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Shyam Benegal: A Unique Voice of Indian Cinema

Shyam Benegal's filmography is a masterclass in understanding society, system, women, and the culture of the times he lived in, writes ETV Bharat's Minal Rudra.

Shyam Benegal, who shaped the Indian parallel cinema movement, passed at 90 away after battling chronic kidney disease. He is survived by his daughter and wife, Nira Benegal.
Shyam Benegal: A Unique Voice of Indian Cinema (Photo: Getty Images/ETV Bharat)

By ETV Bharat Entertainment Team

Published : Dec 24, 2024, 10:58 AM IST

It was in the early 70s, a time when the Hindi film industry was a tightly-knit, closed circle, with its doors and windows firmly shut. No one from outside could enter. This was also the era of multi-starrers, where the industry had become bloated and self-absorbed. There seemed to be no space for any young technician or filmmaker to break through. But amidst this, there emerged a filmmaker from Hyderabad, swimming against the tide. The name was Shyam Benegal.

He has made 21 feature films, two feature-scale documentaries, and also had a successful career in advertising. Before celebrating the legacy of Shyam Benegal as a filmmaker, it is very important to understand the time when he entered the world of cinema and made his mark. The first feature was made in 1974. He chose stories that he liked, tapped new talents, used Hindi cinema's strongest element dance and music in a neo-realistic way. and was certainly a ray of hope for aspiring actors who were dreaming of entering films while studying in Film and Television Institute of India (FTII).

All filmmakers are dreamers, and so was Benegal. However, to fuel those dreams, money was needed. Finding a sponsor for art-house cinema was a monumental task back then. Yet, Shyam found ways to make the films he believed in. His filmography is a masterclass in understanding society, the system, women, and the culture of the times he lived in. Going by his work, it rings true when he said, "If there's any real fear I have, it is that of repeating myself." Hence, repetition and formula are things one would not find in his films.

Born on December 14, 1934, in Hyderabad, Shyam Benegal's passion for cinema began in his childhood. A small cinema near his home sparked his love for film. Watching two films a week, one Hollywood and one Indian, he was quickly hooked on the world of make-believe. His fascination grew as he befriended the projectionist so that he could watch more movies. His father, Sridhar B. Benegal, a professional still photographer, further nurtured his interest with a 16mm Bolex camera, making home movies about their large family (Shyam had nine siblings). This early exposure to films, coupled with family discussions about them, made filmmaking feel like a natural ambition, even though, at the time, pursuing it seemed unrealistic in Hyderabad.

He took a long time to begin making films. When he was 18, he vowed that if he didn’t make his first film by the time he was 20, he would die. Then it continued: if he didn’t make his first film by 22, 25, 30... The years passed, but he persisted. Finally, at the age of 39, he made his first film, Ankur (1974). The script, which he had initially written in college, had been drafted and redrafted countless times. He took it to every producer in Mumbai (then Bombay), but for 20 years, no one was willing to invest in it. It was a long journey before a producer finally agreed to put a little money into the film.

Shyam was successful in advertising and was already making documentaries, but cinema was where his heart was. So, he decided to leave his job to pursue filmmaking. It was a gentleman named Lalit Bijlani, who used to distribute advertising films, and agreed to sponsor Ankur. His debut film turned out to be a successful venture. One of the first people Shyam showed the film to was Satyajit Ray, who asked him what he expected from it. Shyam said he would be happy if the film played at the Eros Cinema in Bombay over a weekend. Ray, however, predicted that it would run for several weekends. In reality, Ankur ran for 25 weeks.

Benegal talks about his work during an interview in Sydney at the Australian Film Festival in 1978 (Photo: Getty Images)

The success of Ankur highlighted Shyam's ability to cast his films correctly. One of the strengths of Ankur was its casting. It featured two entirely new faces, Shabana Azmi and Anant Nag. In fact, everyone in the film was a newcomer. The only person who had shot a feature film before was Govind Nihalani, the cinematographer who later turned director and screenwriter.

Shyam's second film, Nishant (1975), followed a similar pattern, made for the same producer, though with some new faces. It was mostly shot in Pochampalli village in Telangana (then Andhra Pradesh), famously known as the "weavers' village" for its handwoven sarees. Along with Girish Karnad, the film introduced fresh talents like Naseeruddin Shah and Smita Patil.

While his first two films were backed by the same producer, Shyam’s third film, Manthan (1976), was made in a very different and remarkable way. Manthan stands as a glowing example of the adage "where there’s a will, there’s a way. The film was India's first crowdfunded venture, with contributions from 5 lakh farmers, each donating Rs 2 to support its production. This unique initiative was spearheaded by the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which played a pivotal role in making the film.

The success of Manthan inspired Shyam to adopt the same crowdfunding model for several of his later films. Both Susman (1987) and Antamaad (1981) were made in a similar manner. However, before these two, there came a masterpiece. A film called Bhumika (1977), shot during the Emergency. It was based on the life of the trailblazing Marathi actress Hansa Wadkar. What was truly remarkable about the film, however, was its soundtrack -- or rather, the lack of one. The film had no background music whatsoever, yet it is often considered the one 'musical' film Shyam has made, as there are songs in it, even though there is no background score. Upon its release, the film tanked but eventually found an audience during its third release.

Shyam, who once referred to his film Kondura (also known as Anugraham, 1978) as one of the least known of his works, took on a fascinating challenge to adapt a brilliant Marathi novel by the writer Khanolkar into Telugu nativity. The story delves into the Brahmin psyche and examines deeply traditional societies where Southern India is still more rooted in tradition compared to the North. The Telugu version received a wonderful release but also sparked tremendous controversy. In fact, one Telugu literary magazine devoted an entire year-long debate to the film. However, the Hindi version of the film never saw the light of day in theatres and was only eventually shown on television. Despite being one of Shyam's lesser-known works, the film was featured in the Indian Panorama at the 1979 Berlin International Film Festival.

The only time in Shyam's career when his star was also his producer was with Shashi Kapoor, with whom he made Junoon (1979)and Kalyug (1981). Kalyug, in particular, stands out as an intriguing film, as it draws heavily from the themes of the Mahabharata. During a retrospective celebrating his cinema in 2002, Shyam shared that the Mahabharata encapsulates the entire spectrum of human archetypes, and these can be applied across time, place, or context. He felt this timeless quality made it a perfect foundation for Kalyug, which tells the story of an industrial family in collapse. Shyam found parallels between the characters of the Mahabharata and those in the film, infusing the ancient epic's essence into a contemporary narrative.

The filmmaker, never one to be confined by norms, even those of his own making, sought to break free from his usual style of storytelling with Mandi (1983), one of the most iconic films of his career. With Mandi, he challenged the conventional grammar of filmmaking, rejecting the typical structure of beginning, middle, and end. The film was born out of his desire to move away from focusing on a single protagonist. Instead, Mandi relied on a stellar ensemble cast, with Shabana Azmi, Smita Patil, Nina Gupta, Ila Arun, Naseeruddin Shah, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, and Amrish Puri all infusing life into the story, which was based on the classic Urdu short story Aanandi by Ghulam Abbas. Following Mandi, Shyam continued to explore ensemble-driven narratives, steering clear of the traditional focus on a lone protagonist.

Talking about cinema during interview in 2023 (Photo: Getty Images)

After Mandi, Shyam's career took a slightly different turn with Trikaal (1985), a film that some consider his most perfect work. Once again, it was an ensemble-driven film, with he weaving together a diverse group of actors. Three standout features of the film were Shyam’s inclusion of actors from Bombay’s amateur English theatre scene, who blended seamlessly with the rest of the cast. Another remarkable aspect was the fact that all the night scenes were shot entirely in candlelight, long before high-speed film technology became available. And, of course, there was Shyam’s unique portrayal of Goa’s fascinating culture, which was integral to the narrative and texture of the film.

There came a time when Benegal paused his filmmaking career, coinciding with the rapid rise of television as a powerful competitor to the big screen. It wasn’t that he wanted to stop making films, but the television boom of the mid-80s made it nearly impossible. With a flood of channels, it became difficult to raise funds and even harder to get a film on the screen. Cinemas were only interested in blockbusters, leaving little room for anything else. So, Shyam shifted his focus to television, taking on several projects, one of which was Bharat Ek Khoj (1988), based on Jawaharlal Nehru’s Discovery of India. This 53-hour series was shot on 35mm film, just like a feature film, and even today, not many would know that it was made with 144 sets.

During his time away from the silver screen, Shyam directed two documentaries, one on Satyajit Ray and another on Jawaharlal Nehru. But that wasn't all. He also created a television series called Yatra (1986), which explored the two longest train journeys in Bombay. Rather than a traditional documentary, Yatra was crafted as a series of short stories, as pure documentaries generally don’t work well in India.

Shyam Benegal during interview at Tardeo on October 30, 2023 in Mumbai, India. (Photo: Getty Images)

In a few years, Shyam returned to films with Suraj Ka Satwan Ghoda (1993), based on Dharmvir Bharati's stories. The film marked a distinct shift in his filmmaking style. His narrative technique took a bold turn here, as he aimed to tell multiple stories happening simultaneously. The novel, written by Bharati in the mid-50s, was considered a groundbreaking work in Hindi literature, making it a perfect material for Shyam’s creative vision. The story revolves around a central character who narrates four different tales, where he is the protagonist in each, yet his perception of himself changes from one story to another.

Those who knew Shyam well often remarked that he was incapable of malice. This was evident when he approached Khalid Mohammed, a critic who had relentlessly attacked all his films. Despite this, Shyam worked with him, and Khalid went on to write three of his films: Mammo (1994), Sardari Begum (1996), and Zubeidaa (2001). Before we delve into Zubeidaa, which remains Shyam’s most commercial work, with bigger stars and music by AR Rahman, it's important to note other significant films like Samar (1999) and Hari Bhari (2000), which can't be overlooked.

When Shyam decided to make Samar, one of the first challenges he faced was the realisation that he could never make a film like Ankur again. So, he approached it with a unique narrative. Samar became a film-within-a-film, revolving around a film crew that travels to a village where an atrocity against an untouchable had taken place, inspired by a real incident. Shyam once shared how the crew was uncertain about how the story would come together, as the entire process felt confusing for everyone, including himself. Yet, despite the confusion, it all came together in the end. Following this, Hari Bhari explored gender issues and women's reproductive rights.

Benegal at the Australian Film Festival in 1978 (Photo: Getty Images)

The early years after Independence, brimming with hope and change, left a lasting impact on Shyam's worldview, his life, and, of course, his cinema. These formative years helped shape him into a socially conscious filmmaker, with his films often reflecting the societal changes and issues of the time. Perhaps that's why Shyam once remarked that the story of Zubeidaa reminded him of his own days when he could feel the winds of change around him. The film delves into the romance between Zubeida Begum, an aspiring actress, and the Maharaja of Jodhpur, Hanwant Singh. Reflecting on this inter-faith love story, Shyam once shared in an interview, "The feudal system was being dismantled, and there was a great churning in Indian society. It fascinated me. Some adapted slowly, while others simply couldn’t. We were transitioning from a feudal structure to a democratic one. And this story is set at that pivotal moment in history."

Shyam's Welcome to Sajjanpur (2008) brought back social issues like unemployment, but with a touch of humor that made the film both thought-provoking and entertaining. With Well Done Abba (2010), he returned to familiar territory, shifting the story from Mumbai to Hyderabad. This political satire highlighted how the burden of political systems is rarely shared by politicians and bureaucrats; instead, it is the common man who bears the brunt in every aspect of life.

A seasoned director in the genre of political biographies, Shyam Benegal's final directorial venture, Mujib: The Making of a Nation, was a significant project. With this film, Shyam brought together two nations, India and Bangladesh, as he told the story of the late Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of Bangladesh, shaping his life and legacy on screen.

In his prolific, almost seven-decade career, Benegal received numerous National Awards. He was honoured with the Padma Shri in 1976 and the Padma Bhushan in 1991. In 2005, he was awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest honour in the field of cinema. Benegal also served as a Rajya Sabha MP from 2006 to 2012.

Receiving Ganga Sharan Singh Award at Rashtrpati Bhavan on June 20, 2012 in New Delhi (Photo: Getty Images)

Shyam Benegal, who shaped the Indian parallel cinema movement, passed at 90 away after battling chronic kidney disease. He is survived by his daughter and wife, Nira Benegal.

In reflecting on his remarkable contributions, there is no better way to sum up his philosophy than through his own words. As he once said, "Single film doesn't change society. But cinema as a whole does." His keen insights into the industry were also captured in another of his memorable quotes: "Some people say that everything's becoming democratized, but that's just another way of saying everything's getting dumbed down, you know."

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