Shyam Benegal passed into the ages on December 23, leaving behind a rich legacy. We look back at some interesting moments from his life.
'What if a ring had gotten stolen, or a gem had fallen? There were uncut diamonds, rubies and emeralds. And the security from the jewellery shop came to watch the shoot.'
'With his passing, Indian cinema has lost its most undaunted voice, a voice of unsettling truths, a window to history, a school of filmmaking.'
'If there is one thing Shyam Benegal expressed best: It was the Poetry of the ordinary face and ordinary lives.'
His cinema of compassion inspired me, gave me tools to develop empathy for others. But it also made me understand that serious, socially committed cinema with deeply engaging narratives and great performances is an art form to admire, appreciate and explore. Aseem Chhabra remembers Shyam Benegal, who passed into the ages on Monday evening.
Deepika Padukone's sister Anisha is all set to wed Rohan Acharya, filmmaker Bimal Roy's great-grandson.
Om Puri would have been 75 in October. We look back at his early years through these 16 pictures from his life.
As Shyam Benegal turns 89 on December 14, Subhash K Jha takes a look at 10 of his best films and tells you where you can watch them.
The director has made 22 films and won 46 awards in India and abroad.
Reader Purnima Kamath has sent us a photograph.
Exclusive! Decision-making in the government is a painful affair, legendary film director Shyam Benegal, one of the masterminds behind last week's impressive Commonwealth Games opening ceremony, tells Rediff.com's Patcy N.
Reader Anil Kumar found the director very soft-spoken.
The 72-year-old director wins the award over Sulochana and Suchitra Sen.
Shyam Benegal, Shobhana Bhartia and Kapila Vatsayan come in place of Fali S Nariman, Lata Mangeshkar and Cho Ramaswamy.
'On the set, he was this big personality, the great Om Puri. But at home, he was like a fluffy teddy bear.'
'It is a film entitled Chamki Chameli that Shyambabu wanted to make for the longest time,' says a source.
Besides screening of Benegal's films Zubeidaa and The Making of the Mahatma, he will deliver a public lecture on April 22 and participate in the discussion on his films after screening.
'He was a visionary who redefined storytelling and inspired generations.'
Veteran director Shyam Benegal discusses with P Rajendran how corporate funding has helped transform the Indian film industry.
The festival's People's Choice Award, voted by the audience, is a strong indication of films that can eventually be nominated and even win Oscars. Twelve of the last 15 People's Choice winners have received Best Picture Oscar nominations.
'Shyam babu, you will always be with us through your films, your laughter and your wise and kind words.'
'So my question was, 'What is it that you are proud of? What have you achieved? What is your contribution?' 'He had no answer.'
'I find his sense of history astounding, not just history of film, but of life in general.' Another fascinating excerpt from Sangeeta Datta's book Shyam Benegal.
'...Shyam had not given me the roles he did.'
The filmmaker remembers one of his oldest friends in Mumbai.
'Being in his company was learning at every moment.'
'He had a continuing interest in life, people, and the society in which he lived,' remembers Shyam Benegal, who collaborated with the polyglot playwright and actor through the 1970s and remained his friend for more than five decades.
'The way the anticipation is built up for Gabbar Singh's introduction scene with sound, image and details of his personality, like the combat boots he wears.' 'The camera comes so close -- not a tele lens shot, but a wide-angle close-up -- that you can almost smell Gabbar's breath.'
Sammir Dattani talks about his experience of working with the veteran filmmaker in Well Done Abba.
The filmmaker gives an insight of his favourtie films of all time.
'Each of us will have a beautiful story to tell about him because he went beyond work and touched our lives. That's a rarity in this industry.'
Sukanya Verma looks at instances of aristocrats falling for commoners on the silver screen.
'I don't know how long cinema will survive.'
'He treated stars and assistants with the same unfailing courtesy.'
'Naseer does not have the sense of humour that Om Puri has. 'Also Om has a great deal of compassion as a human being. Naseer was too focused on his own self.' A fascinating excerpt from Sangeeta Datta's book, Shyam Benegal.
'After Om's untimely demise, he would call us every Sunday for the next two years to ask, "How are you doing my dear? How's the young fella?"'
'I am not a mother and never had an abortion either, so I had to understand motherhood and child loss from anecdotal experiences of others.'
Shyam Benegal, the shining beacon of the Indian cinema, was laid to rest on Tuesday around 3 pm with full state honours and a three-gun salute at Shivaji Park, central Mumbai.
Actors, directors and admirers mourned legendary filmmaker Shyam Benegal on Saturday evening.
'I have done a one-hour film on soya bean with him!'
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