Known for his Intellectual depth, narrative complexity, and commitment to social realism, Filmmaker Shyam Benegal has made significant contributions to Indian cinema. He became a key figure in the Indian New Wave cinema movement, through his works which often challenged the conventional norms.
Starting his journey in the 1970s, Benegal brought a revolution in the realm of parallel or "art" cinema in contrast to the formulaic commercial films dominating Bollywood at that time. His films focused on social realism, while they presented historical narratives, depicting complex human emotions in his characters, and enduring social issues, while his films placed greater emphasis on strong narratives rather than the spectacle.
Benegal was instrumental in giving opportunities to newcomers and nurturing their talents. He gave many talented actors to the Indian cinema, helping them nurture in their art namely Smita Patil, Shabana Azmi, and Naseeruddin Shah known for their contributions to parallel cinema who became household names due to their collaborations with him.
Benegal is often credited with bringing strong female characters in his films, while his films centred around multidimensional strong females defying typical roles made for women in Bollywood and mainstream cinema. Benegal's films often centre around strong, multidimensional female protagonists who are shown as complex individuals with their own desires, struggles, and agency. His characters would defy the typical roles assigned to women in mainstream Indian cinema.
Here's a look at some of the masterpieces the cinematic wizard Shyam Benegal gave to Indian Cinema.
Ankur ( 1974) - Ankur which means the Seedling, was Shyam Bengal's debut feature film which was also a debut for actors Shabana Azmi and Anant Nag. The film delved into Caste and Class Struggles, Feudalism and Social Injustice, and Sexuality and Power Dynamics in rural India. Benegal presented his characters as symbols of social classes portraying them with their desires, struggles, and contradictions.
Ankur is a complex film that analyzes human behaviour and heavily stresses characterisation through the story which is a reality of rural India. The film revolves around two characters, Lakshmi, a servant enacted by Shabana Azmi and Surya played by Anant Nag, who's the son of a village, landlord, who tries to exploit Lakshmi. The film emphasizes how power and privilege are passed down through generations, keeping the lower classes oppressed depicted by a whipping scene which portrays a harsh reality. Ankur won three National Film Awards and 43 other prizes, both in India and abroad. It was nominated for the Golden Bear at the 24th Berlin International Film Festival. The film is considered as a hallmark of parallel cinema which is a heartfelt, bittersweet and poignant tale of social inequality with a career-defining performance by Shabana Azmi.
Nishant (1975) : Starring Shabana Azmi, Smita Patil, Girish Karnad, Anant Nag, Amrish Puri and Naseeruddin Shah. Nishant yet again portrays Moral and Social Justice, Caste-Based Oppression,Exploitation of Women, Rebellion and Resistance.
The film is a portrayal of landowners who exploit the poor and powerless. Set in a small rural village, the film and revolves around a schoolteacher, Sukhilala ( Girish Karnad) who is brutally murdered by the local feudal lords. His wife Chandra (Shabana Azmi) is caught in a web of social and sexual exploitation, Azmi yet again gave a very strong performance.
In the film, Benegal brought a new light of revolution depicting the potential for resistance, leading to a slow but, eventual rebellion in the village against the oppressive lords. Shyam Benegal’s direction in Nishant is marked by its naturalistic and restrained approach.
The cinematography by K K Mahajan captures the bleakness of rural India with outdoor dusty villages in rustic settings, barren fields and dilapidated structures which underline the economic and social deprivation that the villagers face. The film won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi in 1977. It was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1976. The film was invited to the London Film Festival in 1976, Melbourne International Film Festival in 1977, and the Chicago International Film Festival in 1977, where it was awarded the Golden Plaque.
Benegal received acclaim from film critics for the film, Ziya Us Salam wrote in The Hindu, "Miles removed from the work of everyday filmmakers, for many of whom cinema is nothing more than a hero waiting in eager anticipation of the heroine and post-dinner desserts, Benegal's "Nishant" (Night's End) is a dawn that did not come an hour too soon. The National Award for the best film, the nomination for the Oscars were just rewards for a film that lived up to its name."
Manthan (1976): Manthan meaning the Churning, was yet another masterpiece set amidst the backdrop of the White Revolution of India, which was the world's largest dairy development programme. Manthan was the first crowd-funded film which demonstrated the power of collective might, wherein 500,000 farmers donated Rs 2 each to find the film. Directed by Shyam Benegal the film had dialogues by Kaifi Azmi and screenplay by Vijay Tendulkar and cinematography by Govind Nihlani.
The film starred Girish Karnad, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Smita Patil, Naseeruddin Shah and Amrish Puri in the lead roles. The film revolves around a young veterinary doctor Dr Rao( Girish Karnad) with his team who has set up a cooperative dairy in Kheda district, Gujarat. The village is inhabited by poor people involved in cattle-rearing and producing milk, while they are paid ridiculously low amounts for their milk by the local owner Mishra ( Amrish Puri).
Benegal portrays Dr. Rao as the real hero who fights for Harijans against the village politics, rigid casteism, and general distrust, oppression leading to social reform, and empowerment. The film portrays a definite tension between tradition and modernity while he masters in portraying the complexities of human relationships and highlighting the marginalized voices in Indian society. Shyam Benegal won a National Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi in 1976 and a Filmfare for Best Playback Singer category by Preeti Sagar for the song 'Meri Gaam Katha Parey'.
His film Bhumika (1977): The film also stars Amol Palekar, Anant Nag, Naseeruddin Shah and Amrish Puri in the lead roles. Bhumika features Smita Patil in a powerful role, depicting a Marathi actress Urvashi who becomes an actress with the help of Keshav(Amol Palekar) in the Marathi film industry, who ends up marrying him. The film is a heart-wrenching quest for a woman’s independence and the struggle between societal expectations, internal struggles between fame, personal identity, and societal pressures, and the Identity Crisis for women after marriage. The dialogues of the film are written by Shyam Bengal, Girish Karnad and Satyadev Dubey.
Mandi (1983): Benegal took a satirical look at the lives of prostitutes in Hyderabad showcasing their exploitation and the societal hypocrisy surrounding sex work.The film had a huge ensemble cast starring Shabana Azmi, Smita Patil, Naseeruddin Shah, Neena Gupta, Om Puri, Saeed Jaffrey, Annu Kapoor, Satish Kaushik, Pankaj Kapur, Amrish Puri, Illa Arun and K.K Raina, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Anita Kanwar, Ratna Pathak Sen and Soni Razdan.
Based on a classic Urdu short story Aanandi by writer Ghulam Abbas, the film narrates the story of a brothel. Shabana Azmi gave an outstanding performance as Rukmini Devi, the Madame of a brothel, who takes pride in Zeenat (Smita Patil) who is a classical singer and Basanti (Neena Gupta) who is a classical dancer. Rukmini Bai is quite possessive about Zeenat and does not let her get engaged in prostitution. The film is indeed a masterpiece that defines class with lyrics by eminent poets of yester years namely Mir Taqi Mir, Bahadur Shah Zafar, Insha, Makhdoom Mohiuddin and Sarwar Danda and music is by Vanraj Bhatia. Mandi won 12 Filmfare awards and Four Filmfare nominations for the cast.
Shyam Benegal is also known to incorporate Indian History and Mythology in many of his films. His films reimagined traditional Indian myths bringing a modern take on Epics, which made mythology and history more relevant to contemporary audiences. His films like Kalyug (1981) reinterpreted the Mahabharata, while he placed modern-day politics and conflicts in context to the central conflicts of the epic Mahabharata, dealing with power dynamics, ambition and moral crises of the contemporary world.
Filmmaker Shyam Benegal was indeed a champion of regional cinema, while his films often explored the rustic regional cultural and social landscapes as he delved in making films in regional languages and settings. His films Manthan were based on the White Revolution in Gujarat, focusing on the dairy farmers' cooperative movement, while Trikal was set in Goa, reflecting the colonial past and the changing nature of Goan society.
Benegal received Critical Acclaim and Awards from critics and audiences, while he was widely appreciated both in India and abroad. He received numerous awards, including National Film Awards and Filmfare Awards, for his direction and screenplay writing.
His films made a significant impact on the next generation of filmmakers like Mani Kaul, Kundan Shah, and Govind Nihalani, who started drawing references from social issues with strong storytelling, and realistic portrayal of characters, influenced by Benegal.
Benegal believed in the Preservation and Promotion of Indian Cultural and Historical Heritage and directed many documentaries and historical films. His documentary Discovery of India (2005)was based on Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru's book and reflects his interest in India’s historical legacy.
Shyam Benegal paved the way for many filmmakers to tell stories that are both meaningful and culturally relevant. He elevated the standards of Indian cinema by addressing social issues and real world concerns, to create compelling narratives with depth and sensitivity, and that's what makes him one of India's most revered filmmakers.
