Shyam Benegal prayer meet: Shabana Azmi, Naseeruddin Shah remember father of parallel cinema

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], December 29 (ANI): A prayer meet was held on Saturday evening in fond memory of legendary filmmaker Shyam Benegal.

From Shabana Azmi to Naseeruddin Shah and Divya Dutta, several members of the film industry gathered to pay homage to Shyam Benegal, who passed away on December 23 at the age of 90.

Actor Lillete Dubey, who attended the prayer meet, took to Instagram to share pictures. She also penned a heartfelt note remembering Shyam Benegal.

“Bidding adieu to an extraordinary talent and gentleman .. who exemplified an era of intellectual curiosity, wide sweeping vision, humanity, genuine warmth and individualistic creativity ..with wonderful anecdotes from his admirers and colleagues, it was truly an evening to celebrate the wonderfully talented human being that was Mr Shyam Benegal! Respect and admiration always Shyam Babu ..I will always be grateful that you were my first film director ..To your many adventures in the beyond,” she wrote.

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Shyam Benegal breathed his last at Wockhardt Hospital, Mumbai Central, where he was undergoing treatment for chronic kidney disease.

The legendary director Shyam Benegal who is known for films such as ‘Ankur’, ‘Mandi’, ‘Nishant’ and ‘Junoon’ was cremated with full state honours and a three-gun salute.

Born on December 14, 1934, in a Konkani-speaking Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin family in Hyderabad, Benegal collaborated extensively with actors from FTII and NSD, including Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Smita Patil, Shabana Azmi, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, and Amrish Puri.His films left an indelible impact on audiences, addressing relevant socio-political themes with remarkable depth.

For instance, Junoon (1979), based on Ruskin Bond’s A Flight of Pigeons, is a tumultuous epic set during India’s freedom movement. The film, featuring a forbidden love story between a British woman (Nafisa Ali) and a passionate Pathan (Shashi Kapoor), remains one of Benegal’s finest works, celebrated for its sweeping visuals and emotional intensity.

His films gained international acclaim as well. Manthan (1976), inspired by Verghese Kurien’s pioneering milk cooperative movement, made waves globally and was showcased at the 77th Cannes Film Festival.

The film’s premiere was attended by luminaries such as Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah, Prateik Babbar, and members of the Kurien and Patil families.