Renowned filmmaker Shyam Benegal, who was unwell for a long time, passed away at the age of 90. He breathed his last at 6:39 PM at the Vokart Hospital in Mumbai Central. His death was confirmed by his daughter, Pia Benegal, who told ABP News that her father had been battling chronic kidney disease. She shared that funeral arrangements will be decided later.
On December 14, Shyam Benegal celebrated his 90th birthday. Shabana Azmi shared a picture of the celebration on December 15, which featured notable personalities like Shabana Azmi, Naseeruddin Shah, Divya Dutta, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Kunal Kapoor, and others.
On his birthday, Shyam Benegal told PTI, “We all grow old, but I don’t do anything special on my birthday. It may be a significant day, but I don’t celebrate it in any grand way. I usually just cut a cake at the office with my team.”
About Shyam Benegal
Shyam Benegal was renowned for directing iconic films such as Ankur (1973), Nishant (1975), Manthan (1976), Bhumika (1977), Mammo (1994), Sardari Begum (1996), and Zubeidaa (2001), among many others.
He was conferred with the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1976 and the Padma Bhushan in 1991 in recognition of his outstanding contributions to cinema. He was also honoured with the Padma Shri in 1976.
Among his many honours were an astounding eighteen National Film Awards and the esteemed Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India’s highest honour in cinema.
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