‘Pillar of Indian parallel cinema’: Mamata Banerjee, Mallikarjun Kharge mourn Shyam Benegal's demise

The veteran filmmaker passed away at Mumbai's Wockhardt Hospital due to chronic kidney disease

Politicians across the spectrum paid tribute to veteran filmmaker and auteur Shyam Benegal, who passed away on Monday at Mumbai's Wockhardt Hospital due to chronic kidney disease at 90.

Prolific filmmaker Shyam Benegal passed away at age 90 on Monday (PTI)

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee offered her condolences to his family, friends and followers and expressed her sadness at the demise of the “pillar of Indian parallel cinema”.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also expressed his sorrow at the passing of the legendary filmmaker and reflected on his achievements in a post on X.

“His works like ‘Bharat, Ek Khoj’ based on Pandit Nehru’s ‘The Discovery of India’ and the series ‘Samvidhaan’, which is based on the Constituent Assembly debates are a valuable reference point for young audiences,” he wrote in his post.

He added, “Recipient of the prestigious Padma Bhushan and Dadasaheb Phalke Award, along with 18 National Film Awards, his legacy will continue to inspire generations of filmmakers.”

Former Odisha chief minister and Biju Janta Dal chief Naveen Patnaik also took to social media platform X to mourn the loss of the “doyen of Indian cinema” and to praise his contributions to the Indian film industry.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor mourned the passing of Shyam Benegal and reflected on a personal anecdote in a post on X, stating, “My sisters and i knew him since our childhood, when he was an advertising professional who photographed them as the first “Amul Babies”. His impact will endure, but his passing is an immense loss, for cinema and for humanity.”

Benegal had celebrated his 90th birthday on December 14, only 10 days before he passed away. He is survived by his wife Nira and their daughter Pia.