. Eighteen National Film Awards and the Dadasaheb Phalke honour are not accidents; they are the reward for decades of asking hard questions on screen. He worked until late in life and passed in 2024 at ninety. What stays with me is his refusal to chase fashion. He simply kept filming the truths he cared about, and that integrity is its own legacy.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Shyam Benegal
- Name (Japanese)
- シャーム・ベネガル
- Reading
- しゃーむ・べねがる
- Born
- December 14, 1934 – December 23, 2024
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Sagittarius / Dog
- Origin
- Trimulgherry, Hyderabad district, India
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- film director / screenwriter / film producer / politician / director
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Mahbub College High School
- University
- North-Eastern Hill University
Awards & achievements
- 1991 Padma Bhushan
- 1976 Padma Shri in arts
- 2005 Dadasaheb Phalke Award
- 1980 Filmfare Award for Best Director
- honorary doctor of the University of Calcutta
- IIFA Lifetime Achievement Award
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Shyam Benegal filmography | — |
6. Links
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shyam%20Benegal
Frequently asked questions
When was Shyam Benegal born?
December 14, 1934 – December 23, 2024.
Where is Shyam Benegal from?
Shyam Benegal is from Trimulgherry, Hyderabad district, India.
What does Shyam Benegal do?
Shyam Benegal works as film director, screenwriter, film producer, politician, director.
What is Shyam Benegal known for?
Notable works include Shyam Benegal filmography.
Film director — see all → · Screenwriter — see all → · More people from India →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.