The filmmaker behind several award-winning films like Ankur, Bhumika, Manthan, and Nishant, Shyam Benegal, passed away at the age of 90. The filmmaker, recently appeared for a conversation with Samdish Bhatia on his YouTube channel, wherein he revealed who he was the most envious of during his time.
(Also Read: Filmmaker Shyam Benegal turns 90, says he is working on 2-3 projects)
What Shyam Benegal said
When asked if he still feels envy and jealousy, Shyam Benegal replied that he used to feel envy when he was young. When asked who was the filmmaker he was most envious of, Shyam Benegal replied, “Well, in India, there was only one, Satyajit Ray. The person I used to admire greatly, was Satyajit Ray. And then a couple of people and my cousin, I mean Guru Dutt for instance.”
Shyam Benegal revealed why he was envious of Guru Dutt
He added, “I mean, I used to envy him, not admire him so much, just envy him because of his success. You know, as a filmmaker. I used to be very critical of his work. But the fact was, I used to envy him. Well, you know the fact was that I used to admire him because you know, for reasons of his success, because he was very successful and also he had aesthetic lapses in his work. But by and large, he had a very restless mind. He used to try out different things often without success. I mean he made some wonderful films like Sahib and Ghulam. But he also bought a Kaagaz Ke Phool, which completely fell on his face.”
For the unversed, Shyam Benegal’s paternal grandmother and Guru Dutt’s maternal grandmother were sisters, thus making them second cousins
Shyam Benegal’s daughter, Pia Benegal, confirmed the news of his death. “Yes, he has died. The loss is too great,” she said.
The filmmaker recently celebrated his 90th birthday with family and close friends from the industry. Shabana Azmi, who debuted in his film, Ankur, was also present there. Shyam Benegal 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).
