From ‘Ankur’ to ‘Kalyug’, the best films of Shyam Benegal

Filmmaker Shyam Benegal, who passed away on December 23, 2024 (Monday), at the age of 90, made films that explored social issues and relevant themes like casteism and politics. Set in a rural background and based on real-life stories, Benegal’s films featured stellar performances and relevant themes, receiving widespread appreciation. Here is a list of Benegal’s best Hindi movies.

Ankur (1974)

Considered a classic of parallel cinema, this film is the first film of Shyam Benegal. Starring Ananth Nag and Shabana Azmi, the film was reportedly based on a true story that took place in Hyderabad in 1950. Revolving around the central conflict of a village landlord’s son’s love affair with a Dalit woman, the social drama depicted the presence of casteism, its imbalanced balance. About the power and dangers of alcohol. With cinematography by Govind Nihalani and Kamath Ghanekar, sprout Won three National Film Awards, including the Second Best Feature Film Award and the Best Actress Award for Shabana Azmi.

Nishant (1975)

Based on a screenplay by popular playwright Vijay Tendulkar, the film was a sharp portrayal of feudalism in Telangana. Starring Girish Karnad, Shabana Azmi, Amrish Puri and Anant Nag, the film depicted the sexual exploitation of women and the abuse of power by the rural elite. Benegal worked closely with him for the film sprout Collaborators, cinematographer Govind Nihalani and music composer Vanraj Bhatia. In addition to winning the National Film Award for Best Feature Film, the film was selected to compete for the Palme d’Or at the 1976 Cannes Film Festival.

Nishant. , Photo Credit: IMDb

Manthan (1976)

Considered to be the first crowd-funded Indian film, Benegal’s third film is considered an all-time classic. This film, based on the background of India’s White Revolution, was crowdfunded by five lakh farmers. The film depicts the poor farmers of Gujarat and their indomitable spirit. The film stars Naseeruddin Shah, Girish Karnad, Smita Patil, Anant Nag and Amrish Puri. At the 77th Cannes Film Festival, a restored version was screened, with Naseeruddin Shah and Benegal attending the show. Vijay Tendulkar, who wrote the screenplay with Verghese Kurien, known as the father of the White Revolution, won the National Film Award for Best Screenplay.

Bhumika (1977)

Smita Patil gives a strong performance in this adaptation based on the life of renowned Marathi stage and screen actor Hansa Wadkar. The script was based on Hansa Wadkar’s memoir titled संगत्ये एकाBenegal wrote the screenplay with Girish Karnad, while Satyadev Dubey wrote the dialogues for the Hindi film. Smita Patil, who portrayed the unconventional life of an artist, won the National Award for Best Actress. The film featured actors like Amol Palekar, Anant Nag and Amrish Puri.

‘Role’. , Photo Credit: IMDb

Junoon (1979)

Based on the novel by Ruskin Bond fight of pigeons, In the film, Benegal collaborated with actor Shashi Kapoor, who produced the film. Set against the backdrop of the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the film stars Shashi Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi and Nafisa Ali. While Govind Nihalani won the National Award in the Best Cinematographer category, the film was adjudged Best Feature Film in Hindi.

Mandi (1983)

Telling the story of a brothel located in the center of a city, Benegal presents a satirical comedy on politics and prostitution in this film. The film is based on an Urdu short story by Ghulam Abbas. Anandi. The film featured actors like Shabana Azmi, Smita Patil, Neena Gupta, Ila Arun and Naseeruddin Shah.

‘Market’. , Photo Credit: IMDb

Kalyug (1981)

A crime drama at its core, the film is also seen as a modern adaptation of the epic Mahabharata. Dealing with the inevitable war between two business families, the film stars Shashi Kapoor, Rekha, Ananth Nag and Raj Babbar. The film is considered one of Benegal’s most complex works. Driven by the stellar performances of Kapoor and Banerjee, the film was submitted for the Academy Awards.

Read this also Shyam Benegal – The boy from Alwal who put Hyderabad on the national film map

Welcome to Sajjanpur (2008)

A rural comedy, the film is a satire that depicts everyday incidents in Indian villages. The film, starring Shreyas Talpade, Amrita Rao and Kunal Kapoor, was praised for its entertaining elements. The film was an adaptation of the 1977 Hindi film In the shade of eyelashes.

‘Welcome to Sajjanpur’. , Photo Credit: IMDb

Shabaash Abba (2010)

In this political satire, Benegal adapted the 2007 Marathi film eat barley there And presents a hilarious drama based on a rural backdrop. The film stars Boman Irani, Minissha Lamba and Ravi Kishan in lead roles while Shantanu Moira and Vishal Khurana composed the music for the film. With a screenplay by Jayant Kripalani and Ashok Mishra, Well done father Won the National Award for Best Film on Social Issues in 2009.

Zubaida (2001)

The film is the third part of Benegal’s trilogy consisting of Manamo (1994) and Sardari Begum (1996). Karisma Kapoor was in the lead role in this film based on actress Zubaida Begum. Zubaida’s son Khalid Mohammed wrote the story and screenplay of the film. The film was praised for balancing commercial and parallel cinema aspects. Apart from AR Rahman’s songs, the film was helped by Karisma’s career-best performance.