NationalityInde Birth 14 december 1934 at Trimulgherry (Inde) Death 23 december 2024 (at 90 years) Awards Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Filmfare Awards
Shyam Benegal (born 14 December 1934) is an 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. He has expressed dislike of 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, Benegal 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.
, 1h26 OriginUSA GenresDocumentary ThemesFilms about television, Documentary films about business, Documentary films about the film industry, Documentaire sur une personnalité ActorsJaved Akhtar, Shyam Benegal, Nouri Bouzid, Fruit Chan (陳果), Stanley Kwan, Sudhir Mishra Rating74% The film follows real-time stories of actors, directors and cinema viewers in four different countries. In Tunisia, a documentary film director struggles to have his frank film about human sexuality be seen in their conservative culture. In India, a young actress struggles with the challenges of making a name for herself while dealing with racist barriers. And in Scotland, actress Tilda Swinton and filmmaker Mark Cousins, create a film festival that travels to audiences rather than having the audiences come to the festival. These stories jump back and forth as the narratives develop, interspersed with scenes from video stores, projection booths and homes of all kinds. Toward the end of film there are brief commentaries by Indian film director Sudhir Mishra and Chinese director Fruit Chan.
, 2h24 Directed byShyam Benegal GenresComedy ThemesPolitical films ActorsBoman Irani, Minissha Lamba, Ravi Kishan, Sammir Dattani, Ila Arun, Salim Ghouse Rating71% The film tells the story of Armaan Ali (Boman Irani), a Muslim driver working in Mumbai, who takes a one month leave from his employer to find a groom for his daughter Muskaan (Minissha Lamba), who lives in a village near Hyderabad, India. Armaan does not turn up for three months, and his employer makes the difficult decision to sack him, but he asks his boss to listen to why he could not come. Getting soft, his employer allows him to drive to Pune where he has a meeting. Armaan starts the story from here.
, 2h14 Directed byShyam Benegal GenresComedy ThemesFilms about music and musicians, Musical films, Bollywood ActorsShreyas Talpade, Amrita Rao, Kunal Kapoor, Ravi Kishan, Ravi Jhankal, Yashpal Sharma Rating68% 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.
, 3h42 Directed byShyam Benegal GenresDrama, Biography, Action, Historical ThemesSpy films, Political films, Alternate history films ActorsSachin Khedekar, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Rajit Kapur, Divya Dutta, Kelly Dorji, Arif Zakaria Rating75% Set up in British Raj, after a political disagreement with Mahatma Gandhi, Bose's arrest and subsequent release sets the scene for his escape to Germany, via Afghanistan and the Soviet Union. A few days before his escape, he sought solitude and, on this pretext, avoided meeting British guards and grew a beard on the night of his escape. He dresses himself as a Pathan to avoid being identified. Bose escapes from under British surveillance at his house in Calcutta on 19 January 1941, accompanied by his nephew Sisir K. Bose in a car.
, 2h33 Directed byShyam Benegal GenresDrama, Historical, Musical, Romance ThemesFilms about music and musicians, Films about television, Musical films, Political films, Bollywood, Films about royalty ActorsKarisma Kapoor, Rekha, Manoj Bajpayee, Amrish Puri, Farida Jalal, Rahul Singh Rating64% Zubeidaa is the story of Riyaz's (Rajit Kapoor) search to understand his mother, who is not known to him, as he was brought up by his grandmother in the absence of his mother. His mother's name was Zubeidaa (Karisma Kapoor) and she was the only daughter of a filmmaker named Suleman Seth (Amrish Puri). Zubeidaa acts in films secretly, but when her father finds out he forbids her to carry on and quickly arranges her marriage to Mehboob Alam (Vinod Sharawat). Things seem happy for her when she gives birth to Riyaz. However, a disagreement arises between Suleman and Mehboob's father, and Mehboob divorces Zubeidaa few days after she gives birth.
, 2h14 Directed byShyam Benegal GenresDrama ThemesFeminist films, Political films ActorsShabana Azmi, Rajit Kapur, Rajeshwari Sachdev, Nandita Das, Surekha Sikri, Shrivallabh Vyas Rating73% The movie tells the story of a middle aged Muslim woman Gazala (Shabana Azmi), who is ill treated by her husband and sent back to her parent's home, just because she is unable to give birth to a son. Gazala does have a daughter Salma (Rajeshwari Sachdev). The plot revolves around Gazala's stay at her mother's home and the problems faced by the women of the house, being her mother and sisters-in-law. The film is a beautiful description of the problems faced by women in the name of fertility, or in a different sense the urge to have a male child, especially in rural India. Shyam Benegal provides a masterpiece, reflecting on the sorrowful plight of rural Indian women. The irony lies in the point where the movie begins with a scene which shows a bull being brought to impregnate a buffalo. Five different women, each with a different story depicting the harsh realities of a woman's life.
, 2h15 Directed byShyam Benegal GenresDrama ActorsKiron Kher, Surekha Sikri, Amrish Puri, Rajit Kapur, Rajeshwari Sachdev, Uttara Baokar Rating70% The police are called to investigate the death of a woman during a riot in the walled city of Delhi. She was killed by a stone thrown by an agitated mob. The woman killed is known in the community as "Sardari Begum" (Kiron Kher), a popular singer and courtesan. The religious nature of the incident and the impending elections combine to attract the media's attention. When a young reporter covering the funeral, Tehzeeb Abbasi (Rajina Raj Bisaria), discovers her father among the mourners, her curiosity prompts her to investigate further. Then comes the revelation that the singer was in fact her aunt, who was disowned by her family for rebelliously learning music from a concubine.
, 2h10 Directed byShyam Benegal GenresDrama ActorsFarida Jalal, Surekha Sikri, Sanjay Batra, Rajit Kapur, Rajeshwari Sachdev, Himani Shivpuri Rating77% 13-year-old Riyaz (Amit Phalke) lives a poor lifestyle in Bombay, India, with his grandmother, Fayyuzi (Surekha Sikri), and her sister, Mehmooda Begum alias Mammo (Farida Jalal). Quite outspoken and embittered over his dad abandoning him, Riyaz does not have many friends, save for Rohan. When Mammo plans a surprise birthday party for him, Riyaz is offended as he believes his friends will make fun of him as his lifestyle is not as good as theirs. Fayyuzi and Riyaz have an argument with Mammo, and she leaves for the mosque at Haji Ali; she returns when they apologize. Although Mammo was born in Panipat during the British Raj, she was one of thousands of Muslims who left for Pakistan after Partition. She and her husband automatically become Pakistani citizens. Although childless, her marriage is a happy one until her husband's death. Over property matters, Mammo is thrown out of the house by her relatives.
, 2h40 Directed byShyam Benegal ActorsKulbhushan Kharbanda, Girish Karnad, Shabana Azmi, Shubha Khote, Om Puri, Dina Pathak Rating77% Antarnaad is a movie explaining the theory of the Swadhyay Movement run by P.P. Pandurangshastriji Athavale. It explains how to Spread the divine power of the Lord Bhagawan's message of Love through meeting all kinds & categories of people all over the country & communicate, make a friendly relation. As the relation moves on just motivate the people to remember to perform the God's heavenly service of Remembering him, Salute & thank him as well for this beautiful Life. Since that is the great power which run our daily BodyShores. Make those people so devout through their honest daily work of earning bread and butter & homeshores by accompanying them.