Renowned filmmaker Shyam Benegal died on Monday at the age of 90, after battling prolonged kidney disease. He died at approximately 6:30 pm at Wockhardt Hospital in Mumbai, his daughter Pia Benegal confirmed to India Today.

Benegal, one of the most prominent figures in Indian cinema, was celebrated for pioneering the parallel cinema movement. His films, such as Ankur, Mandi and Manthanthey became emblematic works of the seventies and eighties, marking a new direction in Indian cinema.

The filmmaker had recently celebrated his 90th birthday on December 14, surrounded by close friends and family. The gathering included notable actors like Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Naseeruddin Shah, Divya Dutta, Shabana Azmi, Rajit Kapur, Atul Tiwari and Kunal Kapoor, the actor-filmmaker and son of Shashi Kapoor.

Benegal’s contribution to cinema was recognized by the Indian government, who awarded him the Padma Shri in 1976 and the Padma Bhushan in 1991. His legacy includes a diverse body of work with hit films such as Manthan, Zubeidaa and Sardar Begum, among others.

Born on 14 December 1934 in Hyderabad, Shyam Benegal hails from a Konkani-speaking Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin family. His father, Sridhar B. Benegal, a photographer from Karnataka, introduced him to the world of visual storytelling. At the age of 12, Shyam made his first film with a camera that his father had given him. Although he earned a master’s degree in Economics from Osmania University in Hyderabad, it was his passion for cinema that led him to establish the Hyderabad Film Society, which marked the beginning of his illustrious film journey .

Some of his most celebrated works include Ankur, Manthan, Junoon, Suraj, Satvaan Ghoda, Mandiand more, which continue to inspire generations of filmmakers and audiences alike.