Shyam Benegal funeral: Naseeruddin Shah bids emotional goodbye to filmmaker, Gulzar pays last respects

Veteran filmmaker Shyam Benegal died at the age of 90 on December 23. He was suffering from a chronic kidney disease.

Updated on: Dec 24, 2024, 15:01:18 IST

By Santanu Das

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Shyam Benegal, pioneer of the Indian parallel cinema movement, died on December 23. He was 90. The filmmaker's death was confirmed to Hindustan Times by his daughter Pia Benegal on Monday evening. The last rites of the director will be held at the Shivaji Park Electric Crematorium in Mumbai on December 24. (Also read: This Shyam Benegal film was shot in 28 days, did silver jubilee in a theatre; starred Shabana Azmi)

Naseeruddin Shah and Gulzar paid their last respects to Shyam Benegal.

Shyam Benegal's funeral

Shabana Azmi took to her Instagram Stories on Tuesday to share details about the funeral of the filmmaker. The statement, signed by Shyam Benegal's wife Nira Benegal and daughter Pia Benegal, read that the funeral will begin at 2 PM at Shivaji Park Electric Crematorium.

Shabana marked her acting debut with Shyam Benegal's Ankur, for which she won the National Award for Best Actress. She went on to work with Benegal on more projects, including Nishant and Mandi.

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As per a new video shared by a paparazzo account on Instagram, the mortal remains of the filmmaker were brought in by the grieving family members at Shivaji Park. Naseeruddin Shah, who acted in several films directed by Shyam Benegal, was seen bidding an emotional farewell to the filmmaker. Several Bollywood celebrities are expected to make a presence at the funeral.

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The veteran director celebrated his 90th birthday a few days ago in Mumbai with his family and close friends from the industry.

The filmmaker was known for his rich body of work, which broke away from the norms of traditional mainstream cinema. His films were marked by a degree of realism and social commentary, and helped in Indian parallel cinema movement in the 1970s and 1980s. He has won multiple National Awards for movies including Bhumika: The Role (1977), Junoon (1978), Arohan (1982), Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero (2004), Manthan (1976), and Well Done Abba (2010).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Santanu Das
Santanu Das is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over 5 years of experience, writing on films, pop culture and film festivals. He has a keen interest in writing about South Asian independent films and has covered several film festivals, including Sundance and CPH: Docx. He also brings a sharp perspective to the monthly column called The Fault in Our Stars, where he writes about a recent film/series and what stops the ‘good’ from becoming ‘great’. A gold medalist from Banaras Hindu University, Santanu completed his postgraduate studies in English from Jadavpur University. He is also a Rotten Tomatoes-certified film critic. When not watching films or speaking to celebrities, Santanu can be found reading a book. Some of his favourite films are Aparajito, Ponyo and The Double Life of Veronique. His favourite books include The Corrections, The God of Small Things and A Room of One's Own. Santanu continues to write passionately about films and celebrity culture. He brings a relatable, as well as critically informed, lens to entertainment and culture for a wide audience. Find him on LinkedIn: santanudasfilm Instagram: @santupechaRead More

Shyam Benegal

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